News
Level 5’s Fantasy Life i Surprise Update Brings Open-World Roguelike to a Life Sim That Sold a Million
<p data-start="319" data-end="688">Life sim games aren&#8217;t exactly known for their adrenaline. They’re cozy, wholesome, often slow-burn experiences. Think: farming, fishing, crafting, changing your hairstyle five times in one afternoon. So when developer Level 5 revealed its free DLC for <em data-start="571" data-end="613">Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time</em> includes an open-world roguelike mode, it raised more than a few eyebrows.</p>
<p data-start="690" data-end="751">And yet, here it is. A bold swing in an unexpected direction.</p>
<h2 data-start="753" data-end="776">A Roguelike? Really?</h2>
<p data-start="778" data-end="1032">The original <em data-start="791" data-end="805">Fantasy Life</em>, released way back in 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS, built its charm on laid-back pacing and career-jumping fun. You could be a chef, then a miner, then a wizard by dinner. The 2025 sequel has stayed true to that spirit—until now.</p>
<p data-start="1034" data-end="1469">In a post published on Level 5’s official site, the company confirmed that a major update is “actively underway,” and will add “an evolved version of Ginormosia,” the game’s mysterious region. But here&#8217;s the kicker: it’ll blend <em data-start="1262" data-end="1309">open-world exploration with roguelike systems</em>. That means randomly generated elements, higher-stakes progression, and probably some sort of permadeath—though the blog post steers clear of the fine details.</p>
<p data-start="1471" data-end="1619">It’s a left turn that feels a bit like asking Animal Crossing to add a Dark Souls mode. But hey, maybe chaos was what Fantasy Life needed all along.</p>
<p data-start="1471" data-end="1619"><a href="https://www.theibulletin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/fantasy-life-i-girl-who-steals-time-gameplay-screenshot.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-57711" src="https://www.theibulletin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/fantasy-life-i-girl-who-steals-time-gameplay-screenshot.jpg" alt="fantasy life i girl who steals time gameplay screenshot" width="1457" height="811" /></a></p>
<h2 data-start="1621" data-end="1658">A Million Copies Sold—and Counting</h2>
<p data-start="1660" data-end="1772">If you&#8217;re wondering why Level 5 is giving away so much for free, it might have something to do with the numbers.</p>
<p data-start="1774" data-end="1972"><em data-start="1774" data-end="1790">Fantasy Life i</em> has already sold more than 1 million copies since its release in late May. For a niche RPG-sim hybrid, that’s a solid achievement—and the company isn’t shy about celebrating it.</p>
<p data-start="1974" data-end="2055">In fact, they’re marking the milestone with a commemorative bundle that includes:</p>
<ul data-start="2056" data-end="2228">
<li data-start="2056" data-end="2116">
<p data-start="2058" data-end="2116">A free gift code unlocking an exclusive piece of equipment</p>
</li>
<li data-start="2117" data-end="2228">
<p data-start="2119" data-end="2228">A special Pegasus mount (not to be confused with the mistakenly gifted unicorn, which has now been corrected)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p data-start="2230" data-end="2335">Yes, that’s right. Someone out there received the wrong mythical horse. Level 5 has apologized profusely.</p>
<h2 data-start="2337" data-end="2363">More Than Just Dungeons</h2>
<p data-start="2365" data-end="2586">Beyond the roguelike shake-up, there’s plenty more packed into this hefty free DLC. We’re talking quality-of-life upgrades and quirky cosmetics designed to keep players hooked—and, more importantly, expressing themselves.</p>
<p data-start="2588" data-end="2618">Among the confirmed additions:</p>
<ul data-start="2619" data-end="2824">
<li data-start="2619" data-end="2706">
<p data-start="2621" data-end="2706">A brand-new character described as one who’ll “leave a significant mark on the world”</p>
</li>
<li data-start="2707" data-end="2755">
<p data-start="2709" data-end="2755">Stylish new emotes and customizable hairstyles</p>
</li>
<li data-start="2756" data-end="2824">
<p data-start="2758" data-end="2824">Mounts, powerful new gear, and what the team calls “unusual items”</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p data-start="2826" data-end="3093">Unusual indeed. A tongue-in-cheek line in the announcement left players guessing when it hinted at a &#8220;telephone made of butts.&#8221; While that exact item probably won&#8217;t make it into the game, <em data-start="3014" data-end="3030">Fantasy Life i</em> has always leaned into the whimsical. Don’t rule anything out.</p>
