Infinite Lives

Review of Infinite Lives Appxis

I went into Infinite Lives expecting a quick, chaotic adventure game and found something more interesting: a game built around the idea that control can keep changing hands. Its world is framed as a struggle between superhumans and subhumans, but the appeal is less about following a fixed heroic path and more about seeing what happens when different characters, loyalties, and decisions collide. That makes it immediately entertaining, although it also means the game asks more patience from you than a straightforward action title.

Created by MDickie, this free adventure game is aimed at mature players, with a Mature 17+ content rating. It has already passed 500K+ installs and carries an average rating of 4.1 from around 6K ratings, so there is clearly an audience for its unusual approach. I can understand that response. The game has the rough, unpredictable personality associated with MDickie’s work, and that personality is both its strongest feature and its biggest barrier.

My main question after spending time with it was not whether Infinite Lives can entertain me. It can. The more useful question is whether the novelty survives once the first burst of discovery is gone. That depends heavily on whether you enjoy experimenting with situations, accepting imperfect outcomes, and making your own stories instead of waiting for a carefully directed campaign to provide them.

What the first week feels like

The opening appeal comes from uncertainty. I was rarely sure whether a situation would become a fight, a negotiation, a sudden betrayal, or an opportunity to redirect my attention toward another character. That unpredictability gives the game energy. Even when an encounter did not go exactly as I wanted, it could still produce a memorable result because the world feels more reactive than a simple sequence of missions.

The superhuman-versus-subhuman premise gives the adventure a clear conflict, but it does not reduce everything to a clean good-versus-evil choice. That is important. If you want a game where every objective is clearly marked and every character behaves predictably, this can feel messy. If you enjoy testing the edges of a world and seeing how far a situation can drift, the mess becomes the reason to continue.

During the first few sessions, I recommend resisting the urge to restart every time something goes wrong. A failed encounter or an unexpected loss can change the shape of a run, and correcting every mistake removes some of the game’s personality. I found it more rewarding to treat setbacks as part of the story rather than as evidence that I had played badly.

The game is also easier to appreciate when you separate it from polished, heavily scripted adventure releases. Infinite Lives does not seem interested in delivering the same kind of cinematic control. Its rougher presentation and eccentric situations create a different rhythm. You are not simply being guided from one dramatic scene to the next; you are watching a volatile world produce consequences.

That first-week appeal is real, but it is not unlimited. The surprise is strongest when you are still learning how the game reacts. Once you understand the broad pattern, the burden shifts to your imagination. The game supplies the setting and the conflict, while you supply much of the reason to keep returning.

Learning to play with uncertainty

One of the most useful habits is to observe before committing. I found that rushing toward the most obvious confrontation could create problems that were harder to untangle than expected. Taking a moment to understand who is involved and what has already changed often leads to better decisions than treating every encounter as a direct challenge.

Another practical tip is to avoid building your entire session around one desired outcome. The game is more enjoyable when you keep a loose objective instead of a rigid script. For example, you might begin by trying to support one side of the conflict, then shift your attention after a character’s actions make that plan less attractive. This flexibility turns unexpected events into usable material rather than frustration.

I also suggest playing in short, focused sessions at first. The game’s unpredictability is entertaining in small doses, especially while you are discovering its possibilities. A long session can make repeated confusion or failed attempts feel more tiring than exciting. Stopping after a particularly strange outcome gives the experience time to settle and makes it easier to return with a fresh goal.

The current version is 1.0.7, and the game runs on devices using Android 7.1 or later. That broad system requirement makes it approachable for people who are not using a recent phone, but device age can still affect how comfortable a session feels. On a smaller screen or an older handset, the game’s busy situations may require more concentration, particularly when several things happen close together.

Why the novelty works

Infinite Lives earns attention because it does not feel completely predetermined. I could create a plan, watch it unravel, and still find a reason to continue. That is a different kind of replay value from collecting every item or clearing a fixed map. The reward is often the story that emerges from a chain of decisions, accidents, and changing relationships.

