Item: Fantasy Life i
Rating: 88
Author: Dinsun

Our Site Score

88/100

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time brings back everything fans loved about the 3DS original while meaningfully expanding its scope. The core loop of changing jobs, gathering materials, crafting high-tier gear, and venturing into the wild remains endlessly addicting. Adding island customization and terraforming gives every action a tangible sense of progression, as your home town steadily grows from a deserted rock into a thriving hub.

The time-travel mechanic adds a clever layer to exploration. Traveling back 1,000 years into the past to solve puzzles or locate rare ingredients feels rewarding rather than repetitive. While switching jobs mid-game can occasionally feel overwhelming due to the volume of menus, the sheer freedom to play at your own pace makes this one of the most delightful cozy RPGs available on mobile and handheld platforms.

Reviewed on: Sun Aug 30 2026

Dinsun Review

Fantasy Life i brings Level-5's pleasant life-sim formula back in good form. Swapping between gathering, crafting, and combat professions creates a cozy progression loop that easily eats up hours. The combat is straightforward and rarely challenges veteran gamers, but the overarching loop remains comforting and well-crafted.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

Extensive job/life system with satisfying cross-profession progression
Charming world and character design

Simple, low-challenge combat mechanics
Repetitive gathering quests

Technical Report

Performance: Runs well at 30 FPS on mobile devices; slight load times when transitioning between island sectors.

Accessibility:

Subtitles
Difficulty Presets

Audience Fit

Buy if: You love relaxing life-sim RPGs like Animal Crossing or Rune Factory with deep crafting.

Skip if: You are looking for intense action, dark themes, or challenging soulslike combat.

Similar Games:

Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Rune Factory 4 Special

Reviewer Context

Reviewer: Dinsun, 40-year-old conservative and critical gamer
Hardware: iPhone 15 Pro Max
Playtime: 25 hours
Status: Mastered 4 Lives

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad

6760401505

$24.99 9+★4.4 19 reviews

Author : Level-5 Inc.

Last Update Date : Mon Aug 31 2026

Support Languages : English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese

Genres :

Version 1.0Mon Aug 31 2026

Requires iOS 16.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
From thrilling adventures to building up your own island, the anything-goes slow-life RPG comes to mobile!
Experience an epic story, explore a vast open world, or simply relax with fishing, cooking, and crafting.
Do what you want, whenever and wherever you like—all in the palm of your hand. Start your very own Fantasy Life!
■ Play Anytime on Your Smartphone
Whether you want to enjoy a laid-back life as a farmer and grow crops at your own pace, or simply run free across a vast landscape, your fantasy life is always waiting whenever you have a spare moment.
Cross-play support lets you play together with friends on both mobile devices and consoles!
■ Guided by a Dragon to a Mysterious Island
You are an adventurer who sets sail alongside the archaeologist Edward and his team.
Following the guiding light from a fossilized dragon, you discover an uncharted island.
The Depths, a mysterious skeletal dragon, and a message from a girl pleading, "Save this world..."
Travel between the island's golden age 1,000 years ago and the present day to uncover the mystery behind its destruction!
■ Shape Your Adventure with 14 Unique Lives
In this world, a Life is your chosen profession, and each Life has its own identity and playstyle.
Switch to a Gathering Life to gather ingredients and materials, a Crafting Life to create weapons and meals, or a Combat Life to battle monsters. Swap between Lives anytime and create a Fantasy Life that's uniquely yours.
■ Craft Your Island
Put your Lives to work and gather resources to restore the island to its former glory!
Place houses and objects, reshape the landscape, and even create your own rivers and roads to build an island that's truly one of a kind.
Expand your home, freely arrange furniture, and customize your interiors!
■ Embark on an Open-World Adventure!
Explore the largest continent in the series and venture wherever your heart takes you!
Climb towering cliffs, swim across rivers and lakes, or ride across the land on your favorite mount.
Oh, and the Teleportation Gate lets you easily travel to the continent from anywhere.
*The 2P Family Co-op feature is not available in the mobile version.
▼ Official X
https://x.com/FANTASYLIFE_EN
▼ Official Website
https://www.fantasylife.jp/fli/en/
▼ System Requirements
Supported OS: iOS 15 or later
Please note that even if your device meets the minimum system requirements, performance may vary depending on your device model, usage conditions, or other factors.

Ratings & Reviews

4.4 out of 5 with 19 Counts

★★★★★

Age Rating 9+

Embark on a brand-new adventure in the Fantasy Life series! Wash ashore on a ruined, uninhabited island and uncover its mysterious past by traveling 1,000 years back in time. Switch freely between various Lives (occupations)—including combat, gathering, and crafting classes—to harvest resources, fight monsters, and craft equipment. Rebuild the island in the present day, customize your town, and unravel the secret of the mysterious dragon and the girl who steals time.

Features

Switch between 14 unique Lives (jobs) on the fly.

Time-travel storyline spanning 1,000 years of mystery.

Full island terraforming and town customization.

Cooperative multiplayer with friends online.

Tips

Beginning Your Island Adventure

After arriving on the mysterious deserted island, establish your home base. Pick your starting Life (such as Paladin, Woodcutter, or Miner) based on your preferred playstyle. Early questing focuses on gathering basic materials like wood and ore to restore the initial settlement structures.

Unlocking Time Travel Mechanics

Progress through the main storyline until you unlock the ability to travel 1,000 years into the past. Use past visits to alter the landscape, gather ancient materials, and complete quests that directly influence the present layout and prosperity of your island.

Promotion Videos

Fantasy Life i Trailer

Gameplays

Dynamic Class Switching

Switch seamlessly between 14 distinct Lives at any time. Train as an Angler to catch rare fish, pivot to a Blacksmith to forge strong gear, and dive into combat as a Mercenary using your newly crafted equipment.

Island Terraforming & Customization

Reshape the island's landscape, decorate your house, and place buildings anywhere you like. Invite villagers to move in and help manage resources as your town expands.