The Daily Dial is a timepiece and game mechanic which represents the passage of time in Grow: Song of the Evertree. A representation of the Daily Dial appears at the bottom-left corner of the screen anytime in-game time is passing; at other times -- such as when accessing the Save menu; in Kazumi (map) view; in Photo Mode; inside the Apprentice's cottage; and in Vaults or other Caves -- the passage of time stops for the purposes of the game's day/night cycle.
The Apprentice is strongly encouraged by their guardians Book and Coppertop, and by their mount Kazumi, to work only during daylight hours, and to get a good night's sleep. Toward that end, if the Apprentice is still tending a World after Coppertop's reminder of the time, they will fall asleep and their mount will return them to Alchemist's Grotto. It is not possible to return to a World, or even the mount view of Alaria or the Evertree, after sunset on a given day. If the Apprentice remains outside their cottage, anywhere in Alaria, after this sunset 'curfew', time will continue to pass, and at midnight (represented by the full moon on the Daily Dial) their mount will (again) bring them home; the Apprentice will at this point awaken inside the cottage and not be able to leave until after they have slept, as neither the front door nor the Everkin Door will function. Regardless of how late the Apprentice stays up before going to bed, they will awaken the following morning promptly at sunrise.
The brass housing of the Daily Dial's mechanism, visible briefly while the night passes as the Apprentice sleeps, is a stylized representation of the Evertree and its lower branches. The day/night cycle is not divided into minutes or even hours; instead, four times of day are marked on the Dial:
- sunrise, indicated by a half-moon against a black background and a red gradient shading into a blue sky with clouds;
- midday (noon), indicated by a full sun in the center of the blue sky;
- sunset, indicated by a half-sun and the blue sky shading into another red gradient;
- midnight, indicated by a full moon in the center of the black night sky speckled with stars.
