If you want to play with your friends in Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, then unlocking multiplayer is a must. Unfortunately, this multiplayer isn't available right away, and what you need to unlock it depends on whether you want to play with pals online or co-op.. It's not too tricky to work towards, but it's still frustrating if you want to play with someone right away and need to put several hours in first.
There are two ways to play with other people: online or couch co-op. Both are completely different in how much you can do together, which is worth looking into as soon as you plan on inviting friends, since you don't want to big up how fun the game is and have them limited in what they can do. Here's what you need to do to unlock both modes of multiplayer.
How to unlock online multiplayer in Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
Similar to [[link]] unlocking the ability to change your appearance, unlocking online multiplayer comes during Chapter 3. When you've completed the tutorial about building islander homes and you can access the guild again, go to the back room and speak to Colm. The only dialogue option you'll have is "online play", so select that.
You're then given two options: [[link]] recruiting members or heading out. If you want to host the session, pick the recruit option. If you want to join a friend, pick the option to head out. Regardless of which [[link]] option you choose, you won't be able to continue the main story while you're playing online, nor will you be able to speak to Life Masters to continue working on your rank. You can, however, explore Ginormosia together, travel to one of the islands in the past, or visit a Treasure Grove together if you want a little more challenge with your friends.
How to unlock couch co-op in Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
Unlike online multiplayer, couch co-op is available pretty quickly within the game—you only need to play for an hour or so before the notification saying it has been unlocked pops up. All you have to do is plug in a second controller afterwards, and you'll be able to play this way. But, your fellow player won't be able to make their own character and have a Life of their own, which definitely limits the fun.
Instead, one of you will take control of the player character, and one person will control Trip, the chatty bird you share the adventure with. As Trip, you can collect materials around the world, initiate combat (but not take part in it) and open chests. That's about it. So as you can imagine, not a huge amount of fun after a while. It's definitely worth working toward online play if you want a more hands-on experience with your pals.