How the Day & Night Cycle Works in Palworld

As time passes in Palworld, you’ll notice that the sun is typically high in the sky, but if you stick around for too long and don’t sleep, night falls. A distinct night and day cycle is happening in your Palworld, and it’s important for you to account for it.

In my experience, the day or night cycle is easy to manage, but there might be some interesting tidbits you’re not fully aware of while you play Palworld. If you’d rather stick to playing the game entirely when it’s fully bright out, making sure to have a place to rest your head and sleep is a good idea. Here’s what you need to know about how the day and night cycle works in Palworld.

How Day & Night Work in Palworld

Day and nighttime in Palworld, with the standard settings, last the same amount of time. If you do not customize your settings before launching a game, the amount of time you can spend in the day will be the same for the nighttime, although when it’s dark, things are much more dangerous.

You can also readjust a world’s settings after you’ve made it. You will need to return to the main menu of Palworld, go to the world you created, and select “custom settings.” From here, you can readjust how long day and nighttime last, potentially cutting how long night lasts in half and doubling the amount of time you can play in the daylight. For those who want to avoid having to deal with cold weather and the more dangerous Pals in Palworld, this might be a good idea when you’re first starting out and struggling with carrying capacity.

For anyone who prefers to play with the standard settings but wants to be mindful of the day and night cycles in your Palworld game, there’s a small setting on the bottom left of your screen. You’ll see a sun or a moon icon in this area, and you can see how much longer the specific time of day will last before switching over to the other one. You’ll also notice the sun getting low or coming up as you draw closer to the next cycle.

Palworld can be a dangerous game when you first start playing in a new world. I would recommend adjusting the settings, so you have more time to explore during the day, giving you more opportunities to build a solid foundation before adding more threats to your world. When you’re comfortable and have enough powerful Pals who can help you out, readjusting it so nighttime can happen more frequently might be a good idea, especially for anyone looking for a challenge.

Looking for the perfect pal to aid you in early-game combat and foraging in Palworld?

What Happens at Night in Palworld?

As you begin playing Palworld, you’ll be warned that nighttime can be more dangerous. The first thing you’ll likely notice is that the temperature drops, and if you’re not properly equipped with gear or near a fire, your health will start to drop rapidly as well. To mitigate this, you’ll want to make sure that at the start of your journey, you immediately craft a campfire to return to and keep warm. Once you hit level 4, you’ll be able to craft a Cloth Outfit that will keep you warm enough in standard areas at night. But the further you venture outward along the northern edges of the map, the colder it will get at night and the more cold resistance you’ll need.

You likely also noticed that it gets quite dark at night—dark enough that it becomes difficult to navigate. Visibility is reduced, and among the things you’ll first want to craft is a torch that you can pull out when it starts to get too dark. As you progress, you’ll unlock more ways to light your path, including mounted torches, a hip lantern, and even electric lamps.

But what makes nighttime most dangerous in Palworld are the different Pals that appear at night. During the night, the Pals you’re used to seeing during the daytime will lie down and fall asleep, while new active Pals that are typically more hostile will start roaming around. This can make exploring the night feel more crucial if you’re trying to fill up your Paldeck and catch ’em all, but if you’re not prepared for an unwarranted attack, you may find yourself quickly knocked out.

With all that in mind, nighttime can feel quite daunting. If you don’t want to deal with it, you can always build yourself a little cabin and a bed to return to. When the sun starts to set, you can sleep in your bed and completely skip over the night cycle.

Temperature in Palworld

In Palworld, there is a difference in temperature between day and night. Nights are generally colder, so you’ll need to use either cold-resistant armor or build a campfire to keep warm. As you advance through the game, you’ll be able to craft better armor to withstand the temperature drop or have companions who can help you deal with the cold.

To ensure your survival in the game, crafting a torch should be your top priority. It not only illuminates the darkness but also provides warmth, which is crucial for your survival.

Visibility at Night in Palworld

It becomes significantly more challenging to see at night, so it is important to carry a Torch or Lantern with you at all times. If you don’t have either of those, you can summon a Fire Pal, such as Foxparks, to keep you warm and provide light.

On the other hand, nighttime can also increase your chances of finding Lifmunk Effigies, which enhance your capture power when used at a Statue of Power. These effigies glow green and are easier to spot in the darkness.

Nighttime Pal Behavior in Palworld

In Palworld, once night falls, Pals’s behavior changes. Some of the Pals only spawn at night, making it impossible to capture them during the day.

Lovander, Depresso, and Tombat are some of the Pals that fall under this category.

In your search for a particular pal, you may have noticed that some are only available at night. Out of over a hundred pals, 16 can only be captured during the night. Although night-exclusive pals only spawn naturally at night, they can still battle and help you develop your base during the day. Therefore, don’t let their nocturnal nature discourage you from capturing and adding them to your team, base, and adventures!