Last updated on January 4th, 2026 at 07:48 pm
Lifeline: Crisis Line – Roleplaying Game Review
Lifeline: Crisis Line is a Roleplaying/Adventure/Entertainment game from 3 Minute Games, Inc., first launched in 31st August 2016.
It’s rated 9+ and currently has 306+ ratings on the App Store.
What Makes Lifeline: Crisis Line Stand Out
A dead lawyer, a mysterious green-eyed woman, stolen crystals with unexplained powers… and it’s only your first day on the job! You’re a HelpText volunteer, and the app has just paired you with Austin homicide detective Alex Esposito. Dive headfirst into a dangerous investigation as you help Alex untangle the bizarre circumstances of a recent murder.
Choose which clues and suspects to follow as you try to catch a killer who may not be of this world. But be careful – in this real-time mystery, your decisions could mean the difference between life and death for Alex!
• The next chapter in Lifeline's hugely popular Green Series!
• Discover clues, interview suspects, and help solve the interactive mystery. Your choices shape the story as you play!
• Story and original score by New York Times best-selling author Matthew Sturges.
• Play in EN, DE, FR, JP, RU, or CN at launch!
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
This Roleplaying game offers engaging gameplay and regular updates for mobile players.
Player Feedback
As a newer release, Lifeline: Crisis Line is building its player community. Early feedback suggests .
Recent Updates & Development
Latest Update: 31st August 2016
Recent improvements include:
This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.
Download & Availability
Lifeline: Crisis Line is available through the official App Store for iOS devices.
Get Lifeline: Crisis Line on App Store
Requirements: Requires iPhone 5s / iPad Air / iPad Air (Cellular) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina, Cellular) / iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus / iPad Air 2 / iPad Air 2 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 3 or later.
Compatible with iPhone and iPad devices.
Player Experience Highlights
Community Insight:
Im a huge fan of the Lifeline games and remember buying each one as they came out… We still have our Lifeline t-shirt. This was one of our favorites of the games. We wish we could see more to the Lifeline series, the cliffhangers on all of them are really sad… Maybe one day the series will get a revival, like its older games, and not some weird app where you need to pay to make certain choices.
We love this game so much its so much fun!! This is the exact game we think is worth the cost!! The story line is amazing. Is there any chance there is a hint thing or a cheat vid if your stuck because we cant get passed the Person corporation without him dying or being hypnotized!! Anyways like we said before we love this game those looking to download it definitely should, see if you are smarter than we are.
Thank you to the creators of this adventure.
Ive not finished the game but for a choose your own adventure game, this is the best Ive ever gone through. In many ways have we found ourselves empathizing with Alex, wanting badly to solve this problem. But all we can say currently? ….[im sorry] [sorry] [sorry] [sorry] ………..[Alex is sorry].
Loved this one, well worth the buy. Hope there are more in this style to come.
We're a big fan of the Lifeline game series. We must admit, this one took us longer to get into, but once we did we were truly hooked. We'd love to see a sequel to this character's story.
Love this game!!!!! Felt like we were talking to a REAL person. Alex's experience against the Greens is the best one out of the series, so far (at least in our opinion). We hope a sequel for Crisis Line comes out soon. We REALLY want to see Alex again.
Totally worth the money, but ends in a cliffhanger, so we're stuck waiting for the next one. Every character never gets a (true) happy ending, we suppose. But this one, this game- ends tragically. The true ending was extremely sad, but that's not a bad thing. We like that kind of stuff. There are a few problems with this, though. When you click a decision, tapping "X" makes it rewind to that point. It's misleading. Second, it's unbelievable that he can text so much during the story, maybe put on speech to text to make it more realistic? Third, (and this is only our opinion) when you play the other games, you know what's happening, right? Well, why can't we have a option that has us tell the main character what we know? It could really help if you can tell them that you know what the Green-Eyed-Woman is, or that Warping and Wefting isn't as dangerous as running on the fifth floor. That would be great, wouldn't it? Fourth, the soundtrack is amazing. If we could get it, we would. You're sitting on a gold ours! <SPOILERS> we don't think Alex is dead, with Crisis Line and FlatLine aggressively winking that he's alive. Still, we can only hope for the best, right? Maybe Alex and Arika can team up, and V.Adams, Taylor and Wynn be in a separate team also? (The end being where they all come together as a complete team) That would be so awesome, but is only just a suggestion. Anyways, we'll wait for the next game, we're DEFINITELY buying whatever comes out next~.
We started this game thinking we would hate it and we were so wrong. We loved learning more about the case and helping Alex discover the truth. We really hope we get to work with Alex more in future games because we enjoyed his character! The only issue we had was auto scrolling. Very worth the money.
DANGIT! STOP MAKING ME WORRY ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE!!! THIS GAME IS SO COOL.
