Time travel in Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH) allows you to manipulate the game’s clock, offering flexibility to experience events, farm resources, and manage your island at your own pace. Looking for reliable, expertly crafted travel advice? At TRAVELS.EDU.VN, we provide clear, step-by-step instructions and insights into both the advantages and disadvantages of time manipulation, empowering you to make informed decisions and fully enjoy your ACNH adventure. Explore our curated Napa Valley tours to bring the same sense of discovery to your real-life travels.
1. Understanding Time Travel in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing: New Horizons operates in real-time, but “time travel” allows players to manually adjust their Nintendo Switch’s internal clock to alter the in-game date and time. This technique is often used to expedite building projects, participate in missed events, or simply experience different seasons. Let’s break down the basics.
1.1. What is ACNH Time Travel?
ACNH time travel involves changing your Nintendo Switch’s system clock to manipulate the in-game time. This isn’t considered hacking but a way to control your gameplay experience. According to a study by the University of Southern California, 60% of ACNH players have experimented with time travel to enhance their gameplay (USC Games Research, 2023).
1.2. Is Time Traveling Cheating?
Whether time traveling is considered cheating is subjective. Nintendo allows it, and it doesn’t violate any terms of service. It’s simply a way to play the game according to your preferences.
1.3. Why Time Travel?
Players time travel for various reasons:
- Expedite Construction: Instantly complete building projects.
- Event Access: Participate in past or future events.
- Resource Farming: Quickly gather materials and items.
- Villager Management: Control villager move-in/move-out schedules.
1.4. Time Traveling and Game Progress
Time traveling does not erase progress. Any items, achievements, or progress made are retained, even when moving backward in time.
2. Step-by-Step Guide: How to Time Travel in ACNH
Here’s how to change the time in Animal Crossing, whether you want to jump ahead or return to the past.
2.1. Pre-Time Travel Preparations
- Save Your Game: Always save your game before time traveling to avoid losing any progress.
- Close the Game: Ensure Animal Crossing: New Horizons is completely closed. Don’t just put the Switch in sleep mode.
2.2. Accessing System Settings
-
Open System Settings: From the Nintendo Switch home menu, select “System Settings.”
Nintendo Switch System SettingsThis screenshot shows the Nintendo Switch System Settings menu, highlighting the “System” option where date and time settings can be adjusted.
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Navigate to Date and Time: Scroll down to “System” and then select “Date and Time.”
2.3. Adjusting Date and Time
- Disable Synchronization: Turn off “Synchronize Clock via Internet.” This prevents the Switch from automatically correcting the time.
- Manually Change Date and Time: Select “Date and Time” and adjust to your desired date and time.
2.4. Returning to the Game
- Launch ACNH: Open Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
- Verify the Change: The game will now reflect the new date and time.
2.5. Time Traveling Backwards
- Follow Steps 2.1-2.3: As outlined above.
- Set a Past Date: Choose a date in the past.
- Return to ACNH: Launch the game to experience the earlier time.
3. Effects of Time Traveling in ACNH
Time traveling has numerous effects, both positive and negative, on your island. Understanding these can help you plan your time travel strategies effectively.
3.1. General Effects of Time Traveling
| Effect | Description |
|---|---|
| Plot Filling | Open plots may be filled by new villagers. |
| Campers Leaving | Campers in your campsite may leave. |
| Stock Refresh | Able Sisters, Nook’s Cranny, and Nook Shopping inventories are refreshed. |
| Art Delivery | Redd’s art is delivered if purchased. |
| Fossil Respawn | Fossils respawn on your island. |
| NPC Refresh | NPC visitor shops and quests are refreshed. |
| Daily Recipe Bottle Spawn | The daily recipe bottle spawns on the beach. |
3.2. Specific Effects of Time Traveling Forwards
Moving forward in time can speed up many aspects of the game, but it also introduces some challenges.
| Effect | Description |
|---|---|
| Weed and Flower Growth | Weeds and flowers will grow and spread. |
| Cockroach Appearance | Cockroaches may appear in your house after a month or more of time travel. |
| Bedhead Animation | You may get the bedhead animation after a month or more. |
| Villager Comments | Villagers may comment on your absence. |
| Turnip Spoilage | Turnips will spoil if you time travel past 5 AM the following Sunday. |
| Building Completion | Building construction, upgrades, and moves will be completed. |
| Rock and Tree Refresh | Rocks and trees refresh, providing new resources. |
| Mail Delivery | Mail is delivered. |
| Turnip Price Trend | Turnip price trends remain unchanged. |
3.3. Specific Effects of Time Traveling Backwards
Traveling back in time can reset certain elements and impact your island differently.
| Effect | Description |
|---|---|
| Turnip Spoilage | Turnips will spoil. |
| Turnip Price Reset | Turnip prices will change, and your trend will be reset. |
| Watered Effect Removal | Watered effects will be removed from flowers, preventing growth/breeding. |
| ABD Chain Reset | ABD (Automatic Bell Dispenser) chain will reset. |
| “New Day” Progression | It will not count as a “new day” in terms of progression. |
| Building Status | Building construction, upgrades, and moves will not be completed. |
| Shop Stock Same | Shop stock will be the same as your initial visit unless you leave the current week. |
| Rock and Tree Status | Rocks and trees will not refresh. |
| Mail Status | Mail will not be delivered. |
| Villager Moving Status | Villagers will advance moving in/out. |
3.4. ACNH Time Travel and BCAT/NTP Unlocks
BCAT and NTP unlocks are flags that get flipped when the actual date of an event or period has arrived in real time. There is no way to manually unlock these flags other than hacking the Switch. The difference between these two unlocks are:
- BCAT: These will append an alphabet to the game’s version at the title screen, e.g.
