If you just downloaded No Man’s Sky and hit play for the first time, you’re probably wondering how long it will take before you can jet off to random planets and build your first interstellar base. I remember sitting through my first playthrough of the opening sequence back when the game launched, wondering if I’d ever get past the endless pop-up tips. The answer to how long is No Man’s Sky tutorial depends on a few key factors, from how much you rush to which parts you choose to engage with. This guide breaks down exact timelines, skipable sections, and hacks to get you exploring faster without missing critical basics.
How Long Is No Man’s Sky Tutorial If You Play at Normal Pace?
For first-time players who take time to read guidance, experiment with basic mechanics, and don’t actively rush objectives, the full tutorial runs between 90 minutes and 2 hours on average. The tutorial is tied to the opening “Awakening” quest line, and it walks you through every core system you need to survive in the galaxy. The standard tutorial sequence runs from the moment you spawn on your starting frozen, toxic, or radioactive planet through your first successful interstellar warp.
The first 30 to 40 minutes are spent entirely on your starting planet, fixing your broken ship’s launch thrusters and pulse engine, learning to recharge your hazard protection and life support, and getting comfortable with your multitool’s mining and scanning functions. The next 20 to 30 minutes cover basic crafting, base building fundamentals, and how to interact with alien NPCs and trade resources. The final 30 to 40 minutes walk you through building your first warp cell and making your first jump to a new star system.
If you get distracted by all the weird creatures, hidden treasure, and strange landmarks on your starting planet, you can easily stretch the tutorial out to 3 hours or more. I took almost 3.5 hours on my first playthrough because I stopped to pet every fuzzy alien I found and dig up every buried technology module I stumbled across. There’s no right or wrong pace, but if you’re eager to get to open exploration, you can cut that time down significantly.
Which Parts of the No Man’s Sky Tutorial Can You Skip?
Hello Games has added multiple skip options to the tutorial in post-launch updates, so you don’t have to sit through every single pop-up if you already have a basic grasp of survival mechanics. A lot of returning players starting new saves use these skips to get to open play faster, and even first-time players can skip non-essential sections without causing problems later. If you’re playing for the first time, you might be tempted to skip every pop-up to cut how long is No Man’s Sky tutorial even more, but I’d advise against skipping any core mechanics guidance.
You can safely skip all of the following sections without missing critical information:
- Optional base-building walkthroughs that pop up after you place your first construction unit
- Repeat scanning tutorials for flora, fauna, and minerals once you complete your first successful scan
- Explanation pop-ups for alien language translations if you don’t care about learning lore as you play
- Multiplayer invitation walkthroughs if you plan to play the game entirely solo
You can cut up to 30 minutes off your total tutorial time by skipping non-essential pop-ups and optional side guidance. If you’re a returning player, you can even skip the entire tutorial entirely during save creation, which drops you right into open play with a pre-fixed ship, basic resources, and all core mechanics unlocked. I don’t recommend this option for first-time players, though, as you’ll have no context for how any of the game’s core systems work.
Pro Tips to Complete the No Man’s Sky Tutorial Faster Without Missing Key Info
You don’t have to skip critical guidance to finish the tutorial quickly. These simple tips will help you cut down on wasted time without missing anything you need to know to survive in the galaxy. These small hacks don’t just reduce how long is No Man’s Sky tutorial, they also ensure you don’t end up stuck without the resources you need to complete the mandatory objectives.
First, prioritize only the resources you need for the immediate quest objective. Don’t stop to collect extra copper or di-hydrogen unless the quest explicitly asks for it. All those resources will be easy to find once you get to open play, so there’s no reason to stock up during the tutorial. Second, ignore side distractions like fauna scanning, abandoned buildings, or random cargo drops until after you finish your first warp. You can come back to your starting planet later if you want to explore it fully. Third, follow the yellow quest marker closely, and don’t wander off to explore distant points of interest on your starting planet until you can leave whenever you want.
You should also keep your multitool charged at all times so you don’t waste time looking for carbon to recharge it mid-mining. Keep a stack of 50 carbon in your inventory at all times during the tutorial, and you’ll never get stuck waiting for resources to recharge your tools. Sticking strictly to quest objectives during the opening sequence can cut your total tutorial time down to just 60 minutes, even for first-time players. I tested this on a recent permadeath save I started, and I was warping to my second star system in 58 minutes flat, no critical skips needed.
Is It Worth Rushing Through the No Man’s Sky Tutorial?
A lot of new players fixate on how long is No Man’s Sky tutorial, but the opening sequence is designed to set you up for success in the rest of the game. Rushing has clear benefits, but it also has real downsides depending on your play style and experience level.
The biggest benefit of rushing is that you get to open exploration much faster. You can start hunting for exotic ships, building your dream base, playing with friends, or tackling the main story quest line hours earlier if you blast through the tutorial. That’s a huge plus for returning players who already know all the core mechanics, or for players who only care about open-world exploration and don’t want to be held back by guided objectives.
The downsides of rushing only apply to first-time players, but they’re significant. If you skip pop-ups explaining core mechanics, you’ll likely end up confused later when you don’t know how to refuel your ship, recharge your hazard protection, or craft basic resources. I’ve seen dozens of new players on the official No Man’s Sky subreddit asking for help with basic functions because they skipped the short tutorial pop-up that explains them. First-time players should take at least 90 minutes to work through the tutorial to avoid frustration later on.
You’ll also miss out on free rewards if you skip optional tutorial sections. Completing the optional base building and scanning guidance gives you free inventory slots, extra crafting blueprints, and bonus units that you can use to upgrade your gear early on. The optional tutorial sections give you free rewards that would take hours to earn if you skip them and hunt them down in open play.
At the end of the day, how long is No Man’s Sky tutorial is entirely up to how you want to play. You can blast through it in an hour if you know what you’re doing, take 2 hours to learn the basics properly, or spend 3+ hours messing around on your starting planet if that’s what you enjoy. There’s no wrong way to play No Man’s Sky, so don’t let anyone tell you you have to rush or take your time. The galaxy is huge, and it’s all waiting for you whenever you’re ready to leave your starting rock.
