Lifeline… Endings Guide

Playing around with a different method of storytelling, the entirely text-based Lifeline… revolves around an interesting concept of mixing together real world time with in-game choices.

It all begins with a simple transmission of “Hello, can anyone read me?” From there, you are drawn into a deepening sci-fi story as you try to keep Taylor alive after crash landing on an alien moon.

When Taylor (the Internet is solidly split on whether Taylor is a man or woman) is busy trying to fix some component or hiking across the alien landscape, the communications stop – in real time – and you have to wait a few hours before the next transmission. Depending on which options you choose, the story could be over in about a day, or in as long as three days of real time.

Lifeline… is essentially a choose your own adventure novel where you have to wait hours to turn to the next page. If that doesn’t strike your fancy, keep in mind that after you finish any story ending for the first time, you can then turn on fast mode and skip the wait time, so it only takes minutes to an hour at that point to go through different branching story paths and discover new endings.

The longer you go, the more engrossing Lifeline… becomes, and there are very different endings to be found, depending how long you manage to keep Taylor alive.

Below is the path we took to get each of the Lifeline… endings. Keep in mind that minor different options can still be taken within each path to reach the same conclusion, so you may get there by telling Taylor not to take a pill, having Taylor go down a different corridor, asking a different question, etc.

Dying With A Broken Leg

This is the fastest (and least satisfying) Lifeline… ending, which results in Taylor dying after falling from a cliff while trying to reach a high point to scout the area. For this ending, follow the pattern:

• I Read You
• What Happened
• Where Are You
• Describe “Here”
• Head For The Peak
• Better Get Moving Then
• Find A Way Around (Changing this option lets you get to the next ending instead – see the section below)
• Give Climbing A Try

Taylor’s capitalization skills go downhill when suffering extreme pain.

Freezing On The Trip Through The Canyon

Another ending that doesn’t get you near the true heart of the story, this one at least lets you explore more of the moon before your bad advice gets Taylor killed.

For this ending, follow the same path as the previous ending, but choose “Head Back To The Crash” rather than “Find A Way Around.” From there, follow this choice path:

• Head Back To The Crash
• Look For The Crew
• Just Keep Moving
• Try The Lab
• Stick With Rat Food
• Try The Galley
• Keep Trying The Door
• Camp Out By The Reactor
• Radiation Sickness, Maybe?
• Back Out Of The Canyon
• Walk The Perimeter
• Counter!
• Sorry, No Time To Chat
• Explore The Wreckage
• No, You Should Explore It
• You Have To Keep Exploring
• Take The West Hall
• Keep Moving Straight Ahead
• Keep Moving Faster
• Take One Now
• Risk It: Keep Exploring
• Find Out What It Was
• Seriously, Go Find It
• Leave The Ginny There
• Keep Heading For The Peak (don’t select this option to save Taylor’s life and head into the next section)
• Keep Going For The Peak
• Just Keep Pushing Ahead

At least there was a pretty view to be seen before you got Taylor killed.

Taylor Gets Taken Over By Aliens

This ending gets you deep into the real story and lets you learn why Taylor crashed and what’s going on with this creepy moon and its odd inhabitants.

To get this Invasion Of The Body Snatchers-style ending, take the previous path, but choose the option “Turn Back While You Can” instead of “Keep Heading For The Peak.” From there, follow this set of options:

