Nighttime is brutal in State of Decay 2. In one part because the zombies get far more aggressive, and the other being the depth of the game’s darkness. It’s real hard to get around when you can barely see your surroundings, that’s for sure.

So the question is, what is the game’s day and night cycle? Many players theorize that night is much longer than day, and it turns out that is, in fact, the case.

State of Decay 2 Day and Night Cycle

So how long is a day exactly, and what are the phases?

State of Decay 2’s day and night cycle (in full) lasts 90 real-time minutes, but the phases of the day may be surprising.

Players get a full 30 minutes of daytime to yuck it up and explore under the safety of sunlight, but nighttime lasts a whopping 60 minutes. Luckily, it’s not all pitch black.

Of the 60 nighttime minutes, 20 minutes are dusk, 20 minutes are night, and 20 minutes are dawn. Meaning it’s not pitch black the whole time, but it is enough to make navigating, building, and generally surviving a whole heck of a lot harder.

With these timeframes in mind, you can more accurately and safely plan your survival in the zombie apocalypse. You know you have 30 minutes straight of sun to light your way, and you know you’ll be spending more time stumbling through the dark than otherwise. Plan accordingly.


Now’s probably the best time to get into State of Decay 2 considering the newest Juggernaut Edition. Take a look at our State of Decay 2 guides, and good luck to your community in surviving the night!

Here s the State of Decay 2 Day and Night Cycle Explained   State of Decay 2 - 43