Lethal Company is a co-op horror game where you and up to 3 coworkers are contract employees for The Company, harvesting scrap from abandoned moons to meet a profit quota. Each three-day cycle, you choose a moon, land, explore the facility interior for valuable junk, and try to extract before the monsters kill you. A ship radar operator guides teammates through the facility using cameras and map screens. The game's corporate horror premise — dying is fine as long as you meet quota — creates a darkly funny atmosphere where genuine terror and workplace comedy coexist.
These tips go beyond the basics. They're the strategies experienced players use to play more efficiently, the hidden mechanics most people miss, and the optimizations that compound over a full playthrough.
Essential Tips
1. Sell at exactly the quota amount to keep surplus credits for the next cycle
Sell at exactly the quota amount to keep surplus credits for the next cycle. Selling everything wastes potential buffer for harder quota days.
2. The Inverse Teleporter saves trapped players by teleporting one random teammate into the facility — useful when someone dies near the entrance with valuable scrap, letting you retrieve it
The Inverse Teleporter saves trapped players by teleporting one random teammate into the facility — useful when someone dies near the entrance with valuable scrap, letting you retrieve it.
3. Bracken (the flower-headed creature) kills if you stare at it for more than 3 seconds
Bracken (the flower-headed creature) kills if you stare at it for more than 3 seconds. Glance at it briefly to make it back off, then look away. Never maintain prolonged eye contact.
4. Coil-Heads (spring-necked creatures) freeze when any player looks at them but move incredibly fast when unobserved
Coil-Heads (spring-necked creatures) freeze when any player looks at them but move incredibly fast when unobserved. Keep one player staring while others escape. Never all look away simultaneously.
5. March has the best loot-to-danger ratio of any free moon
March has the best loot-to-danger ratio of any free moon. Run March repeatedly for consistent quota meeting. Switch to Titan only when desperately behind.
6. The Radar Operator on the ship is the most important role — they see the map, monitor cameras, and can teleport players in danger
The Radar Operator on the ship is the most important role — they see the map, monitor cameras, and can teleport players in danger. Never leave the ship unmanned during facility runs.
7. Eyeless Dogs hunt purely by sound — crouch-walk near them, don't talk on proximity voice, and place boomboxes to distract them
Eyeless Dogs hunt purely by sound — crouch-walk near them, don't talk on proximity voice, and place boomboxes to distract them. They ignore you completely if you're silent.
8. Two-handed scrap items (Apparatus, Cash Register) are the most valuable but leave you unable to hold a flashlight or weapon
Two-handed scrap items (Apparatus, Cash Register) are the most valuable but leave you unable to hold a flashlight or weapon. Have a teammate escort you when carrying these.
9. The ship's horn scares some outdoor creatures temporarily
The ship's horn scares some outdoor creatures temporarily. The Radar Operator should honk when teammates are being chased near the ship.
10. Weather conditions affect difficulty — foggy days reduce visibility making outdoor travel dangerous, rainy days make some creatures more active, and eclipses increase indoor creature spawns
Weather conditions affect difficulty — foggy days reduce visibility making outdoor travel dangerous, rainy days make some creatures more active, and eclipses increase indoor creature spawns.
Advanced Strategies
Build Optimization
The difference between an average build and an optimized one is massive:
For Scout (A-Tier):
- The Scout enters the facility first with a flashlight and Pro Flashlight, checking for creatures and mapping the layout. They communicate room contents back to the team via walkie-talkie. Scouts take the highest risk but prevent the team from walking into ambushes.
- Core gear: Pro Flashlight, Walkie-talkie, Shovel (for self-defense)
- Stat priority: Creature knowledge, facility layout memory, communication
For Loot Goblin (S-Tier):
- The dedicated scrap carrier who grabs the highest-value items and rushes them to the ship. The Loot Goblin prioritizes valuable two-handed items (Apparatus, Cash Register) despite the danger of being unable to hold a flashlight. Speed and route knowledge maximize scrap extraction.
- Core gear: Minimal equipment to maximize carry trips, memorized exit routes
- Stat priority: Speed, facility exit knowledge, item value assessment
Mechanic Interactions
Understanding how Lethal Company's systems interact is where the real optimization lives:
quota system + moon selection: Every 3 days you must meet a profit quota by selling collected scrap at The Company moon. Combined with moon selection, multiple moons with increasing difficulty and loot value are available.
scrap collection + creature AI: Scrap items (random junk like bottles, paintings, apparatus) spawn inside facilities and have random credit values. When paired with creature AI, each creature has unique ai behavior.
ship upgrades scaling: Credits buy ship upgrades: Teleporter (extract one player), Inverse Teleporter (teleport into facility at random), Loud Horn (scare some creatures), and cosmetic items. The Teleporter is the most important upgrade — it rescues trapped or dying players. Loud Horn can save players from certain creature types.
