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.
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 extra scrap for the next cycle
Sell at exactly the quota amount to keep extra scrap for the next cycle. Overselling wastes potential future quota credits.
2. The Inverse Teleporter sends a random player inside the facility — useful for reaching areas behind locked doors or rescuing trapped scrap
The Inverse Teleporter sends a random player inside the facility — useful for reaching areas behind locked doors or rescuing trapped scrap. Keep one purchased.
3. Bracken (tall dark figure) kills if you stare at it too long OR completely ignore it
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.
4. Coil-Heads freeze when any player looks at them but rush when unobserved
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.
5. March has the best loot-to-danger ratio
March has the best loot-to-danger ratio. Once your team is comfortable, run March repeatedly for consistent quota farming.
6. The ship leaves at midnight regardless of who's inside
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.
7. Walkie-talkies are essential for coordination
Walkie-talkies are essential for coordination. The radar operator should constantly update the team on creature movements visible on the monitor.
8. Learn the sell value of each scrap type
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.
9. Fire exits (reachable with Extension Ladders or jumping) provide alternate escape routes when the main entrance is blocked by creatures
Fire exits (reachable with Extension Ladders or jumping) provide alternate escape routes when the main entrance is blocked by creatures.
10. If a teammate dies, their body and all carried scrap drop at the death location
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.
Advanced Strategies
Build Optimization
The difference between an average build and an optimized one is massive:
For Scout (A-Tier):
- First player into the facility, mapping rooms and identifying creature locations. Scouts call out hazards via walkie-talkie before the team enters. High risk, high information value. Flashlight and Pro-Flashlight are essential.
- Core gear: Flashlight or Pro-Flashlight, Walkie-Talkie
- Stat priority: Awareness > Speed > Communication
For Loot Goblin (S-Tier):
- 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.
- Core gear: Two-handed for heavy items, knowledge of item values
- Stat priority: Speed > Greed management > Escape routes
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 scrap quota that increases each cycle. Combined with moon selection, different moons have varying difficulty, weather, and loot quality.
scrap collection + creature AI: Scrap items have random values and spawn inside the facility. When paired with creature AI, each creature has unique behavior patterns.
ship upgrades scaling: 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.
Equipment Efficiency
| Equipment | Best Use Case | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Shovel | All roles — primary defense | A melee weapon that damages creatures. |
| Zap Gun | Team play — crowd control | Stuns creatures continuously while you hold the trigger, but drains battery and you can't move while using it. |
| Stun Grenade | Emergency escape, Bait Runner | Throwable that stuns all creatures in the blast radius for several seconds. |
| Extension Ladder | Scout — alternative entry/exit | Not a weapon but allows access to fire escapes and upper entrances of facilities. |
| Jetpack | Scout — map traversal | Allows short flight for reaching elevated positions and crossing gaps. |
Location Efficiency
Experimentation (Starting moon): 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.
Assurance (Early game): Slightly harder than Experimentation with more creature variety. Still forgiving for new players. Good for the second day when quota is still low.
Vow (Mid-game): A forested moon with outdoor creatures and a moderate facility. Good balance of risk and reward. The outdoor path to the facility has its own hazards.
March (Mid-late game): The community consensus 'best' moon — high loot value with manageable danger. The facility is large with many rooms and good scrap distribution. Most experienced groups default to March for quota farming.
Titan (Endgame): The hardest moon with the most dangerous creatures and worst weather. Also has the most valuable scrap. Blizzard weather reduces visibility to near-zero. Only attempt with a full team of experienced players.
Mistakes Even Veterans Make
- 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.
- Selling all scrap at once — keep a reserve for the next quota. Quota increases each cycle, so having a head start prevents panic runs.
- Looking away from a Coil-Head — they're instantly lethal when unobserved. Maintain eye contact and slowly back toward the exit.
- 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.
- 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.
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 learning environment, basic scrap for early quota |
| Priority mechanic | quota system | Everything else builds on this |
Pro Quick Tips
- 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.
- 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.
