The newest beloved adventuring titleFantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Timeis unlike any other game. The new hit from Level 5 combines several genres in a way that’s unique to theFantasy Lifefranchise, leading players on an RPG story with a slow-life twist. The game lets players choose from 14 different “Lives” (ie, classes) to focus the gameplay on the aspect of cozy gaming that they prefer.
Fantasy Life iis the latest entry in the series, which got its start in 2012.The game’s extremely versatile playstyle makes this title unlike any other game,so it’s hard to find another experience quite like it. That said, there are several games that players who enjoyedFantasy Life imight like, which combine cozy life simulation with an overarching RPG-like story.
10Stardew Valley
One Of The Most Beloved Cozy Games Of All Time
Chances are, if you’re a fan of cozy farming and battling sims, you’re already familiar withStardew Valley.But if you happen to be new to the franchise or simply haven’t played thisnearly decade-old hit indie title yet,this is your call to do so.Stardew Valleyis one of the most beloved cozy games of all time, combining cozy farming sim and romance elements likeHarvest Moonwith fighting and lore punctuated with theoccasional Easter egg.
The solo dev, ConcernedApe, is still updating the game regularly after all these years (though he’s now taking a bit of a break to work on his next project,Haunted Chocolatier). If you love themix of storytelling and cozy gaming elementsinFantasy Life i, you’ll almost certainly also enjoyStardew Valley.
9Palia
The Wholesome MMO About The Power Of Friendship
You don’t have to pay a lot to experience a cozy fantasy world. In the case of the MMOPalia,in fact, you don’t have to pay anything at all. The free game is a wholesome experience through and through,encouraging and rewarding players for working togetherto accomplish goals like collecting resources, befriending villagers, and completing quests that reveal thelore of thePaliaworld.
LikeFantasy Life i,the world ofPaliaoffers a rich environment with many cozy gaming elements. Players can craft decor and tools, gather resources, design their home’s interior and surrounding grounds, and interact with a vibrant cast of characters. There’s a lot to do inPalia,andyou decide how to interact with the world and which elements you engage with.Paliaoffers a peaceful gaming experience best enjoyed with friends (but also playable solo!).
8Harvestella
Final Fantasy Meets Harvest Moon
This surprise genre-bending experience comes from Square Enix, a fact that’s evident from the moment you boot it up.Harvestellablends elements anyFinal Fantasyfan is familiar with, like magic, crystals, and a world-shattering story, withthe cozyHarvest Moon-esque experience of farming, collecting resources, and fishing.
The protagonist ofHarvestellafinds themselves in a world where a mysterious illness wreaks havoc on its residents. LikeFinal Fantasy,the story grows to have consequences that extend beyond the small patch that you call home. Players must navigate the epic story while juggling a day-night cycle and maintaining their farm.Harvestellaalso has ajob mechanic that works similarly toFantasy Life i,where players can choose between 12 different classes on a whim (though these jobs only affect your character’s appearance and combat style).
7Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale
Collect Dungeon Loot To Sell In Your Shop
Recettearis an older title, released in 2007, but it still holds up nearly 20 years later. In this adorable dungeon crawler, you follow the young Recette, who’s suddenly placed into debt when her father runs away from his responsibilities (literally). Joined by a fairy companion named Tear, Recette sets out togather goodies from enemies and sell them in her family’s item shop.
While this concept has been done plenty of times,Recettearhas a simple but rewarding gameplay accentuated byhilarious writing that doesn’t take itself seriously.(Fans of the animeHayate the Combat Butlermay find the humor and art style to hit a very similar note.) The game has a charm that still delivers many years after its initial release, and while it’s not as involved or complex asFantasy Life i,it’s a great little game forFantasy Lifefans to check out.
6Kitaria Fables
The Exciting Adventures Of Cute Anthropomorphic Cats
Kitaria Fablesis one of the most similar games toFantasy Life iin terms of thefarming and exploration balance. Coming from the indie studio Twin Hearts, the game isn’t as polished as the Level 5 title, but it’s still a very fun experience for adventure RPG fans.
