Chapter 93: The Unique Aspects of "Lifeline"

After a while.

Taylor sent a message: "Oh man, I'm exhausted. This trek is much longer than it looks. My legs feel like jelly. I'm not even sure if I'm halfway there."

"Great, now all I can think about is jelly."

[Taylor is busy]

Lily Emerson was initially excited, thinking Taylor had responded in less than an hour, meaning players wouldn't really have to wait that long. But after seeing the message, she was speechless.

It was just a brief update, and then Taylor was busy again.

Left with no choice, Lily continued to wait.

Finally, an hour passed, and Taylor messaged again, asking whether he should go to the crew area or the cockpit.

Lily thought for a moment. The earlier part of the story hinted that she should try to find survivors, so she chose the crew area.

And so, Lily and Taylor continued their intermittent conversation. The pacing of the story was excellent, always cutting off at critical moments, leaving Lily eagerly waiting for Taylor's replies.

Moreover, the story progressed at a suitable speed, neither too fast nor too slow. Amid Taylor's jokes, he would occasionally ask crucial questions, leaving Lily to make decisions.

Lily guided Taylor as he searched the spaceship, helping him find food and shelter.

Taylor asked, "I'm thinking of setting up a tent near the engine at the back of the spaceship. It'll be warmer there. But there's radiation. Could you check if absorbing 150 rads of radiation overnight will kill me? My spacesuit sensor says the radiation is around that level."

Lily was startled. What? She had to check radiation levels?

This seemed like a crucial plot point. Taylor could choose the warm but radioactive engine area or the cold but safe interior of the spaceship.

Lily had no idea what 150 rads of radiation meant.

Feeling this choice was critical, she opened her computer and searched, "150 rads."

The search results quickly appeared: "Absorbed dose (rads) below 150 has no short-term effects."

Lily replied, "Go to the reactor area."

Taylor responded, "To be honest, I'm feeling pretty nervous."

"I mean, thank you for getting me through today—it's been the worst day of my life."

"So I'll trust you. As for whether this radiation level is safe... I guess we'll find out tomorrow morning."

"With that cheerful thought... goodnight, wherever you are. Let's hope tomorrow is better."

[Taylor is busy]

Lily scrolled through the screen. There was nothing more; Taylor was busy again.

"Do I really have to wait overnight? I might not sleep well tonight…"

Lily was genuinely worried. Although the internet said 150 rads of radiation was safe, who could guarantee it wasn't a trap? But there was nothing more she could do. It seemed she would have to wait several hours for Taylor's next update.

Lily stood up and asked Alex Parker, "Boss, can I take my phone home?"

Alex replied, "Hmm? Did you finish the first day's story? Actually, the story will progress whenever you reply. You don't have to respond immediately."

Lily nodded, "I know, but… I still want to take it with me…"

Alex smiled, "Alright, take it with you. Don't keep Taylor waiting too long."

Lily said, "Okay, thank you, boss!"

...

Seeing Lily's reaction to the game reassured Alex that the story of this game was well-received.

In Alex's previous world, "Lifeline" became popular due to recommendations from well-known writers like Ma Boyong on X.

After the Chinese version of this game was released, it quickly topped the paid charts, which was a significant achievement for such a simple text adventure game.

The game's concept wasn't particularly novel. It was essentially a chat interface with a talkative virtual character.

Its presentation was even less impressive than some older text adventure games. If you extracted all the text and read it, it would seem bland.

However, the game's brilliance lay in its storytelling rhythm, which was based on real-time rather than reading speed.

Players had to wait patiently for Taylor's every move, which could take minutes or hours. This format perfectly matched the social rhythm of the internet age, where intermittent contact didn't cause annoyance but built anticipation.

As the story progressed, Taylor faced numerous challenges and tough choices, often leading to bad endings that tugged at players' hearts.

Players frequently researched and discussed strategies, carefully guiding Taylor to avoid making a wrong move that could lead to his demise.

During this process, players grew to identify with Taylor, feeling as if he were a real person trapped in space, waiting for their rescue—a friend.

This combination of pacing, story, and emotional connection gave this seemingly simple text adventure game immense vitality, earning it widespread acclaim.

...

The next day, Alex released "Lifeline."

This game was meant to be a practice project for Alva Castillo and also a test of the current user base on the Thunderbolt Gaming Platform.

This time, "Lifeline" wasn't released on the official app store but exclusively on the Thunderbolt Gaming Platform, priced at just one yuan.

At the same time, Alex posted on X.

"The new game 'Lifeline' is now on the Thunderbolt Gaming Platform. It's a text adventure game where an astronaut's spaceship crashes, and he contacts you. The whole process is just conversations between him and you. There are no graphics, just text, and the game time matches real-time. Remember to turn on notifications for this game."

There was no other promotion, just a post on X and a push notification on the Thunderbolt Gaming Platform. All players who logged in through the platform could see the new game and purchase it for one yuan.

"It's up. Let's see the 24-hour sales," Alex said to Amy and Alva.

Both were nervous. The game was simple, and there was no additional promotion or official recommendation. How many players would see and download it?