This also makes the game a good choice for players who enjoy discussing strange moments with friends. A conventional adventure can be summarized as a list of completed objectives. Here, the more interesting conversation is usually about how a situation spiraled and what you decided to do next. That social storytelling quality is one of the game’s less obvious strengths.

At the same time, the game is not ideal for someone who needs immediate clarity. The first sessions may feel less like mastering a clean system and more like learning the boundaries of a living sandbox. I enjoyed that process, but I can see why another player might interpret it as a lack of direction.

What remains after the first month

Long-term value depends on whether you can create fresh reasons to play. Infinite Lives does not seem to rely on a single linear journey that becomes more satisfying simply because you reach the end. Instead, its recurring appeal comes from changing your approach. You can experiment with different sides of the conflict, make different decisions, or deliberately accept outcomes that you would normally avoid.

That structure suits players who like self-imposed challenges. One session might focus on staying out of unnecessary fights. Another might involve taking a more aggressive role and seeing how much pressure you can create. A third could be about observing how long you can maintain a plan before the surrounding chaos forces a change. These goals are not the same as formal objectives, but they give the game a useful framework once the initial surprise fades.

The trade-off is that the game may feel less rewarding if you always need a visible progression ladder. Players who prefer clear chapters, carefully balanced difficulty, and a strong sense of completion may find the recurring loop less compelling than a traditional adventure. In that case, a more structured alternative would probably make better use of your time.

I think the best monthly routine is to return with a specific experiment rather than opening the game without a plan. Try a different style of decision-making, protect a character you previously ignored, or accept a consequence instead of immediately trying to undo it. This keeps the experience active. Simply repeating the same behavior will expose the game’s limits much faster.

The free price makes that experimentation easier. You can test the game without committing money at the start, which matters because Infinite Lives is not universally suited to every adventure fan. There are in-app purchases priced at $3.99 per item, so I would first decide whether the core experience fits your taste before considering optional spending. The sensible approach is to treat purchases as secondary, not as a reason to tolerate a style of play you already find tiring.

Who gets lasting value

I would recommend it most strongly to players who enjoy emergent stories, unpredictable character behavior, and games that leave room for personal interpretation. It is especially suitable if you like replaying a situation to see how a different choice changes the result, but do not require every replay to feel perfectly balanced.

It is less suitable for younger players because of the Mature 17+ rating, and parents should not treat the free price as an indication that it is family-oriented. It is also a poor match for anyone seeking a calm, polished, guided adventure with minimal friction. The conflict and rough edges are central to the experience, not minor details that disappear after the tutorial.

Compared with more conventional adventure games, Infinite Lives offers more freedom to let events become strange, but less reassurance that the game will always explain what is happening. Compared with a pure action game, it provides more room for consequences and experimentation, but may feel slower or less immediately satisfying when you want direct, controlled combat. Its position between those styles is what makes it distinctive.

The maintenance burden of keeping it enjoyable

The game does not demand maintenance in the same way as a daily service game, but it does require maintenance from the player’s habits. You need to keep inventing reasons to return. Without that effort, the experience can become a loop of familiar reactions, especially if you always choose the same type of character or approach every conflict in the same way.

For me, the most effective routine was to play with a limit in mind. A short session with one clear idea felt more satisfying than leaving the game open indefinitely. This is not because the game lacks content; it is because its freedom can become mentally tiring when there is no boundary. A little structure from the player helps the unpredictability stay enjoyable.

It also helps to remember that not every strange result needs to be solved. I initially spent too much time trying to force situations back toward my preferred plan. Eventually I found that the better response was often to adapt. That change reduced frustration and made the game feel more like an adventure rather than a puzzle with one correct answer.

Players who dislike replaying similar situations may need to be more selective. The game’s lasting value comes from variation in choices and circumstances, not from assuming that every return will introduce a completely new type of experience. If you need constant novelty without contributing your own ideas, the first-week excitement may not translate into a long-term habit.

