Comparison

A Dark Room vs Lifeline...

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Text-based adventure
  • Survival mechanics
  • Exploration
  • Resource management
  • VoiceOver compatible
  • No ads or IAP
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Lifeline...

Experience a gripping, real-time survival story where your choices shape the fate of a stranded astronaut. Receive notifications throughout your day and make life-or-death decisions directly from your phone or smartwatch. Multiple endings and a bonus epilogue await.

Highlights
  • Playable branching story
  • Real-time notifications
  • Apple Watch integration
  • Multiple endings
  • Bonus story epilogue
  • Offline play
Features
Read full description

“[A] surprising iPhone and Apple Watch bestseller is pushing the boundaries of fiction” - boingboing.net “This is the best game on the Apple Watch” - Time.com 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. Acclaimed writer Dave Justus (Fables: The Wolf Among Us) weaves a gripping interactive story through the aftermath of a crash landing on an alien moon. Taylor is stranded, the rest of the crew are dead or missing, and Taylor’s communicator can only reach you. Lifeline pioneered a new narrative experience enabled by modern devices. This story plays out in real time as Taylor works to stay alive, notifications deliver new messages throughout your day. Keep up as they come in, or catch up later when you’re free. You can even respond to Taylor directly from your Apple Watch or your iPhone lock screen, without launching into the app. Or, dive in and jump back to earlier points in the story, and see what happens when you make a different choice. Simple actions can have a profound effect. Complete any single path to restart the story and unlock this mode. Lifeline is a deep, immersive story of survival and perseverance, with many possible outcomes. Taylor is relying on YOU. You can play Lifeline in any of these languages: - English - French - German - Russian - Simplified Chinese - Japanese - Spanish - Korean NEW in version 1.8: Stick around after the game for a special story epilogue from Dave Justus. For players who have already finished the game, the Bonus Story becomes available under the game options. Witness the events leading up to Lifeline: Silent Night. Internet connection not required. No in-app purchases and no ads. 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 “I felt an immediate attachment to a fictional character pinging me from a strange galaxy to my wearable.” - Luke Hopewell, Gizmodo Australia “[P]laying it on the Apple Watch makes you truly feel like you’re exchanging messages with an astronaut via a futuristic transmitter.” - Michael Andronico, Tom’s Guide “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 Lifeline was created by: Dave Justus Mars Jokela Dan Selleck Colin Liotta Jason Nowak Ben “Books” Schwartz

Screenshots

A Dark Room4 screens
Lifeline...4 screens

Verdict

The call

A Dark Room and Lifeline... both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 93% of A Dark Room's written reviews are positive against 78% of Lifeline...'s. A Dark Room also leads on chart position (#30 vs #157) and price ($1.99 vs $2.99). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for A Dark Room against 4.7 for Lifeline.... Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.7K and 4.5K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 93% of A Dark Room's written reviews are positive against 78% of Lifeline...'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

A Dark Room ships an update every 2 months, Lifeline... every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
A Dark Room versus Lifeline...: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterA Dark RoomLifeline...
Price$1.99 — better$2.99
Rating4.8 (2.7K ratings) — better4.7 (4.5K ratings)
Positive reviews92.7% of reviews — better78.3% of reviews
Number of ratings2.7K4.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#30 — better#157
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS11.011.0
Further details — not scored
Size100 MB76 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperAmirali Rajan3 Minute Games, Inc.

Customer experience

A Dark Room

All ratings2,655 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral1.4%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews1,400 reviews
Positive92.7%
Neutral1.6%
Negative5.7%

Lifeline...

All ratings4,510 ratings
Positive91.8%
Neutral2.6%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews1,965 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral8.2%
Negative13.5%

Bugs and requests

A Dark Room

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Lifeline...

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions or devices
  • Notifications not working as expected

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to skip or speed up wait times
  • More branching storylines and meaningful choices
  • Option to change the protagonist's personality or background
  • Integration with Apple Watch or other wearable devices

In-app purchases

None

A Dark Room

No in-app purchases

None

Lifeline...

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is A Dark Room free?
A Dark Room costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lifeline... free?
Lifeline... costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, A Dark Room or Lifeline...?
A Dark Room is rated higher. A Dark Room averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while Lifeline... averages 4.7 from 4.5K ratings.
Do A Dark Room or Lifeline... have ads?
Neither A Dark Room nor Lifeline... shows ads.
Which is updated more often, A Dark Room or Lifeline...?
A Dark Room ships an update every 2 months, and Lifeline... every 6 weeks. Most recently, A Dark Room was updated on October 18, 2026 and Lifeline... on October 17, 2026.
Which is more popular, A Dark Room or Lifeline...?
A Dark Room currently peaks at #30 in the App Store charts, and Lifeline... at #157. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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