‘Echoes of Time’ quest steps and walkthrough in The Sims 4

“Echoes of Time” is a time-limited quest that’s part of the larger “Blast from the Past” event in The Sims 4. Do it and the other event quests, and you’ll be able to earn free in-game items like The Surprise Birthday Cake and The ElectroDance Floor. In order to get all the free items in the “Blast from the Past” event, you have to do multiple quests. This guide will explain how to unlock the “Echoes of Time” quest in The Sims 4 and give a full walkthrough on how to beat it. Table of Contents How to unlock ‘Echoes of Time’ in The Sims 4 [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/20250211153315_1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] To start the “Echoes of Time” quest, you need to complete two quests before it: “A Strange Visitor” and “Missing Clues.” Once you finish them, the game will automatically prompt the “Echoes of Time” quest with a small pop-up window on your screen. Select, “OK,” and the quest will start. ‘Echoes of Time’ quest walkthrough in The Sims 4 The game will start with two tasks: “Read the History of Time Travel at a Library” and “Study a Historical Display at a Museum.” First, pull up your in-game phone and click the green car icon on it to travel to the library in town. Click on the library Willow Creek Archive and then the large car button. Once there, go into the library and left-click on a bookcase, select the option: “Read ‘History of Time Travel.’” Wait a bit, and the game will check that quest off. [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/20250211153634_1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] Now it’s time to go to the museum. Pull up your phone to travel again and go to the Municipal Muses, the museum in Willow Creek. Click on any work in the exhibit and click “View.” The view button should have a small Emit icon next to it. Wait for a while and the game will check off this task in the quest. [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/20250206134923_1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] Now go find any computer and click it. Select the “Play Game…” option and then select “The Sims Archives vol. 2.” Once again, wait for a bit as your Sim plays the game and it will prompt the next part of the quest. Where to find ‘an Elder’ in The Sims 4 Next, the game tells you to “Ask an Elder about the Shard.” The game just wants you to talk to an older Sim for this step. To go find an older Sim, we waited around our my house in Willow Creek until seeing one walking around in the green space. Another way to do this is by going to a populated local area, like Magnolia Blossom Park, pausing Live Mode, and scrolling around until you find an older Sim. [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/20250211161307_1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] You can check the age of another Sim by hovering your cursor over a Sim without clicking. Once you find a Sim labeled, “Elder,” go and click it. Introduce yourself if you haven’t already. Then click again and select the option, “Ask about Shard.” [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/20250211161327_1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] Now the game tells you to “Research Shards of Time.” This is pretty easy, but it’s hidden behind a few menu options. Start by going to a computer and clicking the “More Choices…,” option. From there, you need to click “Web…,” and then “Research…” From there, the option, “Research Shards of Time” will pop up; select that option. How to find the ‘Shards of Time’ in The Sims 4 The game now tells you to “Search Objects for Shards of Time” three times. To do this, you need to “search” random objects in your house and see if they have the “Shards of Time.” Click on various objects in your home — like a couch, computer, bookcase, whatever — until one object pulls up the option to “Search for Shard of Time.” In our playthrough, not every object that we searched had a “Shard of Time,” but it only took us four tries in total to find three shards. [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/20250211162514_1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] Now that we found three shards, it’s time to show them to our blue-haired buddy. To do that, go and find Emit, the guy you met in the previous quests. (Polygon found him in Magnolia Blossom Park going for a brisk jog.) Once you find him select the option, “Show Shards of Time.” Your Sim will show him the Shards and the quest will be complete. For more “Blast from the Past” quests, see our walkthroughs for “Inventing the Past,” “A Strange Visitor,” and “Missing Clues,” or our full “Blast from the Past” rewards list.