Pokemon Pokopia Time Travel Guide: How to Skip Construction and Demolition Waits

Split image: Left shows an Animal Crossing character at a construction site with text, "It’ll be done at 2:18 AM." Right displays a Pokémon-themed menu screen.
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By Alexandria LopezStaff Writer

Split image: Left shows an Animal Crossing character at a construction site with text, "It’ll be done at 2:18 AM." Right displays a Pokémon-themed menu screen.
  • Primary Subject: Pokemon Pokopia (Time & Date Mechanics)
  • Key Update: Players can bypass real-time construction and demolition waits by manually adjusting the Nintendo Switch 2 system clock.
  • Status: Confirmed
  • Last Verified: March 11, 2026
  • Quick Answer: You can time travel in Pokemon Pokopia by changing your console’s system settings. There are currently no in-game penalties for doing so.

Is there time travel in Pokemon Pokopia? And if there is, should you try it?

Similar to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Pokemon Pokopia uses real-time gameplay. This means that the time and date are based on the time zone you have selected for your Nintendo Switch 2. So if you're playing at midnight on March 11, then it will be the same in your Pokopia town.

A lot of tasks are completed in real-time. For example, some constructions can take hours, which means you'll need to do other tasks or put down the game for a while. But what if you don't want to wait? Here's everything we know about time-travelling in Pokemon Pokopia.

Can You Time Travel in Pokemon Pokopia?

There is no way of time-travelling in-game, as the game follows your device's date and time. However, you can time-travel by adjusting your Nintendo Switch's internal clock in your system settings.

Date and time setting screen showing March 5, 2026, 09:17 a.m. Options include month, day, year, hour, minute, and a.m./p.m. with OK button.
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Credit: Nintendo

To do so, head to your device's system settings and select "Date & Time." Turn off the option to synchronize the clock using the internet and select the "Current Date and Time" option. Clicking this will allow you to adjust the time manually.

READ MORE: How to Get Eevee and Every Eeveelution in Pokemon Pokopia: Complete Guide

Many players choose to time-travel so that they can skip waiting for building or demolition projects to be completed. Others do it so that they can immediately have their plans mature. Likely, time-traveling will also allow you to access limited-time events earlier, but you would need to wait for Nintendo to say the event has gone live.

Are There Any Consequences of Time Travelling in Pokemon Pokopia?

No, there aren't any consequences for time-travelling in Pokemon Pokopia at the time of writing. The game will not give you a warning or penalty for time-travelling; so if it makes playing the game more enjoyable for you, go ahead.

A nighttime scene from a game shows a character on a crosswalk in front of a building. Speech bubbles mention project completion at 2:18 AM and praise the "Tinkmaster."
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Credit: Nintendo

One thing to note is that items in the shop and Daily Challenges will not be reverted if you return to your actual time. It will not be reset until the system's actual next day.

READ MORE: Pokopia Players Are Already Making Some Fans Feel Completely Untalented With Their Insane Creations

Some players also prefer playing the game as is. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, this is called playing the game in "hard mode." If you'd rather play the game as intended, then you should avoid time-travelling. If you want to speed through the game, go ahead and change your settings.

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