Well worth the money. The story was AMAZING! The main character is very likable and it truly feels like you're helping a real person go through these events! Plot twists, characters with depth, a story that never lags- this game has it all.
This is a fun game for all ages.
We have loved every game in this series. That said, this is the first one we'd say is "5 stars" since the original. While it uses the same game play style in that it is text-based adventure, its plot, characters and storyline are completely different. Totally worth checking out for anyone who likes text-based games, law enforcement, or just good original content.
This game reminded us of books we read as a child. There was a series called, "Choose Your Own Adventure," in which the main premise was the same as how this game operates. Way to bring back the fun of the old days and present it in a user-friendly, exciting, new type of user interface! And with the watch version, gaming storylines are endless! From receiving texts from the game, to eventually viewing video content, this game is sure to live on due to its high level of plasticity. Excellent game! Novel idea! Never have enjoyed a cellphone game this much ever! Except for good ole "Snake.".
Love, love, love this game! We think this is our favorite from the Lifeline series. Please make more mystery/investigative Lifeline games! We will buy them all.
During the turn of events in this app, we actually felt like Alex was a real person and he really needed our help. It felt really intense helping a cop with a perhaps extraterrestrial threat and the whole story was absolutely breath taking! 5 stars! Keep up the good work, 3 minutes, all your games are amazing.
Absorbed is the word to describe what you feel as you follow the storyline of Alex. This by far was our favorite of the series this far. We are very much looking forward to the next Alex adventure.
This is at least our second favorite game in this series so far mainly because of the completely lovable main character, Alex.
Great great great game! The story was well done and very suspenseful. Good side story of the green series. Totally recommend this for any Lifeline fan. As a Houston resident, the fact this story takes place in Austin is fun, as it describes in good detail parts of the city. Helped make us enjoy it more, as we were able to better visualize the setting. Looking forward to seeing Alex and helping him again.
We loved the story in this one. We don't know how much variance there is in the gameplay (ultimately, there were a limited number of paths in the original) but we felt like our choices were meaningful and the story length was great. The ending was maybe a little abrupt, but that's par for the series as a whole. We feel like this installment also had the most well developed characters.
This is another great lifeline game, however we have noticed some glitches with the notifications. Sometimes they dont show up and we dont know when to come back.
This flatline is much longer than the original one with the aliens, sometimes it drags on a bit much honestly but it's great to kill time with. The ending was a bummer and very confusing it was like an advertisement for emails from the company that made flatline.
This is definitely our favorite so far, even though we miss Alex. We really hope we see more of him.
All of these games are some of the best games within the App Store! They bring us back to the old Zork games for MS DOS. Nothing but text, and your imagination to paint the brilliant image that is illustrated for you. We'll be honest, we try to kill off the main character as quickly as possible to unlock "Fast Mode", but that's only because we're impatient and we can't wait to read what the character has to say next! These stories, at least to us, are extremely immersive and actually feels as if you're helping someone else on the other end. For us, 5 stars all the way! KEEP THESE STORIES COMING.
The experience is like reading a novel but you are one of the main characters. Very entertaining.
We loved the Lifeline games, and this was a nice addition to the collection. Great story, but more difficult because you'd have to remember prior evidence when questioning a suspect. You find out more in Flatline that makes you want to replay this one. We're excited to see how they all come together. Lastly, the cons: 1> he really should be speaking, not texting. It makes more sense. 2> we hate the compassion meter. At the end of the day, you saved his life. Does he need you to do it pleasantly? (Unless it changes if you're rotten?) And to other reviewers- If they add real voices, maps, photos, etc., the game will easily become $5-6. Be careful what you wish for.
We've completed almost all of the Lifeline games now, except for this and the new Flatline. There is definitely an overarching story between them all. We are completing this and Flatline at the same time. In Flatline the character's sister works for a Permanent Work Group or something along those lines. In this game, which we should have technically already played through, you hear mention of an individual from the Permanent Work Group. Plus the green-eyed "occupied" people have made an appearance in every game except Whiteout. We're happy with this company's production. It seems like every time you turn around they are putting out a new story.
Just finished this. Riding the wave of the ending. This is easily worth the asking price. We've played the 4 games prior to this and we got to say, this was the longest one by far. We really appreciated that. Also, there's more for you to do. More things to google, either because you have to or just to give you a sense of what things looked like. This took place in a real city in Texas and it was fun looking up all of the references. We would recommend playing the other games before this. Maybe not Whiteout (but then again maybe!). Otherwise a lot of the story will seem stupid. It isn't though, there was some phenomenal world building here. We liked the tie-ins to the other games. Like a few other reviews, we accidentally rewound the story about halfway through and was annoyed. We like the feature but it'd be nice if it was a little less easy to use. Since this was a mystery we wanted to look back and reread conversations. But that proved to be dangerous. That's our only real complaint though. We're downloading Flatline next.
This game took us longer than any of the other games in the series, and it was AMAZING – possibly our favorite so far. The ending left us craving more, so we can't wait to see what the next game will hold.
