Can you change difficulty mode in Fantasy Life i The Girl Who Steals Time

Fantasy Life i The Girl Who Steals Time is the follow-up to the Nintendo 3DS-exclusive, Fantasy Life, and was released on May 21, 2025. If you’ve just started your adventure and are exploring its mechanics, one common question is whether you can change its difficulty mode.

No, you can’t change difficulty mode in the game. There’s no built-in setting that lets you tweak the challenge level, no easy or hard options in the menu. What you get is a fixed experience with a relaxing, laid-back gameplay. That said, there are a few workarounds to make things tougher if you're looking for more of a challenge — it all comes down to how you choose to play.

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How to make Fantasy Life i The Girl Who Steals Time feel more challenging (without a difficulty mode)

Even without a difficulty mode setting, the game still gives you room to raise the challenge while playing. It is designed to be relaxing, but if you want to make it harder, you can.

One approach is to refrain from upgrading your gear. You can equip low-level weapons or skip armor entirely. Since Transmog is available from the start, you can still alter your character's appearance without receiving the stat bonuses from superior gear. Thus, you can look fully equipped while remaining unequipped underneath.

You can also face strong enemies early on. For example, there’s a level 50 Napdragon you can challenge quite early in the game — around level 5, if you want to test yourself. The game doesn't stop you, so it’s up to you to decide when you're ready.

If you prefer self-imposed rules, consider playing without a combat class. Alternatively, you could refrain from using weapons or healing items. You might also treat your companions as permanently gone if they fall in battle, and restart your progress if you get knocked out. Although these changes aren’t part of the game’s systems, they can help you create a more challenging difficulty mode experience.

The game is meant to be cozy

Crafting in Fantasy Life i The Girl Who Steals Time (Image via LEVEL5 Inc.)

Fantasy Life i The Girl Who Steals Time is a cozy game by default. Combat isn’t its main focus — it’s more about exploring, completing quests, crafting, and playing different Life classes. You can level up and outgear most challenges easily. For example, a combat class at level 30 can handle a story boss around level 40–45 with no major effort.

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Time is the real challenge

While the combat isn’t difficult, the amount of content is what can make Fantasy Life i The Girl Who Steals Time feel overwhelming for some. There are multiple quest types — main story, personal requests, guild quests, colosseum challenges, and buddy missions. Trying to 100% the game can take 80 to 100 hours, depending on your approach.

On top of that, going for all achievements or trophies means replaying sections, fully exploring different Life classes, and getting the best gear and items. So even without a traditional difficulty mode, there’s a lot to do if you’re aiming for full completion.

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That's all regarding difficulty mode in Fantasy Life i The Girl Who Steals Time.

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