Lethal Company is Zeekerss' cooperative horror game where employees of 'The Company' land on abandoned moons to collect scrap and meet profit quotas — or face termination. The game's tension comes from balancing greed (collecting more valuable scrap) against survival (increasingly dangerous creatures and environments). With procedurally generated interiors, 15+ unique monster types with distinct AI behaviors, and a darkly humorous corporate dystopia setting, Lethal Company became a massive streaming sensation.
Starting Lethal Company can feel overwhelming. This guide tells you exactly what to focus on during your first hours so you don't waste time on things that don't matter yet.
What Kind of Game Is This?
Lethal Company is a horror game built around quota system and moon selection. The core loop involves mastering these systems to progress through increasingly challenging content.
What to expect: Time investment in learning mechanics, experimentation, and gradual mastery. The game rewards patience and knowledge.
Choosing Your First Build
| Build | Beginner Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Scout | Excellent for beginners | Enter first, call out dangers, map the facility layout for the team. |
| Loot Goblin | Good (but demanding) | Grab everything valuable, know when to leave, accept occasional death as cost of business. |
| Radar Operator | Excellent for beginners | Watch radar, call out creature movement, open doors for teammates, teleport endangered players. |
| Bait Runner | Situational | Draw creature aggro, lead them away from the team, survive if possible. |
| Ship Manager | Situational | Sort scrap, calculate quota needs, optimize selling strategy. |
Our recommendation: Start with Loot Goblin. Prioritizes grabbing the highest-value scrap regardless of danger. Knows item values and prioritizes gold bars, apparatus, and high-value electronics. The player most likely to die but also most likely to meet quota.
Avoid Ship Manager as your first pick. Organizes scrap in the ship, manages inventory, and ensures high-value items are stored safely.
First Session Step-by-Step
Step 1: Learn quota system
Every 3 days, you must meet a scrap quota that increases each cycle. Sell scrap at The Company store or save valuable items for higher quotas. The quota starts low (130 credits) but ramps up quickly. Missing quota means game over — everyone dies.
This is the foundation. Spend your first 15-30 minutes getting comfortable with how quota system works before worrying about anything else.
Step 2: Head to Experimentation
The easiest moon with minimal creatures and low-value scrap. Perfect for learning facility layouts and creature behaviors. The small facility size means quick runs with low risk.
Clear the main content here before moving on. Everything teaches fundamentals you'll need later.
Step 3: Get Your First Upgrade
Look for Zap Gun — it's the most accessible early upgrade. Stuns creatures continuously while you hold the trigger, but drains battery and you can't move while using it. A teammate must kill the stunned creature. Essential for Coil-Heads (the only way to deal with them besides avoidance).
Step 4: Understand moon selection
Different moons have varying difficulty, weather, and loot quality. Experimentation and Assurance are easiest with low loot. March has the best loot-to-danger ratio. Titan has the most valuable scrap but the most dangerous creatures. Moon selection is the most impactful team decision.
This is the system most new players overlook. Invest time here early — it pays off throughout the entire game.
Step 5: Push to Assurance
Slightly harder than Experimentation with more creature variety. Still forgiving for new players. Good for the second day when quota is still low.
Essential Mechanics Explained
quota system
Every 3 days, you must meet a scrap quota that increases each cycle. Sell scrap at The Company store or save valuable items for higher quotas. The quota starts low (130 credits) but ramps up quickly. Missing quota means game over — everyone dies.
moon selection
Different moons have varying difficulty, weather, and loot quality. Experimentation and Assurance are easiest with low loot. March has the best loot-to-danger ratio. Titan has the most valuable scrap but the most dangerous creatures. Moon selection is the most impactful team decision.
scrap collection
Scrap items have random values and spawn inside the facility. Grab items, bring them to the ship before the ship leaves at midnight. Some items require two players to carry. The deeper into the facility, the better the loot but the more dangerous the creatures.
creature AI
Each creature has unique behavior patterns. Bracken (tall dark figure) kills if you stare too long OR turn your back. Coil-Heads freeze when observed but rush when you look away. Thumpers charge in straight lines. Learning each creature's AI is essential for survival.
ship upgrades
Spend credits on ship upgrades: Teleporter (teleports a player back to ship), Inverse Teleporter (sends a player to a random location inside), Flashlight, Walkie-Talkie, and more. The Teleporter is the most valuable upgrade for saving trapped players.
