Frequently Asked Questions
Last updated: May 25, 2026
Legal: Privacy Policy · Terms of Service · Licenses
What is ChronaLife?
ChronaLife is a single-player life simulation: you create a character, age year by year, and use Actions to work, invest, build relationships, run businesses, enter politics, and deal with random events. Money, markets, sportsbook, and lottery are in-game systems—not real-money gambling or investment advice.
Tagline: Every choice writes your story.
How much does it cost?
At launch, ChronaLife is a one-time paid app (USD $1.99, or your local equivalent on the App Store / Google Play).
- One purchase unlocks the full game — no in-app subscription at launch
- No in-game paywall for core features (Actions, Time Machine, Sandbox, etc.)
- Cloud save backup is included when you sign in with email (no extra subscription)
Refunds go through Apple or Google per their store policies. See Terms of Service.
Where can I play?
ChronaLife is available on iOS and Android. Store listings and support links live on playchrona.app.
How do I move around the app?
Five bottom tabs:
| Tab | Role |
|---|---|
| Life | Life log — stats, money, timeline, pending decisions |
| Actions | Hub for careers, money, social, business, gambling, etc. |
| Age Up | Advance simulated time (usually one year) |
| Profile | Character sheet, stats, achievements |
| Settings | Saves, account, Time Machine, Sandbox, legal links, analytics toggle |
Many features open as stack routes from Actions or Settings, not as new tabs.
Core loop: what does “Age Up” do?
Age Up advances simulated time. That runs the yearly simulation: income, taxes, health, careers, markets, life events, businesses, and more. Some Actions are yearly choices; others are available anytime between age-ups.
If a pending decision blocks progress, resolve it on Life before aging up again.
Saves and slots
- Progress lives in save slots on your device (local storage).
- Use multiple slots for parallel lives.
- Cloud backup (optional): sign in with email from Settings → Account, then use cloud backup from Settings → Saves. Uploads are compressed, chunked, and integrity-checked.
- Sign out keeps local saves on the device. Delete account removes your email login, cloud backups, and linked server data — local saves stay unless you delete them separately.
Accounts (email OTP) and sync
- Anonymous play works before you verify email.
- Sign in with email: Settings → Account → one-time code to your inbox.
- Email sign-in enables cloud backup, sync, and account deletion.
- Signing out clears the session on this device; local saves remain.
Time Machine (rewind / snapshots)
Time Machine stores local checkpoints on your device so you can compare, rewind, export, or branch to a new save slot.
| Mode | Snapshots | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chrononaut (default) | Up to 8 rolling checkpoints | Compare, rewind, export, quick jumps (1 / 5 / 10 years where available), Branch from here |
| Ironman | None | No checkpoints, compare, rewind, or branch — for hardcore runs |
Checkpoints are device-local unless they are included in a cloud backup you upload. Ironman also blocks Sandbox tools.
Leaderboard submissions may show rewind/branch counts and Ironman status where competitive features are enabled.
Sandbox mode
Sandbox (Settings → Sandbox) is for experimentation — presets, cheats-style tooling, fast-forward when enabled, etc.
- Included with your app purchase (not a separate subscription)
- Requires an active life with a living character
- Can mark a run ineligible for leaderboards; competitive runs exclude easy economy, sandbox-tainted, and dev-toolkit saves
Turn off Ironman in Time Machine settings to use Sandbox.
Actions — categories and age gates
Actions are grouped in the catalog: Social, Growth, Career, Money, Gambling, Business, High Risk, Daily Life, Lifestyle. Minimum simulated character ages below (other locks may apply — prison, net worth, etc.).
| Min age | Examples |
|---|---|
| 5+ | Education, Activities, Health, Pets |
| 10+ | Crime |
| 12+ | Athlete (with upper-age rules), Travel |
| 13+ | Social Media, Creator HQ, Money, Banking |
| 15+ | Military |
| 16+ | Immigration, Fame, Music Artist / Producer, Philanthropy |
| 18+ | Dating, Mafia, Executive, Politics, Stocks, Crypto, Portfolio, Business, Construction, Property Manager, Casino, Lottery, Risk & retirement, Daily Life hub |
| 21+ | Sportsbook, Franchises |
Commercial real estate unlocks at the minimum age in hotel/commercial content (often mid-20s). Property manager unlocks from net worth + property count, not age alone.
In prison, only Crime (→ Prison), Health, Daily Life, and Your Look stay available.
Politics
Available from simulated age 18+ via Actions → Politics.
- Run for offices on a progression ladder (e.g. City Council → Mayor → State Representative → Governor → Senator → President)
- Filing fees apply on major races (amounts vary by office)
- Campaign flow includes prep, debates, and election outcomes
- High office (President) adds war room, legislation, cabinet, and related systems
Politics is simulated gameplay, not real-world political advice or official affiliation.
Stocks, crypto, casino, lottery, sportsbook
- All simulated — not real-money gambling or investment advice.
- Sportsbook unlocks at simulated age 21.
- Sportsbook includes analytics, challenges, and responsible-gaming-style controls (caps, cooldowns, self-exclude).
- Shared lottery draws may use server logic when online; tickets tie to your player and life on the backend.
Construction and development
Construction (18+) includes lots, build wizard, construction market, progress (schedules, draws, liens, change orders), and development (renovation, rebuild, subdivision). Ties into commercial property and financing systems.
Social and dating
Dating, relationships, social posts, quizzes, politics bills, music naming, and similar flows may use generated text for in-game content. Many flows also have scripted fallbacks when offline or unavailable.
Push notifications
On a physical device, with permission, the app can register for push alerts (e.g. lottery reminders). Simulators usually do not receive push.
Usage analytics
Settings may include a Usage Analytics toggle (on by default). When on, anonymized screen views and usage events may be sent to our backend to improve the product. Turn it off anytime in Settings. See Privacy Policy.
Bug reports
In-app bug reports can include steps, metadata, and optional screenshot + debug snapshot. Snapshots omit auth tokens by design but may still show finances, career, and other game summaries — only attach if you are comfortable.
Sync, offline, and system health
- Life events and asset updates can queue offline and sync when the network returns.
- Server-backed features (cloud backup, lottery sync, some sync) need connectivity and a valid session when signed in.
- Check Settings for sync/save errors and System health if your build exposes it.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | What to check |
|---|---|
| Sign-in / sync fails | Network connection, compatible app version, and that you completed email verification. |
| Cloud backup unavailable | Signed in with verified email, active session, network up, compatible app version. No subscription required. |
| Time Machine empty | Ironman disables checkpoints; need a living character and Chrononaut mode. |
| Sandbox blocked | Turn off Ironman; need active living character. |
| Lost save | Restore from cloud if you backed up while signed in; else device backup or another local slot. |
| Delete account | Settings → Account → Delete account (requires email sign-in). Local saves on device are kept unless you remove them. |
Privacy and data
See Privacy Policy for email sign-in, cloud saves, analytics, push notifications, and account deletion. Asset licenses: Licenses.
I still need help
Contact [email protected] or visit playchrona.app.