Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time Reviews
Amidst the swirling questions about the difficulties encountered before its release—whether it would be canceled or if it would ever come—13 years later, a new Fantasy Life game has finally arrived, and it was well worth the wait. If you're tired of similar games in the genre, Fantasy Life is a fantastic alternative.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
This has the addictive gameplay loop of completing quests and furthering your lives in tandem. This has the seemingly endless parade of adorable touches filled with cute writing. In a way, even the ambitious scope that threatens to sometimes take down the whole thing is reminiscent of the original and the era that its developer Level-5 was going through with the success of Professor Layton and Yo-Kai Watch. If Fantasy Life i is representative of what they're going to be doing going forward with the likes of Professor Layton, I'm becoming more and more hopeful that they'll be able to reach their old heights. Fantasy Life i is enjoyable even with its occasional slips. I'm happy to be back juggling my multiple jobs of Angler, Paladin, Blacksmith, and Artist.
FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time marks Level-5's triumphant return and shows the steemed developer still has a lot to show to the public.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
As one Steam review pithily, yet totally accurately put it: “It’s like if Runescape was fun.” Fantasy Live i has that big MMO feel to it, yet throughout the adventure never becomes exhausting. Whether the post-game stuff is for you or not, the journey there is such pure, wholesome, moreish escapism that it doesn’t matter. Level-5 took many years to get this out the door, but the wait has been more than worth it.
An enchanting journey with a huge amount of things to see and do, FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a must-play that has something for everyone to enjoy.
Level-5 has done it again by delivering a high quality adventure RPG that is chock-full of a ton of silly fun and stays exciting throughout. 🐲
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time stands as an expansive evolution of Level-5’s brilliant formula, blending an array of differing gameplay systems into a captivating whole. Though not without flaws—a combat system and narrative that lack depth, a limited character creator, and interesting Life Masters that aren't utilized enough—these are mere blemishes on an otherwise radiant gem. On the Nintendo Switch 2, with enhanced visuals and a buttery 60fps, the game shines in handheld and TV modes. After 65 hours, with Treasure Groves and village projects still calling, Fantasy Life i proves its staying power. It’s a time-stealing triumph that balances nostalgia and innovation, making it a must-play for fans and newcomers alike.
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is just a delight from start to finish! It boasts a charming world with cool characters, surprisingly enjoyable story, solid mechanics to keep building the world the way you want it and offering variety in the ways you play. Some jobs do feel a little similar with their mini-games and quests and to really get the full feel of the game you do have to progress quite far into the story, so if you’re coming into this just wanting a life and building sim out of the gate, you’ve got quite a way to progress. But considering how good the story is and how charming the world and its characters are, this was never a problem for me and hours later, I can honestly say Level 5 have made one of the must-play games of 2025!
I absolutely recommend checking out Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time. It’s a great RPG with a lot of elements that come together really well, allowing you to focus on various professions that are sure to cater towards a variety of gaming tastes.
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is proof that there's room for light, fun games with plenty of content in the RPG genre. With a structure that mixes up life sim, combat, gathering, creation and even time travel, it delivers a versatile and cozy experience — ideal for those who like to do a little of everything.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is not a game that revolutionizes anything. It's an experience that knows exactly what it wants to offer, and does so generously. The title takes the gamble of mixing genres, game styles and rhythms, and surprisingly succeeds in creating a coherent, generous and, above all, deeply engaging experience. Despite a few minor hiccups in the legibility of objectives and a slightly dated art direction, the game offers a unique experience, somewhere between relaxation and progression. And the Nintendo Switch 2 version offers real added comfort.
Review in French | Read full review
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a good revival of a series that delivers as much content as possible to its fans. However, this can be a detriment as parts feel unfocused or too disparate to work together. Regardless, the charming nature of the title shines above all else, and with so much here, there is something for everyone to fall in love with.
My experience with FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time was beautiful. I really enjoyed what the title offered, and I was surprised by the amount of content I explored and, even more, by how much I still have to explore.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time should not work with so much content crammed inside of it, yet it remarkably does.
All in all, there’s a lot that Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time does very well. It managed to create a perfect mixture between a JRPG and a slice-of-life simulator that can engage anyone, from the most seasoned veteran to the most casual of newcomers. Sure, some of its areas can occasionally look a bit too bland, but then again – and I might be cursed for it – even more refined and legendary titles in the Final Fantasy titles are guilty of such issues. The Lives system is interesting, and offer more than enough variety, nearly brinking on MMO territory.
FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a lot of fun! There’s plenty of things to do and they all play into one-another quite well. It’s not a slow-life game by any stretch of the mean, but it is a grindy one and any grindy game that manages to actually pull me back in post review obligations deserves nothing more than a hearty recommendation from me. ■
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is addictive and has numerous quality of life improvements for the genre. It might suffer from a slow start and repetitious voiceover work, but that’ll fade away and you’ll soon find yourself lost in its systems and loving every minute.
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time represents an excellent revival for a series that only few expected to see again, but which absolutely deserves to be discovered by more players who will finally be able to get to know and learn to love this world just like many of us did with the original title. The amount of content and the variety of gameplay offered is nothing short of exorbitant, but the general impression is that Level-5 has opted for an approach based on quantity over quality, giving the idea of a diluted experience where everything is well done but nothing excels and is limited to giving a constant more of the same. We would have appreciated a greater focus on what already are the strong points of the title, such as the introduction of new lives or greater depth in the activities already implemented. However, despite some questionable choices and technical problems that still have to be solved, Fantasy Life i confirms itself as an unmissable title for all lovers of cozy RPGs characterized by a slow pace as well as a great emphasis on farming and building a base.
Review in Italian | Read full review
FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a must-play due to its depth and ingenuity. Whether you're creating medicines, fighting monsters, or rewriting the course of history, there's always something meaningful to be busy with in the game.
A cute, wholesome escape from the drudgery of modern gaming, its charm undiminished despite a generic story and repetitive minigames.