Lethal Company is a 2023 co-op indie horror game set in a retrofuturistic, post-apocalyptic world where players take on the role of corporate employees scavenging for scrap while evading deadly monsters and environmental hazards. To help you get started and play more effectively, here are seven crucial beginner tips that will improve your survival odds and ensure you meet your quota with minimal casualties.

1. Manage Your Stamina Wisely

Your stamina is represented by the curved orange scale in the upper left corner of your screen, decreasing when you sprint or swim. The weight you carry, displayed in pounds below the stamina bar, affects your stamina drain rate. If your weight hits zero, stamina recovery slows dramatically, making it crucial to avoid overburdening yourself.

To prevent exhaustion, avoid completely depleting your stamina bar. When in danger, drop heavy items to make a quick escape—you can always return for them later. Staying light increases your chances of survival and ensures a swift getaway when facing threats.

2. Prioritize High-Value Scrap and Inventory Management

There are two main types of scrap:

• Small Items: These fit in inventory slots, allowing you to multitask.
• Two-Handed Items: Larger and more valuable but limit mobility by occupying both hands.

To optimize efficiency, store two-handed items near facility entrances and retrieve them at the end of a mission. Since only four inventory slots are available, and some will be occupied by tools, prioritize small, high-value items like gold bars or power cores over bulkier, low-value ones.

On the final day of a run, items sell at 100% value, making it the best time to offload scrap and maximize profit. However, avoid selling everything at once if you exceed your quota, as excess credits don’t carry over. Retaining some valuable items for future rounds ensures financial security.

3. Use Your Scanner to Detect Hidden Dangers

The scanner, integrated into worker suits, highlights nearby enemies in red and provides crucial navigation assistance. Unlike flashlights or walkie-talkies, the scanner doesn’t require charging, making it a reliable survival tool. Regularly scan facilities to spot lurking threats and track the location of your ship and facility entrances.

Additionally, before leaving the home base, scan the surroundings using the ship’s terminal by pressing E and typing scan. This reveals the number of items and their total value on the map, helping you determine whether a facility is worth looting.

4. Outsmart Eyeless Dogs with Sound Distractions

Eyeless Dogs are deadly creatures that rely on acute hearing to detect players. Even voice chat or walkie-talkie use can alert them to your location. To evade them, consider purchasing:

• Boom Box (60 credits): A one-use distraction tool that can lure Eyeless Dogs away.
• Loud Horn (150 credits): Useful for signaling teammates from the ship while they explore.

Dropping a Boom Box before making a run for the ship ensures a safer escape. If you must use voice chat, do so cautiously or when in a secure location.

5. Optimize Inventory by Staging Items Near Exits

Since your inventory is limited, a great strategy is dropping collected scrap near the facility’s front exit before heading back to the ship. This prevents hoarding bugs from stealing valuable loot while ensuring easy transportation when it’s time to leave. Your team can then gather everything quickly and return to the ship before monsters become too aggressive.

6. Equip the Right Weapons for Survival

While combat isn’t the game’s focus, having a weapon can mean the difference between life and death.

• Shovel (30 credits): Affordable and effective, capable of stunning most enemies and buying time for an escape.
• Stop Signs: Work similarly to the shovel but are less available and better sold when extra credits are needed.

The downside of wielding a shovel is its weight, which slows you down. Assigning one player as the team’s monster bonker ensures someone is prepared to defend against hostile entities.

7. Invest in Essential Gear for Exploration

Survival depends on having the right tools. Some of the best early-game purchases include:

• Pro Flashlight: Offers significantly better range for visibility.
• Stun Grenades: Essential for escaping or disabling aggressive monsters.
• TZP Inhalent: Grants a speed boost, helping you outrun fast-moving threats.

Ensuring every team member has the necessary equipment enhances survival rates and efficiency while scavenging.

Final Thoughts

Lethal Company is a challenging yet rewarding game, demanding teamwork, strategy, and quick decision-making. By managing stamina, prioritizing high-value scrap, utilizing the scanner, avoiding Eyeless Dogs, optimizing inventory, equipping weapons, and investing in essential gear, you’ll drastically improve your chances of success.

Have your own tips? Share them in the comments! And for more beginner guides on your favorite games, stay tuned for future content. See you in the next video!