Time & the Clock

Every turn moves the clock. Skip ahead by hours or days, and watch the world change around you.

Every turn moves the clock forward by however long your action would really take. A short conversation might be a few minutes; crossing town might be half an hour.

Skipping time

Use Direct (see The Five Tools of Living) to jump ahead: "Skip to the next morning", "Wait until Sunday", "Rest for three days". A single turn can skip up to two weeks.

How time is shown

• The current date is at the top of the screen, and the number of days you've lived is on your session card.
• In eras before 1900 there are no pocket watches: the time is shown as "dawn", "midday", "dusk" or "dead of night". From 1900 you get a clock time.

Why time matters

While the clock moves, the world doesn't wait: letters travel, newspapers print and other people get on with their plans. See The World Moves On, Letters & Telegrams and The Newspaper.

See also

• The World Moves On
• Rewinding Time

Last updated 2026-10-08