Lifeline is a game made by Three Minute Games and can be purchased through iPhone, Android, and Amazon app stores. Surprisingly to me, this game is a text based adventure game and I was in for a world of surprise. Originally this game was purchased on steam because there was a bit of intrigue in the summary, but I also didn’t know what I was getting myself into. Was this going to be an open world type game? Maybe this was going to be an interactive novel? Nothing was very clear at the time but the story line is what caught me.
The main principal of the story is simple, guide the last known crew member of a downed ship in space to safety, and hopefully they survive. Seems easy enough. That is, until you throw in the details about the random unknown planet your survivor, Taylor, is trying to survive on. You play as an assistant to Taylor, because he has hailed you and by sheer luck you answered his call. As a science student, Taylor is bright, but not perfect, and he is subject to human emotions such as panic. Your job is to help Taylor choose what his next moves will be by choosing different options throughout the game.
Most reviews were positive about this game because of the creator’s writing. Taylor is easy to connect with emotionally. Many humorous jokes come from the story and Taylor becomes someone you might know in real life. As you make your way through the story, which is fast-paced, Taylor will ask questions and disappear from time to time.
Originally, since this game was meant for a mobile platform, the game became unclear how to play for a moment. Since the game automatically opens on PC and starts, there were no options to slow down the text that was blasting across the screen, go back, or save which became panic inducing. And for those that need a little help, the game can be saved by exiting the game window and saving from the main screen. But, there was an option to scroll back and read the messages that had come up so that’s where the game began. Only after a few moments, Taylor becomes “busy” and I was suddenly stuck wondering how I was supposed to play. At this point in time, if I were on a mobile device, I would have been happy to take a break and wait for a notification. Sometimes the notifications come quickly and others over a longer amount of time. For my play through, I simply changed the time on my computer as a way around because I had the time to play from my PC. I also just wanted to know what was going to happen next because the story already had me in its grip.
Lifeline has seven other sequels that can be played and if they are as good as this one, they will all end up being played. Most people could call this set of games interactive novels because in a way they are short stories, the interactive part is what matters. The choices the player makes will determine the outcome and achievements they get, and some of the achievements are out-there! Three Minute Studios did such a wonderful job on this game and the story that the preview to the sequel that begins almost immediately, is hard to differentiate from the game that just ended. By the end, the player is craving more and naturally moves in to the next game. So, if you are looking for a shorter, text based adventure game with space elements and think you can survive, then give this one a moment of your time.
Links:
IOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lifeline-library-choose-your/id1186085092?mt=8
Android:
Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/585290/Lifeline/