Companion System

The Companion System in Neverness to Everness allows players to build meaningful relationships with the characters they encounter throughout Hethereau. Through a combination of trust-building activities, bond quests, and shared living spaces, this system weaves together social gameplay with property ownership and character progression. As you deepen your connection with an Esper, new interactions and possibilities open up, including the ability to invite bonded characters to live in your home, take them on dates around the city, and experience hand-holding sequences in first person.

The companion system sits at the intersection of several major gameplay systems. It draws on the housing system for shared living spaces, the affinity system for tracking relationship depth, and the City Tycoon for unlocking the properties where characters can reside. Players who invest time in building bonds gain access to exclusive interactions, unique dialogue, and rewards that cannot be obtained through combat or exploration alone.

Trust and Bond Levels

Trust is the foundation of every companion relationship. Each playable character has a bond level that rises as you interact with them over time. Building trust is not instant; it requires consistent effort through regular encounters, conversations, and shared activities in Hethereau. The pace is deliberately gradual, encouraging players to focus on the characters they care about most rather than trying to max out every relationship simultaneously.

Bond levels unlock new tiers of interaction at specific thresholds. The most significant milestone is bond level 4, which is the minimum required to place a character inside one of your owned properties. Reaching higher bond levels beyond that threshold makes characters more responsive to your requests and opens additional dialogue options. The system rewards patience and repeated engagement, giving players a sense of progression that mirrors how real relationships develop over time.

Multiple activities contribute to bond growth. Completing commissions alongside a character, spending time together in the open world, making choices during story conversations, and participating in bond quests all contribute to your trust level. Sporadic bursts of attention are less effective than steady, regular check-ins.

Bond Quests

Bond quests are dedicated story episodes that focus on your relationship with a specific character. These play out as small dates or hangouts where you spend one-on-one time with a companion outside of combat. Each bond quest reveals personal backstory, preferences, and character details that do not appear in the main storyline.

During a bond quest, you might accompany a character to their favorite spot in the city, help them with a personal errand, or simply share a conversation over a meal. The tone varies by character: some bond quests are lighthearted and playful, while others explore more serious topics related to the character's past or their connection to the anomalies affecting Hethereau. Completing these quests grants a substantial boost to your trust level with that character and may unlock exclusive dialogue in future interactions.

Housing Integration

One of the most significant milestones in the companion system is inviting a bonded character to live with you. This feature is tightly connected to the Housing System and the City Tycoon progression track. Before you can invite anyone, you first need to own a property. The City Tycoon system governs property purchases; as you level up your City Tycoon rank by completing commissions and gathering resources, you unlock the ability to buy apartments, houses, and even mansions.

Once you own a property, any character with a bond level of 4 or higher can be placed inside that building. Characters are not limited to residential spaces either. If you own a business through the City Tycoon system, bonded characters can be assigned there as well. The interactions you experience with a character differ depending on where they are located, so placing the same character in an apartment versus a shop produces different dialogue and behavior.

Apartments and houses look noticeably empty without furnishings, which gives players a strong incentive to collect and purchase furniture. Furnishing is tied to the Fons currency earned through City Tycoon activities such as running a coffee shop, completing deliveries, racing, and fishing. The more effort you put into decorating a space, the more lived-in and personal it feels when a companion occupies it.

First-Person Interactions

Neverness to Everness includes a first-person perspective mode that originated as an unintentional bug during early testing. Players enjoyed the immersive feel so much that Hotta Studio decided to make it an official feature. In the context of the companion system, first-person mode enables a set of unique interactions that are not available in the standard third-person camera.

The most notable first-person interaction is the hand-holding mechanic. With a bonded character present in your apartment, you can ask them to hold your hand and walk together through the apartment and into the nearby city streets. The higher your bond level, the more likely a character is to accept these requests. These sequences offer a personal, life-sim style moment that sets the companion system apart from typical gacha RPG social features.

First-person interactions are entirely optional. Players who prefer to focus on combat, exploration, or other systems can skip them without any penalty. However, they provide unique dialogue lines and animations that are not accessible through regular gameplay, making them worthwhile for anyone invested in the social side of the experience.

Messaging and Communication

Outside of face-to-face encounters, the game includes a built-in SNS messaging service that lets you chat with characters. Through this text messaging system, you can learn more about a character's personality, receive hints about upcoming events, and even accept side quests that expand on their background stories. Messages arrive at different times depending on the character and your current bond level.

You can also expand your social circle by adding faction members as Bagel friends. This social networking feature lets you build a roster of contacts across Hethereau, starting from the bustling Hankaku Street and branching out into other neighborhoods. As your friend list grows, new conversation options and social events become available.

Connection to Other Systems

Tips

• Focus on building trust with one or two characters at a time. Spreading your attention across the entire roster slows progress for everyone.

• Purchase a property through City Tycoon as early as possible if you want to start inviting companions home as soon as they reach bond level 4.

• Check in with bonded characters regularly. Consistent daily interaction is more effective than sporadic bursts of attention.

• Furnish your apartment or house before inviting a character. Empty rooms reduce the immersion and may limit certain ambient interactions.

• Do not skip bond quests. They provide some of the largest single boosts to trust and reveal story details unavailable elsewhere.

• The first-person hand-holding interactions are optional but offer unique dialogue and animations you will not see through normal gameplay.

• Try placing the same character in different properties. Interactions change depending on the location, so you may discover new dialogue by moving a companion from an apartment to a business.

• Use the SNS messaging feature between play sessions. Characters occasionally send messages with side quest invitations that expire after a period of time.