If you just downloaded No Man's Sky for the first time, you're probably dying to jump between vibrant alien planets, trade with strange interstellar species, and build your own sprawling base across a remote moon. But before you can access all that open-world content, you'll have to work through the game's opening guided segments, which is why so many new players ask how long is the no man's sky tutorial. The answer isn't one-size-fits-all, because it changes based on how you prefer to play, how much you wander off the main path, and whether you're a brand new player or returning to the game after a long break. We've put together this breakdown to help you plan your first play session, know what to expect, and even cut down the tutorial time if you want to get to the fun stuff faster.
How Long Is the No Man's Sky Tutorial on Average?
For most first-time players who follow main quest prompts without excessive wandering, the tutorial takes 2 to 3 hours to complete from spawn to your first interstellar warp. If you're the type of player who stops to scan every new creature, mine extra resources for later, or take screenshots of weird alien landscapes, you can easily stretch that to 4 or 5 hours, and that's totally fine. The tutorial isn't timed, so you never have to rush if you're enjoying your first moments on your starting planet.
I remember my first playthrough I took almost 4.5 hours to finish the tutorial, because I spawned on a pink mushroom planet with tiny floating fox creatures that I kept stopping to feed and pet. I also got distracted building a tiny shelter next to my ship before I even fixed the thrusters, which added an extra hour of messing around. That's the beauty of No Man's Sky, even the tutorial is flexible enough to fit your playstyle. These small tweaks can cut your total tutorial time by 30% or more, so you don't have to spend longer than you want on the opening segments if you already know how long is the No Man's Sky tutorial for your playstyle.
Core Tasks You’ll Complete During the Tutorial
The tutorial is tied to the main "Awakening" quest line, and only tasks marked as part of this quest are required to progress past the opening segment. All other popups and side prompts are optional, so you can ignore them if you want to move faster. The mandatory tutorial tasks you have to complete are:
- Repairing your damaged starship: This is your first goal after spawning, you'll gather basic resources like ferrite dust and di-hydrogen to fix your thrusters, life support systems, and pulse engine.
- Learning basic survival mechanics: You'll be walked through refilling your hazard protection, managing your life support gauge, and using your mining tool to gather resources without overheating it.
- Using the Analysis Visor and scanning: You'll learn to mark resource deposits, scan flora and fauna for units, and locate points of interest like abandoned shelters and trading posts.
- Building your first base computer: This short step unlocks the full base building system, and only requires a small amount of ferrite dust to complete.
- Making your first warp jump: Once you craft your first warp cell and jump to a new star system, the opening tutorial is officially marked as complete, and you have full access to all game content.
A lot of new players accidentally extend their tutorial time by completing optional prompts that aren't tied to the Awakening quest, like scanning every creature on the starting planet or building extra base furniture. None of these tasks are required to move past the tutorial, so you can save them for later if you want to progress faster.
Simple Tips to Speed Up the Tutorial (Without Missing Key Info)
If you're replaying the game on a new save, or you just want to get to the open galaxy as fast as possible, there are a few easy ways to cut down tutorial time without skipping important mechanics you'll need later. First, ignore optional tutorial popups that don't tie to the main Awakening quest line. Any prompt that doesn't advance the main yellow quest marker can be skipped entirely, and you can access those guides later in your menu if you need them.
Second, only gather the exact resources you need for each main task. You don't need to stock up on 1000 units of ferrite dust or carbon during the tutorial, you can easily gather more resources after you warp to your first new system. Carrying extra resources also slows you down if you have to run back to your ship to unload inventory constantly. Third, don't wander too far from your ship for the first hour of play. Getting lost on a hostile planet with low hazard protection can lead to unnecessary deaths and lost progress, which can add 30 minutes or more to your total tutorial time.
That said, if you're a brand new player, don't rush so fast that you forget how core mechanics work. Taking 10 extra minutes to practice refilling your hazard protection or using your mining tool will save you a lot of frustration later when you're stuck on a frozen planet with no way to stay warm.
Can You Skip the No Man's Sky Tutorial Entirely?
Returning players often ask if they can skip the tutorial entirely, and the answer is yes, but with a big catch for new players. When you create a new save file, you can select the "Custom Game" mode, and toggle the "Skip Tutorial" option in the pre-game settings. This will drop you directly into a random star system with a fully functional ship, all basic blueprints unlocked, and no opening quest prompts to guide you.
But skipping the tutorial is only recommended if you've already played through the game at least once before. I've had multiple friends who bought the game, skipped the tutorial to get to exploration faster, and then spent 2 hours stuck not knowing how to refuel their ship's thrusters or craft warp cells. You won't have access to the in-game guide popups if you skip, so you'll have to look up basic mechanics on your own if you get stuck.
If you do choose to skip the tutorial, make sure you start in a system with mild weather planets first, so you don't spawn on a toxic or frozen planet and die immediately before you figure out the controls. It's also a good idea to keep a beginner's mechanic guide handy for the first hour of play if you're brand new.
At the end of the day, how long is the No Man's Sky tutorial depends entirely on how you want to play. If you rush through only main tasks, you can wrap it up in 2 hours, if you take your time exploring your first planet and messing around with base building, it can take 5 hours or more. Don't let other people's playtimes pressure you into rushing if you're enjoying your first moments in the game. The starting planet is one of the most memorable parts of the experience for many players, so take as much time as you need to get comfortable before you head out into the wider galaxy.