New cozy game Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is already proving to be a big hit on Steam despite only releasing in early access, going toe-to-toe with more high-profile releases. The game from Level-5 is a so-called slow-life RPG which lets you enjoy an idyllic fantasy setting while seamlessly switching jobs to curate every aspect of your island.
Fantasy Life i has only been released into early access for those who purchase the deluxe edition, but it's already cracked the top two on Steam's Top Sellers chart (via IGN). This puts Fantasy Life i above the recently released DOOM: The Dark Ages and breakout RPG hit Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, an incredible achievement for a relatively obscure cozy game. Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time's full release is on May 21.
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time ed DOOM: The Dark Ages On Steam’s Top Sellers
It Only Trails Counter-Strike 2
DOOM: The Dark Ages was the big release last week, and Fantasy Life i has already overtaken it on the Top Sellers chart. day-one Game release may be a factor in its sales, but Fantasy Life i's rise is indicative of how prominent cozy gaming has become in recent years. Level-5 has had plenty of worldwide success with Ni no Kuni and the Professor Layton series, but Fantasy Life i is making an impressive run before it's even fully released.
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time only trails the ever-popular Counter-Strike 2 on the Top Sellers chart, though it's not really a fair comparison. CS2 is free-to-play, and Counter-Strike as a series has been monumentally popular for over 20 years. Fantasy Life i is a full-priced game at $60 for the standard edition, and the cozy genre has really thrived in the indie scene, where games are often cheaper.
The Girl Who Steals Time Is A Sequel 13 Years In The Making
Fantasy Life Came Out In 2012
Even more impressive is that Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a follow-up to a 13-year-old Nintendo 3DS game. The original Fantasy Life came out in Japan in 2012, releasing to the rest of the world two years later. It was reviewed fairly well, and some of us here at Screen Rant have fond memories of it, but the long wait indicates it wasn't necessarily a smashing success for Level-5.
The Girl Who Steals Time seems to be well on its way to success, though, if its early run up the Steam charts is anything to go by. Fantasy Life i's co-op capabilities may help boost its reach as well; cozy games are often wonderful social experiences to share with friends. Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time may be the next cozy game phenomenon, and it's only in early access.
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
- Released
- May 21, 2025
- Developer(s)
- Level 5
- Publisher(s)
- Level 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- PC Release Date
- May 21, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- May 21, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- May 21, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Local Co-Op
- Yes
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