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Staying in the facility past 11 PM — the ship leaves at midnight and the walk back takes time
Leave by 11:30 PM at the latest.
2. Selling all scrap at once — keep a reserve for the next quota
Quota increases each cycle, so having a head start prevents panic runs.
3. Looking away from a Coil-Head — they're instantly lethal when unobserved
Maintain eye contact and slowly back toward the exit.
4. Not buying the Teleporter — it's the most important ship upgrade
Teleporting a player back to the ship saves lives when they're trapped or about to die.
5. Going to Titan without a full experienced team — Titan's creatures are extremely dangerous and the weather makes navigation near-impossible
Master easier moons first.
First 5 Hours Checklist
- Understand quota system and moon selection
- Choose Loot Goblin as starting build
- Clear Experimentation main content
- Acquire Zap Gun or equivalent upgrade
- Reach Assurance
- Sell at exactly the quota amount to keep extra scrap for the next cycle. Overselling wastes potential future quota credits.
- The Inverse Teleporter sends a random player inside the facility — useful for reaching areas behind locked doors or rescuing trapped scrap. Keep one purchased.
Tips for New Players
- Sell at exactly the quota amount to keep extra scrap for the next cycle. Overselling wastes potential future quota credits.
- The Inverse Teleporter sends a random player inside the facility — useful for reaching areas behind locked doors or rescuing trapped scrap. Keep one purchased.
- Bracken (tall dark figure) kills if you stare at it too long OR completely ignore it. The counter: look at it briefly, look away, repeat. Maintain awareness without sustained eye contact.
- Coil-Heads freeze when any player looks at them but rush when unobserved. Never look away from a Coil-Head. Back away while maintaining eye contact.
- March has the best loot-to-danger ratio. Once your team is comfortable, run March repeatedly for consistent quota farming.
- The ship leaves at midnight regardless of who's inside. Set a timer for 11:30 PM and start heading back. Don't get greedy in the last minutes.
- Walkie-talkies are essential for coordination. The radar operator should constantly update the team on creature movements visible on the monitor.
- Learn the sell value of each scrap type. Gold bars (150+), apparatus (80), and large electronics are worth grabbing. Don't risk your life for a $10 candy bar.
- Fire exits (reachable with Extension Ladders or jumping) provide alternate escape routes when the main entrance is blocked by creatures.
- If a teammate dies, their body and all carried scrap drop at the death location. You can retrieve the scrap but it's often not worth the risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players can play Lethal Company?
Up to 4 players in online co-op. The game is balanced for 4 players but can be played with fewer (at increased difficulty). More players means more scrap capacity but also more mouths to feed the quota.
What happens when you die in Lethal Company?
Dead players spectate until the round ends (midnight). If the team survives and returns to orbit, dead players respawn next round. If everyone dies, you lose all carried scrap and it counts against your quota timer.
What does the Radar Operator do?
Stays on the ship, watches the terminal radar showing player and creature positions, opens/closes facility doors remotely, communicates via walkie-talkie, and can activate the Teleporter to save players. The most strategically important role.
Is Lethal Company getting more content?
Yes, the developer (Zeekerss) continues adding new moons, creatures, and items in regular updates. The game is in Early Access with a roadmap for additional content. The modding community also adds significant content.
What to Read Next
- Lethal Company Builds — Optimize your build once you've learned the basics
- Lethal Company Walkthrough — Full progression path
- Lethal Company Tips — Advanced strategies for when you're ready