Equipment Efficiency
| Equipment | Best Use Case | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Shovel | Scout and Bait Runner for emergency self-defense against small threats | The only real weapon — a melee hit that stuns most small/medium creatures for 2-3 seconds. |
| Zap Gun | Scout for crowd control against mid-tier threats | A taser that continuously stuns a creature while you hold the trigger, draining battery. |
| Stun Grenade | Any role for emergency team-saving stun in overwhelming situations | A thrown device that stuns all creatures in its radius for several seconds. |
| Extension Ladder | Scout for creating alternative routes and accessing hidden scrap areas | A portable ladder that provides access to otherwise unreachable areas — facility rooftops, cliff shortcuts, and elevated escape routes. |
| Jetpack | Loot Goblin for accessing otherwise unreachable high-value scrap locations | Grants flight capability but with difficult controls and limited battery. |
Location Efficiency
Experimentation (Day 1 (quota building)): The easiest moon — low creature density, simple facility layout, and basic scrap. Free to visit with no landing fee. Use Experimentation for early quota days when you need safe, guaranteed scrap. Loot value is low but so is risk.
Assurance (Days 1-2 (mid quota)): Slightly harder than Experimentation with more creature spawns but better loot. The facility is larger with more rooms and more valuable scrap. Still free to visit. The go-to moon for consistent medium-value runs without risking credits on moon landing fees.
Vow (Days 1-2 (medium risk)): A forested moon with outdoor creature threats (Forest Keepers, Eyeless Dogs) between the ship and facility entrance. The facility interior has good loot but the outdoor journey is dangerous. Vow teaches outdoor survival skills that harder moons require.
March (Days 1-3 (primary farming)): Widely considered the best risk-to-reward ratio moon. March has excellent loot spawns, a manageable facility layout, and moderate creature density. Free to visit. Many teams run March repeatedly for consistent high-value hauls.
Titan (Day 3 (desperate quota run)): The hardest and most rewarding moon. Titan costs 700 credits to visit and features blizzard conditions (reduced outdoor visibility), the most aggressive creature spawns, and the highest-value scrap. Only visit Titan when desperately behind on quota or with a well-equipped team.
Mistakes Even Veterans Make
- Not assigning a Radar Operator — all 4 players entering the facility means nobody can monitor cameras, use the teleporter, or guide navigation. Always have one person on the ship.
- Staring at the Bracken for too long — the instinct to watch a threat is lethal here. Brief glances make it retreat, but 3+ seconds of eye contact triggers an instant kill.
- Staying in the facility past 6 PM — creature spawn rates increase dramatically after dark, and outdoor creatures become more aggressive. Plan to be back at the ship by 5 PM.
- Visiting expensive moons without budget — landing on Titan costs 700 credits. If you don't extract enough scrap to cover the landing fee plus quota, you've wasted the trip and fallen further behind.
- Selling all scrap immediately — keeping a buffer of unsold scrap means if a run goes badly, you can still meet quota from reserves. Only sell what you need to hit the current quota target.
Efficiency Quick Reference
| Aspect | Optimal Choice | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Build | Scout | A-tier, best overall |
| Starter | Loot Goblin | Most forgiving for learning |
| Equipment | Shovel | Best resource-to-power ratio |
| First area | Experimentation | Safe scrap collection, facility layout practice, low-risk quota contribution |
| Priority mechanic | quota system | Everything else builds on this |
Pro Quick Tips
- Sell at exactly the quota amount to keep surplus credits for the next cycle. Selling everything wastes potential buffer for harder quota days.
- The Inverse Teleporter saves trapped players by teleporting one random teammate into the facility — useful when someone dies near the entrance with valuable scrap, letting you retrieve it.
- Bracken (the flower-headed creature) kills if you stare at it for more than 3 seconds. Glance at it briefly to make it back off, then look away. Never maintain prolonged eye contact.
- Start with Loot Goblin, switch to Scout when ready
- Invest in Shovel above everything else
- Clear areas in order: Experimentation → Assurance → Vow → March → Titan
- quota system + moon selection together are stronger than either alone
For full build details, check builds. For progression path, see the walkthrough.
