Popular text-based adventure game Lifeline was named Apple's App of the Week, and as a result, it's available to download for free for the first time since it launched in April of 2015.

Lifeline is a text-based game that asks players to make life or death decisions to help navigate Taylor, the protagonist, through the storyline. Written by Dave Justus, the story walks players through the aftermath of a crash landing on the moon of an alien planet.

lifeline

Lifeline is a playable, branching story of survival against all odds. Using your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, you will help Taylor make life or death decisions, and face the consequences together.

Lifeline is a deep, immersive story of survival and perseverance, with many possible outcomes. Taylor is relying on YOU.

What's unique about Lifeline is its realtime gameplay. The story progresses in actual real world time, with the game sending players notifications throughout the day to make decisions about where the storyline should go. Players can answer as the notifications come in or catch up on their own timelines.

Lifeline is also notable because it was one the first games to be made available on the Apple Watch. When notifications come in, players can respond on the Apple Watch or directly from the iPhone's Home screen without needing to open the actual game. Since its release, Lifeline has earned 4.5 stars in the App Store with more than 9,000 reviews.

Lifeline will be available for free from the iOS App Store for the next seven days. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

Anonymous Freak Avatar
132 months ago
The realtime aspect sounds both cool and annoying. I don't need or want to play a game throughout the work day.
You could just disable notifications for it. It's not like it's so real time that if you don't respond, bad things happen. If you don't respond, it just "saves them up" until you decide to respond. So if you turn off notifications, you can just come back to it in the app and "catch up".

Yeah, it means you can't just sit down and play the game all the way through in one sitting, since it does take real-world time for various events to happen, but neither do you have to play it exactly when the notifications would pop up.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kajje Avatar
132 months ago
The first game on the iPhone 6S 128GB that is compatible with a 20 year old Nokia 2110
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
132 months ago
It's a knock off of a game from the 80s on the Apple II, which was a knock off of a few old games that were floating around on mainframes since the 60s.

An old concept. Very easy to code.
Kind of like books,no? Old concept,easy to write,writing a good one however...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
132 months ago
It's a knock off of a game from the 80s on the Apple II, which was a knock off of a few old games that were floating around on mainframes since the 60s.

An old concept. Very easy to code.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
132 months ago
The realtime aspect sounds both cool and annoying. I don't need or want to play a game throughout the work day.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mr.steevo Avatar
131 months ago
I'm surprised there hasn't been any knockoffs of it yet. The idea is interesting and could easily be expanded into more genres.
I just finished the game. I agree that there is something interesting playing a text based game with time delay's. It certainly makes more sense having this type of game on your phone as you can be walking around doing your own thing and then have to respond to your lost astronaut. I was disappointed that as I came closer to the end the pace picked up with almost no delay's which for me took away from the suspension of the story.

Good game!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3

Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...