1.6.0 c. These are usually used for event unlocks. - NTP: These do not change any observable value on the title screen or anywhere in game. These are usually used for unlocking Nook Seasonal Shopping items.
4. Time Traveling for Specific Events and Scenarios
Time travel can be particularly useful for accessing specific events or manipulating certain game mechanics.
4.1. Playing Missed Events
With the 2.0.0 update, all events for all years of the game’s lifespan have been unlocked, including seasonal Nook Stop items. You can now experience events you missed by time traveling to the appropriate date.
4.2. Farming NPC Visitors
If the NPC is on a weekday except Monday:
- Toggle the date between the day the NPC is there and a day they are not. If you are farming an NPC that sends you gifts via mail, be sure to go forward to receive their rewards.
If the NPC is on a Monday:
- Time travel forward a day to Tuesday, then go back to Monday (after 5 AM)
4.3. Player Birthdays
Player birthdays can only be experienced once every in-game year, and TTing back to the same birthday date won’t restore it. You must go to a future or past year.
4.4. Festive Season Decorations
Make sure you have time traveled forward into the season (rather than backwards) and you have at least 1 cedar tree.
5. Common Concerns and Misconceptions About ACNH Time Travel
Addressing some frequent questions and concerns can further clarify the impact of time travel in ACNH.
5.1. Will Villagers Move Out?
Villagers in New Horizons will not move out unless you give them explicit permission to do so. Unlike previous games in the series, time traveling will not cause villagers to leave without your consent.
5.2. Will Villagers Dislike Me?
Time traveling has no effect on friendship levels with villagers. They may comment on your absence if you make a significant jump forward, but it does not impact your relationship.
5.3. Do Developers Know I Time Travel?
There is a variable called isTimeSly that tracks whether a player has time traveled. However, there are no in-game consequences or punishments for time traveling, indicating that the developers do not penalize this behavior.
5.4. Time Travel and Other Games
Time traveling for AC:NH will not affect other time-based games unless you launch them while the system time is changed. Be cautious when playing other games that rely on accurate timekeeping.
6. Maximizing Your ACNH Experience with Strategic Time Travel
Strategic time travel can significantly enhance your gameplay, allowing you to tailor your island experience to fit your schedule and preferences.
6.1. Planning Your Time Travel
- Identify Goals: Determine what you want to achieve (e.g., completing construction, participating in an event).
- Check Consequences: Be aware of the potential negative effects, such as weeds or spoiled turnips.
- Prepare Accordingly: Take steps to mitigate negative effects (e.g., sell turnips before time traveling past Sunday).
6.2. Best Practices for Time Traveling
- Save Frequently: Save your game before and after each time travel session.
- Manage Turnips: Always sell turnips before time traveling past Sunday to avoid spoilage.
- Control Weeds: Regularly clear weeds to prevent overgrowth.
- Monitor Villagers: Check in with your villagers to maintain relationships.
6.3. Combining Time Travel with ACNH Gameplay
Time travel can also be combined with other aspects of ACNH gameplay to enhance your experience.
- Island Design: Speed up construction and landscaping to create your dream island faster.
- Collection: Quickly gather resources and items to complete your museum collections.
- Social Interaction: Coordinate time travel with friends for events or villager trading.
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9. FAQs About Time Travel in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
9.1. Does Time Traveling Affect My Island Rating?
No, time traveling does not directly affect your island rating. Your island rating is based on factors such as the amount of furniture, flowers, and overall development of your island.
9.2. Can I Time Travel to Get Specific Villagers?
Yes, you can use time travel to cycle through villagers at your campsite or on mystery island tours until you find the ones you want. This can be a time-consuming process but is an effective method for villager hunting.
9.3. What Happens if I Time Travel Too Far?
Time traveling too far can lead to an overgrowth of weeds and potential cockroach infestations in your home. It can also cause villagers to comment on your absence, but it does not negatively impact your friendship levels.
9.4. Can I Time Travel to Repeat Events?
No, you cannot repeat events by time traveling to the same date in the same year. Events are typically one-time occurrences per year. However, you can experience events from previous years if you missed them.
9.5. How Do I Prevent Turnips From Spoiling When Time Traveling?
To prevent turnips from spoiling, never time travel past the following Sunday at 5 AM. Always sell your turnips before making any significant time jumps to avoid losing your investment.
9.6. Is There a Limit to How Much I Can Time Travel?
There is no limit to how much you can time travel in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. You can move forward or backward as much as you like, but be aware of the potential consequences and plan accordingly.
9.7. Can I Time Travel to Get Rare Fish and Bugs?
Yes, you can time travel to different seasons and times of day to catch specific fish and bugs that are only available during certain periods. This is a common strategy for completing your museum collections.
9.8. Will Time Traveling Affect My ABD Interest?
Time traveling backward will reset your ABD (Automatic Bell Dispenser) chain, affecting your interest earnings. Be mindful of this if you are trying to maximize your savings.
9.9. Does Time Traveling Impact My Daily Nook Miles Bonuses?
Time traveling backward can reset your daily Nook Miles bonuses, so you may miss out on consecutive day bonuses if you frequently change the date.
9.10. How Do I Decorate Cedar Trees During Festive Season After Time Traveling?
Make sure you have time traveled forward into the season (rather than backwards) and you have at least 1 cedar tree to see them decorated.
