Summary

  • Pick combat life first for self-protection and easy leveling.
  • Craft better tools to save Dosh and improve quality.
  • Pick up everything, explore islands, progress the story, and try every life.

Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time has brought back many players who loved the original Fantasy Life title while also inviting a new audience of players to experience a new life for themselves in a game that explores both the past, present, and an entirely different world.

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While Fantasy Life I is an RPG title that can be quite straightforward to understand, there are some interesting tips for beginners of the game that can help out with giving the player the best possible start to their Fantasy Life. From deciding which life to start their adventure with, to how a player should progress through the story, these are some beginner tips for Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time.

8 Pick A Combat Life First

Players Need To Be Able To Protect Themselves

A mercenary in Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time

When players first start Fantasy Life I, they will be instructed to pick a life for themselves so that they don't become a lazy imp. While it may be tempting to choose one of the gathering or crafting lives first, such as Woodcutter or Blacksmith, players should instead focus their attention on the combat lives.

By selecting something such as Paladin, Mercenary, Hunter, or Magician, a player will be able to protect themselves easily while exploring in Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time. This life can also be leveled while focusing on other lives, too.

7 Always Craft Better Tools

Players Can Make Tools Of Different Quality

Crafting an Oak Axe in Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time

As players level in their respective lives in Fantasy Life I, players will be required to improve their tools alongside their level. Depending on the life, this tool or weapon will either deal more damage or do its job quicker. Crafting these tools instead of purchasing them is much cheaper and allows the player to save their Dosh for other things.

Although it may be tempting to craft tools that are a different resource, such as Oak Saws being turned into Pine Saws, players should instead focus on mastering the recipe of the previous tool level, as they are far more likely to create a tool or weapon that is of better quality with much cheaper resources.

6 Pick Up Everything

Every Resource Has A Purpose

A player looking at a chest in Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time

Another vital beginner's tip, which may seem a little obvious, is making sure the player picks up everything they encounter. From herbs to shells, each resource in Fantasy Life has a purpose, as each thing can be used in one of the many lives available to the player.

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Fantasy Life I: How to get Hyper Healthy Honey

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Although certain parts of the player's inventory may have a limit on how much can be held, the materials part of the player's inventory does not. Therefore, a player never has to worry about running out of space. Players will be much happier with themselves once they encounter recipes that do need something they have picked up, as they'll be able to craft it instantly.

5 Explore The Islands For Rewards

Players Are Encouraged To Look Around

The Bulletin Board quests in Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time

As players progress through the story of Fantasy Life I, the game will encourage the player to explore more. When in the past of the island the game is set on, a board will appear outside the Guild Office. When interacting with this board, it will give the player various tasks to do around the island.

While some are simple tasks, such as choosing a gathering life or spending a certain amount of money, other tasks encourage the player to visit locations on the island they may not have visited otherwise.

4 Purchase Recipes From Merchants

It's Cheaper In The Long Run

Looking at recipes in Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time

The currency of Dosh is the main way players will purchase various resources, items, and other things from merchants in the main capital of Fantasy Life I. While players may feel tempted to purchase a ready-made weapon or tool from the merchants, they should instead see if they have any recipes available.

Looking for crafting recipes not only means players can make their own custom tools, but many of these recipes are also for crafting furniture, which players can then use to customize their home to give it a more personal touch. They could possibly also make a profit from selling the things they have crafted from these recipes.

3 Progressing The Story Isn't Bad

Player Will Unlock Plenty More To Explore

The player looking at a bone dragon in Fantasy Life: The Girl Who Steals Time

Although it's tempting to hold off from completing any of the stories in Fantasy Life, players shouldn't be afraid to progress through certain elements of the story. By attempting to remain in the past, players miss out on an entirely new world to explore, as well as one of the biggest mechanics of the game involving people known as Stranglings.

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Progressing the story will also eventually unlock two other brand-new lives for the player to experience, with both also being incredibly useful when managing their own island. Players should at least proceed through the start of the game, as this is when Fantasy Life truly opens up.

2 Try Out Every Life

Lives Work Well Together

A player selecting a life in Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time

It costs nothing to change to a different life in Fantasy Life, so a player shouldn't limit the number of lives they take part in. Every life gives the player a different set of adorable clothing and an assortment of tasks to complete to better themselves in that life.

Besides the enjoyment factor of each and every life in this RPG, many of the lives work well together. For example, the Woodcutter life is a useful gathering life to have. By having this life, the player can chop trees. These resources can then be used by the Carpenter life to create not only furniture, but also the weapons used by both Hunters and Magicians.

1 Adventure At The Player's Own Pace

Having Fun Is The Most Important Tip

A part of the map in Ginormosia in Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time

Out of all the tips that can be given for Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time, one of the best tips that can be given is that players should be sure to adventure at their own pace. In the latest game of the Fantasy Life franchise, there is plenty to be done, both within and outside the main story.

With players having the freedom to travel through time and to other realms, players can truly make a life for themselves however they wish. Discovering all this game has in store is something that can't be rushed.

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Life Simulation
RPG
Adventure
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Systems
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Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 96%
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Released
May 21, 2025
ESRB
E For Everyone // Mild Fantays Violence
Developer(s)
Level 5
Publisher(s)
Level 5
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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