Comparison

Lifeline... vs Reigns

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

Head to head
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

About

Reigns

Rule a medieval kingdom by making decisions with a swipe of your finger. Balance the needs of various factions, from the church to the army, to extend your reign. Each choice has consequences that can lead to your dynasty's downfall.

Highlights
  • Swipe-based decision making
  • Kingdom faction balance
  • Dynasty survival
  • Event spanning centuries
  • Multiple ways to die
Features
Read full description

Sit on the throne as a benevolent (or malevolent) medieval monarch of the modern age and swipe your royal fingers either left or right to impose your will upon the kingdom. Survive the seemingly never-ending gauntlet of requests from your advisors, peasants, allies, and enemies while maintaining balance between the influential factions of your kingdom. But beware; each decision you make might have implications and unfortunate consequences down the road that could put your reign and family’s dynasty at risk! Each year of your reign brings another important – seemingly random – request from your unpredictable kingdom as you strive for balance between the church, the people, the army, and the treasury. Prudent decisions and careful planning make for a long reign but unforeseen motivations, surprise events, and poor luck can take down even the most entrenched monarch. Extend your reign as long as possible, forge alliances, make enemies, and find new ways to die as your dynasty marches along through the ages. Some events will span on centuries, with an intrigue involving burning witches, scientific enlightenment, wicked politics and, maybe, the Devil himself. *iPhone 5 / iPod Touch 6 / iPad Mini / iPad Air or later recommended.

Screenshots

Lifeline...4 screens
Reigns4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: Reigns at #9 against Lifeline...'s #60. Lifeline...'s advantage is review sentiment (78% vs 70%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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

Lifeline... costs $2.99 and Reigns $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 — 4.7 for Lifeline... against 4.8 for Reigns. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.5K and 7.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Lifeline...'s written reviews are positive against 70% of Reigns's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lifeline... ships an update every 6 weeks, Reigns every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 20, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Lifeline... versus Reigns: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLifeline...Reigns
Price$2.99$2.99
Rating4.7 (4.5K ratings)4.8 (7.6K ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.3% of reviews — better70.2% of reviews
Number of ratings4.5K7.6K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#60#9 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size76 MB124 MB
Age rating9+12+
Developer3 Minute Games, Inc.Devolver Digital, Inc.

Customer experience

Lifeline...

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

Reigns

All ratings7,608 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral2.1%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews921 reviews
Positive70.2%
Neutral9.1%
Negative20.6%

User reviews

Lifeline...

From 4.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Unique and immersive gameplay
  • 👍 Engaging story and characters
  • ⏱️ Real-time gameplay adds to the experience
  • 🎨 Atmospheric music and sound design

Room to improve

  • ⏳ Slow pacing and long wait times between responses
  • 🤔 Limited choices and lack of meaningful impact on the story
  • 🙄 Protagonist can be annoying or unrealistic at times
  • 🔍 Lack of visual elements or graphics

Reigns

From 7.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👑 Great game concept
  • 🤴 Engaging storyline and characters
  • 🎨 Stylish art and design
  • 🕹️ Addictive and challenging gameplay
  • 🕰️ Replayability and multiple endings

Room to improve

  • 🔁 Repetitive gameplay and card choices
  • 🤔 Unclear consequences of decisions
  • 🕹️ Frustrating difficulty and randomness
  • 🔋 Battery drain issues
  • 🐛 Bugs and save file corruption

Bugs and 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

Reigns

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Blank/corrupted cards
  • Crashes and freezes
  • Save file corruption
  • Compatibility issues on newer devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • More content and storylines
  • Ability to customize the king/kingdom
  • Improved UI and feedback on decisions
  • Difficulty settings or options
  • Cross-platform/cloud save support

In-app purchases

None

Lifeline...

No in-app purchases

None

Reigns

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Lifeline... free?
Lifeline... costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Reigns free?
Reigns costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Lifeline... or Reigns?
Reigns is rated higher. Lifeline... averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.5K ratings, while Reigns averages 4.8 from 7.6K ratings.
Do Lifeline... or Reigns have ads?
Neither Lifeline... nor Reigns shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lifeline... or Reigns?
Lifeline... ships an update every 6 weeks, and Reigns every 5 weeks. Most recently, Lifeline... was updated on October 20, 2026 and Reigns on October 20, 2026.
Which is more popular, Lifeline... or Reigns?
Lifeline... currently peaks at #60 in the App Store charts, and Reigns at #9. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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