Steam offers a popular new life simulation game that will lift your spirits.

      In this role, I find myself watching numerous Nintendo Directs. Each year, I see hundreds of games showcased, and I strive to remember as many as I can. Naturally, some slip my memory. This was true for Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, which was initially announced during a Nintendo stream in 2023. Despite its appearance in February’s Nintendo Partner Direct, it didn’t leave a significant impression on me. Perhaps it got overshadowed by a variety of newly announced life simulators, such as Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream and Tamagotchi Plaza. Whatever the reason, I didn’t anticipate it would make a big impact.

      It turns out, I misjudged the influence of Nintendo 3DS nostalgia. Fantasy Life i is currently available and performing exceptionally well on Steam for a niche title. As of writing this, it has peaked at over 47,000 concurrent players, with 92% of user reviews being positive. This figure only accounts for PC players, not those on Nintendo Switch. The game's success piqued my curiosity enough to dive in and start my own adventure. I'm pleased I did, as Fantasy Life i provides a delightful escape that has added some brightness to my days.

      Developed by Level-5, Fantasy Life i is a fresh installment in a beloved life simulation series that began on the Nintendo 3DS in 2012. The only other entry since then was a mobile game that was discontinued in February 2023, making Fantasy Life i a much-anticipated sequel for fans of the original, who were clearly eager for it.

      I immediately grasp why as soon as I begin playing. Marketed as a “Slow-Life RPG,” Fantasy Life i revolves around an archaeologist who unexpectedly finds themselves in a mysterious realm where hard work is valued. While there’s a significant main storyline involving bone dragons, time travel, and the world’s fate, that makes it sound more intense than it is. The real charm lies in simply living a tranquil life.

      The closest comparison to Fantasy Life would be Rune Factory, as it incorporates light hack and slash combat alongside more serene town management. The appeal is that players can master 14 different occupations, each with its own skill tree, progression system, and unique function. I kick things off by obtaining a cooking license and learning how to turn any food items I find into dishes through a quick minigame. As I level up, I gain access to more recipes and start developing my skill tree to enhance my cooking proficiency. I repeat this process as I earn licenses for jobs like mining, woodcutting, fishing, and more. I quickly become engaged in leveling up each job, completing specific tasks to elevate my license level.

      What’s fascinating is how Fantasy Life essentially allows players to serve as a town's entire supply chain. I chop the wood used to create swords for my paladin class. I can cultivate vegetables by day, prepare meals by night, and sell them around town. While many life sims provide this type of gameplay, Fantasy Life cleverly organizes them into distinct job paths, each featuring its own RPG progression system. I feel more like a craftsman than merely someone pressing buttons.

      That’s just one aspect of the game. There’s also a town-building feature where I can reshape land, construct homes for villagers, and decorate my own residence. Additionally, I can explore dungeons, venturing into an open-world desert whenever I like to gather materials and level up my classes. When you add a central storyline filled with boss battles and time travel twists, it creates a robust life sim that could easily consume over 100 hours of playtime.

      If you decide to jump in, I have just one piece of advice: take your time. Initially, I thought I'd power through the narrative and focus on the life simulation aspect afterward. While it's manageable, it doesn't really provide the best experience. Fantasy Life encourages players to naturally build their skills between story missions. I soon realized that later-game enemies were overpowering me because I hadn’t been developing my combat classes. The more I advanced, the more skill nodes I could unlock to enhance my attack and defense. Elevating my blacksmithing skills also allowed me to create stronger equipment. After misunderstanding this, I found myself trying to rapidly level everything up, which meant doing a lot of repetitive minigames simultaneously rather than spreading them out. It’s tougher to enjoy what is fundamentally a series of grinds if you’re trying to tackle them all at once.

      I do have a few issues with Fantasy Life i that prevent it from becoming a game I plan to play regularly, particularly its very limited multiplayer options that don’t allow players to progress through the story together. Even with this complaint, it’s hard not to be enchanted by the game. Fantasy Life i is a charming title for those who enjoy completing little digital tasks and feeling rewarded for each one. Given the current state of the real world, it provides exactly the