Lethal Company is a brand-new cooperative horror scavenging game where players delve into dangerous facilities in search of valuable scrap while surviving against hostile threats. The gameplay loop revolves around gathering loot to meet a set quota within a specific number of days. Fail to meet the quota, or perish too often, and the run resets. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to survive and thrive in this unforgiving environment.

Understanding the Gameplay Loop

Each game run consists of multiple days, during which you and your teammates must collect enough scrap to reach a financial target. The quota system dictates progression, increasing with each successful run. Your home base, a spaceship, serves as the central hub where you can purchase gear, select moons to explore, and monitor your team’s activities.

Navigating the Ship and Terminal

Your ship features two primary interfaces:

• Monitor: Displays the status and locations of all players, providing crucial intel before venturing into a moon.
• Terminal: The core command center for buying items, switching locations, and even interacting with security systems inside facilities.

Selecting a moon is the first step in starting a run. Each moon differs in difficulty, loot availability, and environmental hazards.

Choosing the Right Moon

Moons are grouped into three difficulty tiers:

1. Beginner Moons: Easiest, free to travel to, with low enemy density and moderate loot.
2. Intermediate Moons: Still free to travel to but pose a greater threat with better loot potential.
3. High-Risk Moons: Cost credits to reach but offer the best loot-to-risk ratio.

Weather Conditions Matter

Environmental effects can drastically impact gameplay:

• Foggy: Reduces visibility outside, making navigation difficult.
• Stormy: Holding metallic objects can result in lightning strikes and instant death.
• Flooded: Blocks off areas, restricting movement.
• Eclipsed: The most dangerous condition, starting the day at maximum enemy aggression. Avoid whenever possible.

The Art of Scavenging

Each day starts at 8:02 AM, giving players until midnight to loot a facility and return to the ship. The layout of each facility is procedurally generated, ensuring unique experiences each time.

Inventory Management

Loot comes in two categories:

• One-handed items: Can be stored in inventory slots.
• Two-handed items: Must be carried manually, restricting interaction with other objects.

Prioritizing smaller items before grabbing bulky objects ensures maximum efficiency in collecting scrap. However, any item not on the ship at departure is lost permanently.

Surviving the Night

As time progresses, enemy activity increases, making nighttime exponentially more perilous. Different obstacles exist inside the facility:

• Steam valves: Obstruct vision and require manual shutdown.
• Landmines: Trigger upon direct contact.
• Automated turrets: Can be disabled via the terminal or bypassed with caution.

Each monster has unique behaviors and weaknesses. Scanning them with the right-click function adds them to your bestiary, providing counterplay strategies for future encounters.

The Terminal’s Power

Having one teammate stay behind on the ship to operate the terminal can be invaluable. The terminal allows you to:

• Monitor teammates via radar.
• Open and close doors remotely.
• Disable turrets and traps.
• Initiate emergency teleports (if the upgrade is purchased).
• Scan the facility for remaining loot and its value.

Proper use of the terminal can mean the difference between a successful haul and a total party wipeout.

Essential Items to Purchase

• Flashlight: A must-have for navigating dark areas.
• Boom Box: Effective for distracting sound-based enemies.
• Walkie-Talkie: Enables communication across distances.
• TCP Inhalent: Provides a temporary speed boost for escaping threats.

Selling Loot and Maximizing Profits

After securing enough scrap, you must sell it at the Company Building via the terminal. Items increase in value the closer you are to the quota deadline, so holding onto scrap until the last moment ensures maximum profit. However, waiting too long carries the risk of losing everything if the entire team perishes.

If a teammate dies, their body can be retrieved and brought back to the ship to avoid a monetary penalty.

Final Thoughts

Lethal Company combines strategic scavenging, horror elements, and cooperative gameplay into a thrilling survival experience. Understanding the mechanics, managing time wisely, and utilizing teamwork will ensure greater success in meeting quotas and unlocking new opportunities.

Now that you have the essentials, jump in and start looting—but remember, in Lethal Company, the dangers grow stronger with each passing second.