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.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. Follow this path to avoid common traps that stall most players.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Experimentation | quota system basics | Loot Goblin | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Assurance | moon selection mastery | Loot Goblin | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Vow | scrap collection + gear | Scout or Loot Goblin | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | March | Build optimization | Scout | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Titan | Min-max | Scout or Ship Manager | Ongoing |
Phase 1: Getting Started — Experimentation
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.
Level/Difficulty: Day 1 (quota building) Key Rewards: Safe scrap collection, facility layout practice, low-risk quota contribution
What to Do in Experimentation
- Learn quota system. Every 3 days you must meet a profit quota by selling collected scrap at The Company moon. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Loot Goblin as your starting build. It's the most forgiving option.
- Sell at exactly the quota amount to keep surplus credits for the next cycle. Selling everything wastes potential buffer for harder quota days.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade — Zap Gun or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand quota system fundamentals
- Loot Goblin selected and functional
- Experimentation main content cleared
- Ready for Assurance
Phase 2: Early Game — Assurance
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.
Level/Difficulty: Days 1-2 (mid quota) Key Rewards: Moderate scrap value, manageable creature density, good learning moon
What to Do in Assurance
- Work on moon selection. Multiple moons with increasing difficulty and loot value are available. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Zap Gun if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- 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.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Vow.
- Consider whether Scout might suit your playstyle better than Loot Goblin.
Phase 2 Checklist
- moon selection integrated into gameplay
- Zap Gun acquired
- Assurance fully cleared
- Ready for Vow
Phase 3: Mid Game — Vow
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.
Level/Difficulty: Days 1-2 (medium risk) Key Rewards: Good loot value, outdoor creature encounters, forest navigation
What to Do in Vow
- Master scrap collection. Scrap items (random junk like bottles, paintings, apparatus) spawn inside facilities and have random credit values. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Shovel. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- 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.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in creature AI for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- scrap collection mastered
- Shovel acquired or in progress
- Vow fully cleared
- Ready for March
Phase 4: Late Game — March
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.
Level/Difficulty: Days 1-3 (primary farming) Key Rewards: Best loot-to-danger ratio, consistent high-value scrap, free landing
What to Do in March
- Finalize your build. You should be running Scout or Loot Goblin with optimized gear.
- Shovel should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- 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.
- ship upgrades optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Titan.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Shovel upgraded to max
- March fully cleared
- Ready for Titan
Phase 5: Endgame — Titan
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.
Level/Difficulty: Day 3 (desperate quota run) Key Rewards: Highest value scrap, most dangerous creatures, make-or-break quota runs
What to Do in Titan
- Titan tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- 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.
- The endgame loop: run Titan, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Ship Manager for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where ship upgrades mastery separates good players from great ones.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Titan fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- 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.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
For detailed build optimization, see Lethal Company builds. For quick wins, check tips & tricks.
