In Where Winds Meet, time is more important than it seems. Lots of side quests, puzzles, and world events are available only at specific hours, so there are times when exploration relies on time in the game rather than just location! If you’re trying to continue on a quest that is stalled or activate a puzzle and haven’t had any response, the time of day may be the missing piece.
Where the Time Adjustment Option Is
In Where Winds Meet, it is sometimes the puzzles and quests feature a specific time of day, representing a different rhythm than that of the player’s pace. Because of this, changing the in-game time becomes an important part of the game early on.
If you’re playing in Solo Mode, you can manually move time forward. Open the main menu (use ESC on PC or the Start button if you’re using a controller). On the right side of this screen is a vertical list of icons. Keep scrolling until you spot one shaped like a clock—that’s the feature you need. Selecting it brings up a large circular interface in the center with another scrollable list beside it.
Understanding the Time System
The game does not represent time in regular numbers, but rather uses more of a standard naming system following a traditional format using Pinyin hour markers (two hour intervals) as follows:
Chou: 1 to 3; Yin: 3 to 5; Mao: 5 to 7; Chen: 7 to 9; Si: 9 to 11; Wu: 11 to 13; Wei: 13 to 15; Shen: 15 to 17; You: 17 to 19; Xu: 19 to 21; Hai: 21 to 23; Zi: 23 to 1
Since they’re fixed in two-hour blocks, adjusting the clock means selecting the correct name rather than setting a custom time.
Why This Matters
Several in-game tasks won’t progress unless you visit or activate them at the appointed hour. A few examples:
- The Man in the Well event only continues during the final block — the Zi hour.
- The March of the Dead requires returning during Mao to move forward.
There are also smaller details tied to time, like encounters or the behavior of certain animals.
Adjusting the clock becomes something you’ll do often if you’re aiming to uncover every hidden event, side story, and puzzle. It’s another layer in the game’s world design, and while it may take some getting used to, it’s worth learning early.
