Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time Surpasses One Million Sales, Level-5 Celebrates Nintendo Switch Milestone

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, developed by renowned Japanese studio Level-5, has reached an impressive new milestone by selling over one million units worldwide on Nintendo Switch.

This achievement marks a significant success for a title that initially faced skepticism and delays, but has since emerged as a standout release for the first half of 2025.

First announced during a Nintendo Direct showcase, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time generated excitement as the long-awaited sequel to the beloved Fantasy Life series.

However, development hurdles—including multiple publicized delays—left fans uncertain about the game's prospects.

Now, the one-million-unit sales milestone is a testament to Level-5’s commitment to quality and its enduring appeal on Nintendo's hybrid platform. In a recent interview on the Denfaminicogamer Channel, Akihiro Hino—CEO of Level-5 and producer of Fantasy Life i—discussed the arduous development journey and the major changes that led to the game’s turnaround.

Hino recalled that just a year prior to launch, the gameplay experience felt restrictive, causing testers to disengage quickly.

He revealed that the original approach attempted to prolong playtime by limiting freedom, which he described as 'stressful' and counterintuitive to player enjoyment. Recognizing the need for radical change, the Level-5 development team chose to overhaul large portions of the game.

According to Hino, one of the primary issues was the game’s limited exploration: early versions did not feature an open world, instead confining players to small, narrow environments.

This design left players unable to traverse cliffs, move fluidly across the landscape, or explore at their own pace.

As Hino explained, 'The environment felt constricted, as if you were boxed in by the game’s boundaries.' To resolve these issues, Level-5 fully embraced an open-world approach and methodically eliminated elements that caused player frustration.

Fast travel was significantly improved—after switching Life classes, players can now instantly teleport to relevant workstations, greatly speeding up the gameplay loop.

Impressively, the team managed to construct the open-world map in just two months, leveraging in-house technology to transform 2D concept art into interactive 3D spaces. Detailing the improved experience, Hino noted, 'In the final version, simple actions like chopping trees, climbing heights, running and exploring all feel enjoyable and satisfying.' He credited this sense of freedom and flow as a key factor in Fantasy Life i’s widespread appeal. Hino also acknowledged the challenges brought on by staff changes—most notably, the departure of producer Keiji Inafune in mid-2024.

After Inafune left Level-5, Hino personally directed the game's redesign in response to critical internal feedback, guiding the team to a finished product that clearly resonates with players. Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is available now on the Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo eShop and physical retailers.

Its remarkable sales success not only highlights Level-5's adaptability and dedication, but also secures Fantasy Life i's place as one of this year’s must-own Switch titles.

Nintendo Switch Nintendo Milestone Level-5 Switch Fantasy Life i Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time Fantasy Life The Girl Who Steals Time Akihiro Hino Keiji Inafune Automaton Media Denfaminicogamer Channel