Comparison

Lifeline... vs Afterplace

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

Afterplace

Embark on an open-world adventure on your mobile device, exploring a vast landscape filled with hidden secrets, treasures, and quirky characters. Engage in combat, uncover mysteries, and forge your own path through a world without waypoints.

Highlights
  • Open world exploration
  • Hidden secrets and treasures
  • Combat with monsters
  • Interactive characters
  • No virtual buttons
  • Dynamic control adaptation
Features
Read full description

An open world adventure game filled with silly characters and terrible secrets. Afterplace is an adventurous indie game for mobile devices. It's a huge open world, full of hidden secrets, treasures, and creatures. You'll run around the woods, fight monsters, and talk to ostensibly shady characters! All from your pocket! Be warned though - you never know what the forest might be hiding, and not all trails are paved. Labyrinths and dungeons are tucked away in the most concealed nooks. There are no waypoints in Afterplace. You'll have to forge your own path. Afterplace has been designed from the ground up to be a fast, fluid, beautiful experience for mobile. There are no virtual buttons. You can move and attack by touching anywhere. You can tap objects directly to interact or attack, use two thumbs like a traditional controller, or control the game with a physical gamepad. The game will adapt dynamically to your play style. Pick up and set down the game at your own pace, it will always save your progress. Afterplace is made to feel like a full-fledged indie adventure game that fits in your pocket. About the Author: Afterplace is made by one person, Evan Kice. A former software engineer from Austin TX, Evan quit his job (to the dismay of his friends and family) and has been working full time on Afterplace since early 2019. The initial game released in December of 2022, but Evan plans on continuing to support and polish the game when he can!

Screenshots

Lifeline...4 screens
Afterplace4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Lifeline... at $2.99 against Afterplace's $6.99. Lifeline... also leads on ratings volume (4.5K vs 630). Afterplace's advantage is review sentiment (94% vs 78%). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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 Afterplace $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Afterplace holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lifeline... has 4.5K ratings behind it against 630, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Lifeline...'s written reviews are positive against 94% of Afterplace's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lifeline... ships an update every 6 weeks, Afterplace monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Lifeline... versus Afterplace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLifeline...Afterplace
Price$2.99 — better$6.99
Rating4.7 (4.5K ratings)4.9 (630 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.3% of reviews94.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4.5K — better630
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#47 — better#50
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size76 MB249 MB
Age rating9+12+
Developer3 Minute Games, Inc.Evan Kice

Customer experience

Lifeline...

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

Afterplace

All ratings627 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral1.8%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews253 reviews
Positive94.1%
Neutral2.4%
Negative3.6%

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

Afterplace

From 630 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Charming characters and dialogue
  • 🎨 Beautiful pixel art and visuals
  • 🎶 Excellent soundtrack
  • 💡 Unique story and world-building

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or performance issues
  • 🔍 Lack of a map or quest log can lead to getting lost
  • 🔍 Some plot points not fully explained
  • 🔍 Limited weapon/item variety

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

Afterplace

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes on certain devices
  • Saves not loading properly

Requested features

3 requests
  • Landscape mode support
  • Ability to restart or replay the game
  • More in-depth combat and progression systems

In-app purchases

None

Lifeline...

No in-app purchases

None

Afterplace

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Lifeline... free?
Lifeline... costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Afterplace free?
Afterplace costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Lifeline... or Afterplace?
Afterplace is rated higher. Lifeline... averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.5K ratings, while Afterplace averages 4.9 from 630 ratings.
Do Lifeline... or Afterplace have ads?
Neither Lifeline... nor Afterplace shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lifeline... or Afterplace?
Lifeline... ships an update every 6 weeks, and Afterplace monthly. Most recently, Lifeline... was updated on October 20, 2026 and Afterplace on October 21, 2026.
Which is more popular, Lifeline... or Afterplace?
Lifeline... currently peaks at #47 in the App Store charts, and Afterplace at #50. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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