<h2 data-start="3095" data-end="3130">What We Know (And What We Don&#8217;t)</h2>
<p data-start="3132" data-end="3189">Despite the fanfare, there&#8217;s still a lot we <em data-start="3176" data-end="3183">don’t</em> know.</p>
<p data-start="3191" data-end="3424">Level 5 hasn’t shared much about how the roguelike mechanics will be implemented. Will it be a separate mode or integrated into the existing world? Will death reset your progress? Can your cozy tailor character survive a dungeon run?</p>
<p data-start="3426" data-end="3653">At this point, speculation is all we’ve got. But the studio has promised the update will bring “engaging content for both experienced players and newcomers alike,” suggesting a broad appeal rather than a hardcore-only approach.</p>
<p data-start="3655" data-end="3709">Here&#8217;s a quick breakdown of confirmed features so far:</p>
<div class="_tableContainer_16hzy_1">
<div class="_tableWrapper_16hzy_14 group flex w-fit flex-col-reverse" tabindex="-1">
<table class="w-fit min-w-(--thread-content-width)" data-start="3711" data-end="4116">
<thead data-start="3711" data-end="3768">
<tr data-start="3711" data-end="3768">
<th data-start="3711" data-end="3739" data-col-size="sm">Feature</th>
<th data-start="3739" data-end="3768" data-col-size="sm">Confirmed Status</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody data-start="3827" data-end="4116">
<tr data-start="3827" data-end="3884">
<td data-start="3827" data-end="3855" data-col-size="sm">Open-world roguelike mode</td>
<td data-start="3855" data-end="3884" data-col-size="sm">Yes, details TBD</td>
</tr>
<tr data-start="3885" data-end="3942">
<td data-start="3885" data-end="3913" data-col-size="sm">New character</td>
<td data-start="3913" data-end="3942" data-col-size="sm">Yes, major story impact</td>
</tr>
<tr data-start="3943" data-end="4000">
<td data-start="3943" data-end="3971" data-col-size="sm">New hairstyles &; emotes</td>
<td data-start="3971" data-end="4000" data-col-size="sm">Yes</td>
</tr>
<tr data-start="4001" data-end="4058">
<td data-start="4001" data-end="4029" data-col-size="sm">Commemorative mount</td>
<td data-start="4029" data-end="4058" data-col-size="sm">Yes, Pegasus (not unicorn)</td>
</tr>
<tr data-start="4059" data-end="4116">
<td data-start="4059" data-end="4087" data-col-size="sm">Free exclusive gear</td>
<td data-start="4087" data-end="4116" data-col-size="sm">Yes, via gift code</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div class="sticky end-(--thread-content-margin) h-0 self-end select-none">
<div class="absolute end-0 flex items-end"></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<h2 data-start="4118" data-end="4147">The Timeline’s Still Fuzzy</h2>
<p data-start="4149" data-end="4280">If you&#8217;re eager to dive in, you might want to manage your expectations. The only ETA Level 5 is offering is: “as soon as possible.”</p>
<p data-start="4282" data-end="4510">That’s vague, sure—but not uncommon in the gaming world. The update is still “actively underway,” and while the company is clearly riding high on its sales success, it doesn&#8217;t want to rush what could be a genre-bending addition.</p>
<p data-start="4512" data-end="4789">There’s also the question of platform readiness. <em data-start="4561" data-end="4577">Fantasy Life i</em> is available on pretty much everything: Steam, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and both the Nintendo Switch and newly released Switch 2. That’s a lot of hardware to juggle when pushing out a major content patch.</p>
<h2 data-start="4791" data-end="4838">A Bizarre, Beautiful Turn for a Cult Classic</h2>
<p data-start="4840" data-end="5042">Truth be told, no one was asking for this update. <em data-start="4890" data-end="4904">Fantasy Life</em> fans seemed perfectly content farming potatoes, crafting swords, and doing slow-burn quests. But maybe this is exactly why it might work.</p>
<p data-start="5044" data-end="5154">It’s weird. It’s ambitious. And it’s trying something most franchises wouldn’t dare: smashing cozy with chaos.</p>
<p data-start="5156" data-end="5343">Maybe it&#8217;ll crash and burn. Or maybe, just maybe, it’ll become the template for something new. Because if <em data-start="5262" data-end="5278">Stardew Valley</em> had a roguelike dungeon crawl, wouldn&#8217;t you at least be curious?</p>

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