• Turn Back While You Can
• Make Camp
• Check Out The Flight Deck
• Hook Up The Alarm
• See What That Noise Is
• No. Chase Down That Noise
• Check Out The Alarm
• Looks Like What?
• Keep Studying The Footage
• Mmmm… Tasty!
• I Sincerely Doubt It
• It Could Be Dangerous
• My Money Is On “Bust”
• Build Yourself A Compass
• Forget It, Turn Back
• At Least Take A Rest
• Sure, Take A Pill
• Sure You’ve Earned It
• No Beans, Ever
• Yup, Go For It
• Break A Leg
• Sure, Take A Pill
• Lay It On Me
• Yeah OK Forget It
• Go On Tell Me
• That MUST Be An Illusion
• You’re Sure They’re Yours?
• Check Out The Opening
• Go Through The Door
• What Happened?
• Follow Those… Things
• Tell Me!
• Explore The Computers
• What? What Is It?
• How Many, Total?
• Wake It Up
• What Do You See?
• Are You Sure?
• Go Out And Meet Them
• What Just Happened?
• We Got Disconnected
• Lay It On Me
• Go Out And Meet Them
• Seriously, Go Meet Them
• Break A Leg, Gilligan
• Go Looking For It
• Are You All Right?
• Are You Certain?
• Are All Your Rats There?
• Yeah, No Debating That
• What Is It?
• Can You Warn The Ship?
• Can You Override It?
• How Close Are Your Visitors?
• Keep Working On The Computers
• Keep At It, Just In Case
• Can’t Override It?
• What Is It?
• You Need To Get Closer
• Tell Me What You See!
• You Have To Keep Watching
• Calm Down, Just Breathe
• You HAVE To Keep Breathing
• Throw Them Some More Food
• Is It Working?
• That Poor Little Guy
• Stay Put, See What Happens
• What Just Happened?
• It’s An Alien?
• You Have To Kill It
• You’re Right, Just Capture It
• What Does It Say?
• Are They Still Being Targeted?
• You’re Reappearing Quickly
• Not Long At All
• What Is?
• Are They Mourning Wildboy?
• What Plate?
• Sure, Lay It On Me
• Yeah, Good Idea!
• Bombs Away!
• How Do You Mean?
• You Have To Describe It
• What’s It Doing Now?
• Must Be An Illusion
• What Are The Other Rats Doing?
• Something More With The Rats?
• Are You Safe?
• Tell Me What You See
• This Is So Exciting!
• That Cannot Be Possible
• What Is Happening?
• Those Are Still Not Your Friends
• Stop Looking At Their Eyes
• OK Sure, Stay Calm
• Are You Submitting To It? (Don’t select this option if you want to make it further to the next ending)

I, for one, welcome our new alien overlords!

Sacrifice Taylor And Blow Up The Mountain

This ending lets you make it almost all the way to the “true” end, with Taylor heroically sacrificing him or herself to end the alien menace.

For this Lifeline… ending, follow the previous path but choose “No Fight It” instead of “Are You Submitting To It?” and then go down this branching option path:

• Can You Find An Exit?
• What Happened?
• If You Can’t Fight, Flee!
• There Must Be A Solution
• Must Be SOMETHING To Compute
• What’s “It?” Random Bashing?
• Can You Really Reprogram It?
• I Wish You Skill, Instead
• How Much Time Just Passed?
• Guard The Computer
• Good Siren Or Bad Siren?
• “Except” What?
• Stay, Guard The Computer
• What Are You Seeing?
• Keep Guarding The Computers (don’t take this option if you want a different ending)
• What Went Wrong?
• What Happens If You Stay?
• Mass Galactic Genocide
• Will You Escape In Time?

Taylor died, but at least the galaxy is safe!

Escaping And Nuking The Moon

This appears to be the final and true ending that actually allows Taylor to survive and escape the moon, at the small cost of his or her mental health.

For this ending, follow the previous path but choose “Should You Go Meet Them?” instead of “Keep Guarding The Computers.” From there, take these options:

• Try It And See
• You Should Get Back Up
• “More Cracks?”
• Run For The Rescue Ship
• Do NOT Give Up Right Now!
• Shut Up And Run For It
• Dying Right Now Is Selfish
• You Have To Warn Others
• Sure, Now… Run!
• Less Talk, More Haulin’ Ass!
• Absolutely Not! Board That Ship!
• What Were You Just Babbling About?

You made it all the way to the end!

These are all the Lifeline… endings we’ve found so far – be sure to let us know if you’ve discovered any others!