Lies of P Walkthrough — Start to Endgame

Lies of P is a Soulslike set in a Belle Epoque city overrun by murderous puppets, reimagining Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio as a dark action RPG. The perfect guard system rewards aggressive parrying — successfully timing blocks chips away at enemy weapon durability, eventually breaking their weapon and leaving them open for a Fatal Attack. The weapon assembly system lets you mix and match blades and handles from any two weapons, creating hybrid combinations with mixed movesets and scaling. The lie/truth moral choice system across dozens of NPC encounters determines which of three endings you receive. Lies of P stands alongside Elden Ring and Bloodborne as one of the best non-FromSoftware Soulslikes.

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 1: Getting Started — Krat Central Station

The opening area of the game, a train station overrun by malfunctioning puppets. Teaches basic combat mechanics including Perfect Guard timing. The Parade Master boss guards the exit — a large puppet boss with wide swings that teach dodge timing.

Level/Difficulty: Character level 1-15 Key Rewards: Parade Master Ergo (boss currency), basic weapon blueprints, introduction to combat systems

What to Do in Krat Central Station

1. Learn perfect guard. Pressing block at the exact moment an attack connects triggers a Perfect Guard — absorbing the hit with zero stamina loss and chipping the enemy's weapon durability. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
2. Pick Strength Build as your starting role. It's the most forgiving option.
3. Perfect Guard is more important than dodging. Most boss combos have 3-5 hit chains designed for parry timing. Each successful Perfect Guard chips weapon durability, eventually breaking it for a massive Fatal Attack opening.
4. Acquire your first weapons upgrade — Electric Coil Stick or whatever's available.
5. Clear all main content before moving on.

Phase 1 Checklist

• Understand perfect guard fundamentals
• Strength Build selected and functional
• Krat Central Station main content cleared
• Ready for Hotel Krat

Phase 2: Early Game — Hotel Krat

The main hub area equivalent to Firelink Shrine. Contains the level-up NPC (Sophia), weapon assembly bench, P-Organ upgrade station, and NPC merchants. Return between areas to spend Ergo, upgrade equipment, and advance NPC sidequests through dialogue.

Level/Difficulty: Hub (all game) Key Rewards: Level up, weapon assembly, P-Organ upgrades, NPC quests, jukebox records

What to Do in Hotel Krat

1. Work on weapon assembly. Every weapon separates into a Blade (determines damage type and base moves) and Handle (determines scaling stats and charged attack). This system becomes critical from here on.
2. Farm for Electric Coil Stick if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
3. Weapon assembly lets you separate any weapon into blade + handle at the assembly bench. Experiment freely — you can always reassemble weapons. A heavy blade + light handle creates surprisingly effective hybrids.
4. Complete all objectives before pushing to Estella Opera House.
5. Consider whether Dexterity Build might suit your playstyle better than Strength Build.

Phase 2 Checklist

• weapon assembly integrated into gameplay
• Electric Coil Stick acquired
• Hotel Krat fully cleared
• Ready for Estella Opera House

Phase 3: Mid Game — Estella Opera House

A grand opera house filled with puppet performers and the King of Puppets boss — a two-phase fight that's one of the best in the game. Phase 1 is a massive puppet, phase 2 reveals the puppeteer controlling it. The Opera House has excellent environmental storytelling.

Level/Difficulty: Mid-game (level 40-55) Key Rewards: King of Puppets Ergo, unique weapon materials, story revelations

What to Do in Estella Opera House

1. Master legion arm abilities. Your left arm is a prosthetic Legion Arm with interchangeable modules. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
2. Start working toward Puppet Ripper. It's the best weapon and becomes accessible around now.
3. Grindstones (consumable items) add temporary elemental damage to your weapon. Use Fire Grindstone against organic enemies and Electric Grindstone against puppets for significant bonus damage.
4. This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
5. Start investing in P-Organ upgrades for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.