We keep getting stuck at the house part, but overall it is a really good game. Awesome storyline, interesting characters.
We love whenever stories circle back together perfectly, and we have a feeling that this is where this series is headed. We can't wait to see what 3 minute does next.
Not too often we find ourselves this glued to our phone. Bravo.
Another amazing story! We can't wait to see what comes next.
Great game we love the idea of a story unfolding as you interact with the game.
We've played all the Lifeline games but this might be our favorite. A perfect blend of mystery/supernatural. Love how this game feels more interactive. Wish the ending didn't end so abruptly but hopefully a sequel will be made.
This game, along with the rest in the series, is just about the most addictive thing we have on our phone. It's got excellent storyline, along with a wonderfully snarky/sarcastic commentary. Only problem, is, every single game in the series has ended with a cliffhanger. And while we're quite eager to see what the "but this isn't the end! So-and-so still may need your help!" turns into, it's a small bit annoying when NO ONE gets a happy ending yet. Ah well. We will eagerly await the next installment.
We have loved this series since we stumbled on the first Lifeline game. Pros: This one was, we think, longer than the others, which has always been our biggest complaint about them. We really felt invested in Alex, especially because of the rough start we had (we think we killed him three or four times; hint- the ledge doesn't have a gun). We were bound and determined to get him through that crap. Haha. It felt like Alex really appreciated whatever help you gave him. Cons: Oh our goodness some of the waiting times. Like after the house. You know the one. Yeah. That one. We ended up using the fast forward option more than we would normally. That "best" ending was a bit unsatisfying. Totally worth the play through, but man. Now we want there to be more. And last, we want to address something we see a lot of other people are giving one star ratings about: the impact of decisions. First off, it's a computer program. It's not going to give you a customized response every time you choose an option. We would hope that's obvious. When you reach an "end of path" scenario, if you didn't get prompted to join the newsletter, you haven't finished yet. It's not a short story that you will play through in a few hours, especially if you don't have fast forward on, and if you do, then you finishing fast is your own fault. We are going to try one other path and see if our ending is different at all, but most likely we'll be circled back around, because that is the ending you are meant to get.
This game was absolutely amazing. All the lifeline games are well written, and have great story lines that just pull you in, and we never want them to end. We got so excited when Crisis Line mentioned Arika. We can't wait to see what the franchise has in store for the future, and how the lore will connect the other characters. Great job again.
It took us a bit to get the hang of this game at first, once we started getting the hang of it was very exciting! Unexpected turns and twists! Hope they make more games like this.
Best of the series to date! We can't wait to get the next one! Thank you Three Minute Games.
We're so addicted to the games!! It reminds us of the books when we were a little girl… You know the ones, you pick your own way through and see if you survived. Goosebu#%s has them out now to for the newer generation. The second one about the witch was a bit slow but we still loved it. This and the first was our favourite!!! These games take us out of our head!! 10 out of 10 stars.
We have enjoyed each of the games, but liked this one the most. There is so much depth to the plot, and with this game, you have to think like a detective. We're hoping there will be more games like this one on the way.
We like suspense games but we don't have much patience to wait till Alex is not busy lol… We're still willing to give it a try but we're not that compassionate according to the ratings lol.
The characters were relatable, we had numerous choices, and they linked back to other previous characters we had fallen in love with. Wonderful job.
We love playing the lifeline games mostly, because we always end up genuinely caring about the character.
The twist id remarkable. It's another much awaited one from a favorite developer. Just great.
Second only to the original Lifeline. This adventure forces you to think hard and recall previous conversations to make progress. Every detail counts, as would be expected for a homicide investigation. You'll constantly look at your phone, waiting for Alex to next check in. Highly recommended to anyone who likes intrigue.
We may be a bit biased as we have played a few of the other lifeline games and enjoyed them immensely. Although we were pleasantly surprised when they took a route with a detective that you help. We enjoy the idea of a text based game and we think the creators did a fantastic job with handling this game. Although we would like to have more than two choices sometimes we think it works extremely well. We have enjoyed this game immensely and we hope that others will have the pleasure of playing and enjoying this game.
The green series are our favorite game, and this is another great one… We read some reviews… It's not confusing, just use your brain! Love it all till the. End where we killed our self from the feels.
A combo of mystery/suspense and scifi/supernatural with some fun integration of facts from the previous games. Can't wait for a continuation.
User feedback from Apple App Store
App Details
- Version: 1.0.0
- Size: 66.82 MB
- iOS: 8.1 or later
- Languages: EN, FR, DE, JA, RU, ZH
- Content Advisory: Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes, Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence, Infrequent/Mild Profanity or Crude Humor
- Developer: 3 Minute Games, Inc.
Last updated: 31st August 2016 | Genre: Roleplaying, Adventure | Developer: 3 Minute Games, Inc.