5 things I wish I knew before starting Lethal Company

Lethal Company is a co-op horror experience that has propelled itself into the spotlight in a very rapid timeframe. It presents an interesting premise that feels like a cross between Among Us and capitalism; you are one of four cadets who must find and salvage as much scrap as possible to satisfy your quota.

But, it’s not as easy as it might seem — you’ll have to fend off a bestiary of monsters and creatures that woke up this morning and chose violence. I jumped in for the first time the morning of Thanksgiving Day, and because the game has no tutorial or opening level to speak of, there were a few things I had to pick up on that you as a brand new player might like to know going in. Let’s talk about them.

5 things you should know before starting Lethal Company

1. Be prepared to die. A lot.

I know it can be tempting to beat yourself up if you’re not immediately a prodigy at a new game, but you need to be kinder to yourself when it comes to Lethal Company. You will probably die a lot as you acclimate yourself to how the game works, and you’ll probably die in really, really, really dumb ways. 

I once was carrying a large crate of scrap, and I’d gotten myself lost in the building we were salvaging. I then accidentally jumped into an abyss because I didn’t get a running start, thus losing the crate and my life. I also died once while running from a monster — if you think I died by the monster, you’d be wrong: I actually fell down the stairs and was attacked by another monster before I could even blink. But that’s OK, because things like this are expected to happen. You’ll respawn once your ship takes off, so relax!

2. Press 1 to point, press 2 to boogie.

It took me a few days to learn this, as silly as it might sound. But, if you see other players pointing at you a la that one Spider-Man meme, you can return the sentiment by pressing the “1” key on your keyboard. If you see your teammates dancing like a kid in a candy store, you can join the party by pressing the “2” key on your keyboard. In my experience, the game doesn’t explicitly tell you, but that’s how it’s done.

3. Flashlights (and other tools) need to be bought, they do not come with the ship.

In the first game I ever joined, the ship was fully stocked with four flashlights, which led me to believe all ships came pre-stocked with flashlights and/or walkie-talkies. This is most certainly not the case. 

In fact, flashlights and walkie-talkies (among other items and tools) must be bought from the on-board computer, and even then they’ll need to be acquired an in-game hour later from a rocket pod on the surface of the moon you’re currently visiting. Keep your eyes (and ears) out for them!

4. There’s no harm in sticking together while on-site.

While salvaging, you might feel the urge to cast off on your own in an effort to cover more ground. This is a valid urge, and you can give in to it all you’d like. But, there’s nothing wrong with staying close to your teammates. If you do explore solo and run into a monster (or two), you’ll probably want someone to cover your six, and you won’t have anyone. Plus, if you’re with someone if/when you die, they can take your body back to the ship and avoid having a penalty inflicted at the end of the game.

5. If you fail to enter a third-party room, try again.

Depending on when you try to use Lethal Company’s online matchmaking to start a game, you might have a hard time entering someone else’s lobby. If this sounds familiar, don’t worry! Just keep trying different rooms until you’re able to play. I had this happen most often in rooms with 3/4 players, as the game had already begun and was not taking any new players. But, if you are still having trouble, you can always try creating your own lobby — though that too relies a lot on the luck of the draw. 

I hope this shortlist has helped you to succeed at Lethal Company. If you have any additional pointers for new players, feel free to drop them in the comments and let us know!