Practical choices that improve a session

Use the early part of a session to establish context instead of immediately chasing the loudest conflict. This gives you a better chance to understand what has changed and prevents you from spending the rest of the session repairing a decision made without enough information.

When a plan fails, ask whether the failure creates a more interesting direction. That question is more useful here than asking whether the event was fair. The game’s appeal is tied to consequences, and some of the best moments come from situations that would have disappeared if everything had gone smoothly.

Finally, rotate your personal goals. If you always seek control, try observation. If you usually avoid confrontation, test a more forceful approach. If you normally protect one side, see what happens when you remain neutral for longer. These small changes provide more durable variety than simply replaying the same opening.

Where fatigue begins

The biggest source of fatigue is uncertainty without enough immediate payoff. When several events become confusing at once, I sometimes wanted clearer feedback about why a situation had changed. That friction is part of the game’s identity, but it can still make a session feel like work when I am tired or only have a few minutes.

Another issue is that emergent design can produce uneven pacing. A session may begin with strong momentum and then settle into a stretch where I was waiting for something meaningful to happen. In a tightly scripted adventure, the next objective would normally restore focus. Here, I had to create that focus myself by choosing a new intention.

The rougher personality may also divide players. I found it charming when the game behaved unexpectedly, but players who value precision and consistency may see the same quality as clumsiness. Neither reaction is unreasonable. Infinite Lives asks you to accept a degree of disorder, and that request becomes more demanding over time.

There is also a practical fatigue point around mobile play. A phone is excellent for quick experiments, but the small format can make busy scenes harder to read than they would be on a larger display. If you plan to play during a commute or between tasks, short sessions work well. If you want to settle in for a long, deeply focused campaign, a more polished platform adventure may be more comfortable.

The Mature 17+ rating is another reason to consider your setting before playing. This is not a game I would recommend casually handing to a younger family member, and its tone may not suit someone looking for light entertainment. The rating is not just a label to ignore when deciding whether it belongs on your device.

When another adventure game is better

Choose a more traditional adventure if you want a strong narrative arc, carefully staged revelations, or objectives that always tell you what to do next. Choose a more direct action game if your priority is responsive combat and immediate control rather than unpredictable consequences. Choose a calmer mobile game if you want something that can be played while distracted.

Infinite Lives is better when you want to participate in the creation of the experience. It gives you more room to interpret events and less certainty about where they will lead. That is a genuine advantage for curious players, but it is not a universal upgrade over structure. The right choice depends on whether you see ambiguity as freedom or as friction.

My long-term verdict

After the novelty fades, Infinite Lives still has a place on my phone, but not as an automatic daily habit. I return to it when I want an unpredictable adventure and have the energy to guide my own session. Its strongest moments come from accepting that control can shift, plans can fail, and an unexpected outcome may be more memorable than a successful one.

MDickie has made a game with a clear personality rather than a universally smooth experience. The free entry point is helpful, the mature audience is clearly defined, and the 4.1 average shows that many players find value in its unusual approach. The 500K+ install figure also suggests that it has reached a sizeable group of mobile players, but popularity alone does not remove the need to understand its rougher style.

My recommendation is to try it if you enjoy making your own stories inside chaotic systems. Give it several short sessions, avoid restarting every setback, and judge it by the quality of the situations it creates rather than by how closely it follows a planned adventure. If you need constant direction, polished pacing, or predictable outcomes, you will probably tire of it sooner.

For me, the lasting value comes from treating Infinite Lives as a sandbox for decisions, not as a checklist of missions. That distinction determines everything. Played with curiosity and reasonable limits, it can keep producing unusual moments after the first week. Played mechanically, it can become repetitive and confusing. I would keep it installed for those occasions when I want a strange, player-shaped adventure, while choosing a more structured game for a dependable, guided experience.

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