A Dark Room vs Lifeline
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
A Dark Room
Awaken in a mysterious world with a throbbing head and blurry vision. Follow the voices' instructions to survive and explore this text-based adventure. Experience a game free from ads, loot boxes, in-app purchases, and tracking, fully playable with VoiceOver.
- Text-based adventure
- Survival mechanics
- Exploration
- Resource management
- VoiceOver compatible
- No ads or IAP
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awake. head throbbing. vision blurry. the voices say to survive. - One of Apple's most downloaded apps of 2014. - Ranked in the top 10 games in 70 countries, #1 app overall in 7 countries. - No ads, no loot boxes, no IAP, no tracking. - 100% playable via VoiceOver. - Relive the glory days of gaming from the era of Zork.
Lifeline
An interactive horror game where your choices determine a woman's survival in a mysterious facility. Guide her through dark hallways and make critical decisions to help her escape an unknown threat.
- Interactive horror experience
- Branching narrative choices
- Real-time heart-rate monitor feedback
- Multi-platform play (phone, Apple Watch)
- Multiple language support
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The Lifeline series takes a terrifying turn in this interactive horror experience. Every decision you make could help Wynn to safety, or lead her to an untimely end. Something has gone horribly wrong... Venture deep into a mysterious scientific facility, where a woman named Wynn has just woken up strapped to a hospital bed. She doesn't remember what happened to her - all she knows right now is that she has to get out of this place. And her only link to the outside world... is YOU! Help Wynn navigate creepy darkened hallways as the shrieks of something inhuman get closer... In this thrilling interactive horror experience, your choices shape the story and ultimately decide Wynn's fate! • A truly immersive horror experience! • The Green Series continues with a terrifying twist! • Written by award-winning author Daryl Gregory. • Norman Fairbanks returns with an original bone-chilling score. • Wynn’s heart-rate monitor gives real-time feedback as you make decisions in the story. • Interact with the story on your phone, Apple Watch, or through notifications! • Play in English, German, French, Japanese, Russian, or Chinese at launch! WATCH US: http://www.youtube.com/c/LifelineGame Praise for Lifeline: “I’ve played many games that I find engrossing, but Lifeline may be one of the first that changed the way I thought about my daily routine, which leapt off the screen and became a part of my lived experience.” - Eli Cymet, Gamezebo “For a few brief hours I cared – really cared – about the fate of a completely fictional character. I don’t think any other game I’ve played has made me feel that way before.” - Matt Thrower, PocketGamer
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: A Dark Room at 4.8 against Lifeline's 4.3. A Dark Room also leads on review sentiment (93% vs 67%) and chart position (#23 vs unranked). Lifeline's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (8.4 vs 11.0). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
A Dark Room costs $1.99 and Lifeline $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
A Dark Room holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: A Dark Room has 2.7K ratings behind it against 351, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of A Dark Room's written reviews are positive against 67% of Lifeline's.
A Dark Room ships an update every 2 months, Lifeline weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | A Dark Room | Lifeline |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (2.7K ratings) — better | 4.3 (351 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 92.7% of reviews — better | 67.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2.7K — better | 351 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #23 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 | 8.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 100 MB | 142 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Amirali Rajan | 3 Minute Games, Inc. |
Customer experience
A Dark Room
Lifeline
Bugs and requests
A Dark Room
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Lifeline
Reported bugs
2 issues- Website links in-game no longer working
- Game restarting from the beginning unexpectedly
Requested features
3 requests- Option to skip long pauses
- More impactful choices that affect the story
- Ability to revisit past decisions
In-app purchases
A Dark Room
No in-app purchases
Lifeline
No in-app purchases
