Gaming On-The-Go is a weekly series that explores the mobile gaming industry as well as uncovering current trends, with hands-on guides for the latest smartphone and tablet games.
Imagine an astronaut reaches out to you, revealing that he is the lone survivor after his spacecraft crashes on a foreign moon. As his only resource, you must give him advice via texts, keeping in mind that each decision could mean life or death.
This is exactly the storyline for the choose-your-own adventure interactive fiction game called Lifeline.
Developed by Three Minute Games, Lifeline first launched in April of 2015 for iOS, and quickly climbed the charts. It's most recent rise in popularity can be credited to becoming the free app of the week in the App Store earlier this month.
While technically this is a game of survival, it's more a work of fiction. The player isn't the one who must fight off aliens, explore the unknown, or even try to get the resources to be saved. Instead, it's the character named Taylor who is at risk.
The player also doesn't get to see any of the action. The game features a log of messages, where Taylor describes what has happened and all the problems that arise while he is stranded. After a series of dialogue exchanges, the player is given two different options to give Taylor instructions on what he should do.
There are periods when Taylor is busy, meaning he is out doing the task at hand, so it's best to allow notifications so you know when he's ready to communicate. This gives the gamer the ability to play at their own speed. It's also the perfect game to play on an Apple Watch.
Getting to know Taylor over time (and his attempts at jokes), it's impossible not to become invested in the storyline and have his best interests at heart. The game does end when Taylor dies, so make sure that you make the right choice, there is no going back.
If you're a fan of Andy Weir's novel The Martian (which was adapted for the big screen by Ridley Scott, starring Matt Damon), then this is an app for you.
Three Minute Games also released two sequels in the series that include Lifeline 2: Bloodline and Lifeline: Silent Night. Lifeline 2 features a complete new storyline about a woman who seeks to rescue her brother and avenge her parents. However, Lifeline: Silent Night brings with it the return of Taylor with the goal to again save him and his crew.
With strong storytelling from writer Dave Justus, this franchise is definitely a page turner for the modern reader.
All three titles are available to download for just 99 cents each for iOS and Android.