Phase 3 Checklist

• legion arm abilities mastered
• Puppet Ripper acquired or in progress
• Estella Opera House fully cleared
• Ready for Lorenzini Arcade

Phase 4: Late Game — Lorenzini Arcade

A arcade and entertainment district with more aggressive enemy varieties including human-type Stalkers. The area introduces enemies that fight more unpredictably than puppets, requiring different timing for Perfect Guards. Contains hidden pathways and optional bosses.

Level/Difficulty: Mid-late game (level 50-65) Key Rewards: Stalker enemy loot, Quartz for P-Organ, optional boss rewards

What to Do in Lorenzini Arcade

1. Finalize your build. You should be running Dexterity Build or Strength Build with optimized gear.
2. Puppet Ripper should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
3. The lies you tell affect your Humanity stat, which determines your ending. For the 'true' ending, lie to most NPCs — Pinocchio becomes more human through lies, which is the game's central thematic twist.
4. lie/truth system optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
5. Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Arche Abbey.

Phase 4 Checklist

• Build fully optimized
• Puppet Ripper upgraded to max
• Lorenzini Arcade fully cleared
• Ready for Arche Abbey

Phase 5: Endgame — Arche Abbey

The final area of the game set in a massive cathedral complex. Contains the hardest regular enemies and the final boss gauntlet. The Abbey's architecture is stunning and the final boss fights are multi-phase endurance tests. Your lie/truth choices culminate in the ending sequence here.

Level/Difficulty: Endgame (level 70+) Key Rewards: Final boss Ergo, ending determination, Proof of Humanity weapon, NG+ access

What to Do in Arche Abbey

1. Arche Abbey tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
2. Dodge forward THROUGH attacks rather than backward away from them. Most boss attacks track backward movement, but forward dodges pass through the hitbox and position you for counter-attacks.
3. The endgame loop: run Arche Abbey, optimize gear, push harder content.
4. Experiment with Balanced Build for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
5. This is where lie/truth system mastery separates good players from great ones.

Phase 5 Checklist

• Endgame content on farm
• Best-in-slot gear acquired
• Arche Abbey fully cleared
• Ready for challenge content

Common Progression Mistakes

• Dodging backward against bosses — most boss attacks track backward movement with lunging follow-ups. Dodge forward through the attack to end up behind them for safe counterattacks.
• Ignoring Perfect Guard and relying only on dodging — Perfect Guard is the primary combat mechanic in Lies of P. Boss weapon durability only depletes from Perfect Guards, not regular blocks or dodges.
• Not experimenting with weapon assembly — sticking with default weapons means missing the game's most creative system. Try combining blades and handles from different weapon types.
• Spending all Ergo on levels instead of checking boss weapons — some boss weapons are best-in-class and the Ergo spent on them is more valuable than a few levels.
• Missing Quartz by not exploring optional areas — P-Organ upgrades are permanent power boosts. Each missed Quartz is a permanent capability lost.

Key Tips for Smooth Progression

1. Perfect Guard is more important than dodging. Most boss combos have 3-5 hit chains designed for parry timing. Each successful Perfect Guard chips weapon durability, eventually breaking it for a massive Fatal Attack opening.
2. Weapon assembly lets you separate any weapon into blade + handle at the assembly bench. Experiment freely — you can always reassemble weapons. A heavy blade + light handle creates surprisingly effective hybrids.
3. Grindstones (consumable items) add temporary elemental damage to your weapon. Use Fire Grindstone against organic enemies and Electric Grindstone against puppets for significant bonus damage.
4. The lies you tell affect your Humanity stat, which determines your ending. For the 'true' ending, lie to most NPCs — Pinocchio becomes more human through lies, which is the game's central thematic twist.
5. Dodge forward THROUGH attacks rather than backward away from them. Most boss attacks track backward movement, but forward dodges pass through the hitbox and position you for counter-attacks.

For detailed build optimization, see Lies of P builds. For quick wins, check tips & tricks.