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How to change the day length and start date of your Project Zomboid server

Project ZomboidUpdated Oct 18, 20264 min read

The Time group sets how long an in-game day lasts in real time, when the game starts and how long the nights are. The start month, start day, start time and months since the outbreak only matter when a new world is created, so changing them on a world that already exists does not move its date.

Open the editor

  1. Open your server in the panel and click the Settings tab.
  2. In the list on the left, under Config files, click Sandbox Settings. The file name is shown at the top.
  3. If the list says No config files yet, start the server once. The game writes its sandbox file the first time it runs.
The Config files list on the Project Zomboid Settings page with Server Settings and Sandbox Settings

The editor only saves while the server is stopped. Stop the server, change the settings below, then click Save only or Save & start. The full steps are in How to change Project Zomboid sandbox settings in the panel. Headings such as Time appear in capitals in the editor. The editor shows Build 42 files only: on a Build 41 server it opens with a message that the file is from a different build, see Project Zomboid Sandbox Settings says the file is from a different build.

Every setting in Time

SettingWhat it doesValuesA new server starts with
Day lengthHow long one in-game day lasts in real time.15 Minutes, 30 Minutes, 1 Hour and more, up to Real-time (27 choices)1 Hour, 30 Minutes
Start monthMonth in which the game starts.January, February, March and more, up to December (12 choices)July
Start day of the monthDay of the month in which the game starts.A whole number from 1 to 319
Start timeHour of the day in which the game starts.7 AM, 9 AM, 12 PM and more, up to 5 AM (9 choices)9 AM
Months since the outbreakHow long after the end of the world to begin. This will affect starting world erosion and food spoilage. Does not affect the starting date.0, 1, 2 and more, up to 12 (13 choices)0
Day and night cycleWhether the time of day changes naturally, or it's always day/night.Normal, Endless Day, Endless NightNormal
Night lengthThe time from dusk to dawn.Always Night, Long, Normal, Short, Always DayNormal

To use a new start date

Start a new world: change Server Name under Settings, then Game Settings, and start the server. The old world stays on disk. See How to switch between Project Zomboid worlds on your server.

Good to know

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