Embark on a quest through Kitaria as an anthropomorphic cat, as youuncover the secrets of the world and the encroaching darkness. The game combines farming and cultivating crops for money with real-time battles and exploration, as well as weapon and magic crafting. And, similarly toFantasy Life i, you can pair up with a friend in local coop.
5Final Fantasy XIV
Features A Surprisingly Well-Developed Crafting System For An MMO
You might not think ofFinal Fantasy XIVas cozy or focused on crafting, but the truth is that it can be both. Someone describedFantasy Life ito me as “Final FantasymeetsStardew Valley,” andFFXIVisone of the onlyFinal Fantasygames where you may choose how much of the main story you explore. The MMO has a very developed foraging and crafting system, allowing for resource gathering, fishing, crafting, and even decorating your own space (once you can afford one).
The story is also engaging, with many memorable characters, so pursuing themain quest is a rewarding experience. But if you’re just not into MMOs, you don’t have to engage with the story,focusing instead on the crafting and exploration elementsof the title. Plus, the game’s free demo version lets new players play until they hit 70 with no restrictions, so you can try the game out for as long as you want as long as your character doesn’t hit the level cap.
4The Atelier Series
Alchemy Made Easy With Cute Anime Girls
It’s hard to pick a favorite among theAtelierseries, as each entry introduces a new protagonist and story. But the games all follow the same basic premise of a girl attempting to master the ancient art of alchemy. This involvesexploring to find materials while learning and practicing recipes. While all the games have the same basic premise, each game has a different story to tell, featuring rich world building and memorable characters that sometimes appear in multiple games.
Titles likeAtelier SophieandAtelier Roronaare excellent in their own rights, the spinoff titleNelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New Worldis the most similar toFantasy Life i.The game brings characters from the other games together in one location, whichplayers can develop and build from the ground up—while still synthesizing items and exploring for materials.
3Rune Factory 4
Farm And Hunt In This Beloved Harvest Moon Spinoff
TheHarvest Moonfranchise is one of the first cozy farming adventures, which set the stage for the cozy life sims that followed. The original games were fairly simple, with agameplay loop that revolved around farming and interacting with villagersand a story that was slowly revealed in the background.
Rune Factorytook the successfulHarvest Moonrecipe and added the element of combat to it.Rune Factory 4is believed by many to be the best entry in the franchise so far, combining elements of an epic fantasy RPG with farming, monster fighting and raising, cooking, crafting, and more. Plus, if you enjoyRune Factory 4,you’ll have something to look forward to since the next game in the series,Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, iscoming out soon.
2Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
A Turn-Based Version Of The Monster Hunting Franchise
Unlike the otherMonster Huntergames, theMonster Hunter Storiesspinoffs aren’tchallenging monster-hunting experiencesthat require teamwork and strategizing. Instead,Stories 1and2are anime-style RPGs thatask you to befriend monsters instead of fighting them.
InMonster Hunter Stories 2,the protagonist embarks on a journey to figure out what’s causing the strange environmental abnormalities around the world, like the disappearance of Rathalos everywhere.Hatch dragon-like monsters and explore the world alongside your new companionsin this game that echoes the dragon-themed main story ofFantasy Life i.
1Ni No Kuni 2
Build A New Kingdom In A Fantasy World
Also created by Level 5, the firstNi No Kunigameset the tone for the series as a Ghibli-esque taleof coming to terms with grief. It was a beautiful experience with fleshed-out characters, open world exploration, and a gorgeous soundtrack that was easy to love. But if you’re looking for an experience more likeFantasy Life i,then the secondNi No Kunimight be more like what you want.
The sequel takes place in the same world asNo No Kuni,this time telling a much larger overarching story about the world at large. WhileNi No Kuni 2has a similar fantasy setting as its predecessor, it also introduces the element of building a city. Players must find and recruit new residents for their growing small kingdom, building new structures and assigning residents to work in various parts of the city, in a way that’s very reminiscent of the city-building inFantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time.
