Your First 3 Days: A Day-by-Day Walkthrough
Your quota is 130 credits. You have 60 credits in the bank. You have 3 days. Here’s exactly what to do.
Day 1 — Learning the Basics (Land on Assurance)
Before landing: Buy 2 Flashlights and 1 Shovel (60 credits total). Pick Assurance as your moon (free, C-tier hazard, manageable enemies).
The landing: You land at 8 AM. The facility entrance is the large metal door. Everyone enters together. The ship operator stays on the terminal — and NO, the ship operator is not the player who “doesn’t want to play.” The ship operator is the most important role: they watch radar for red dots (enemies) and yellow dots (scrap), guide the team around danger, and control the teleporter.
Inside the facility: Stay together as a group of 3. Clear 3-4 rooms near the entrance. Grab EVERYTHING — at this stage, even tattered metal sheets (12 credits) matter. One player carries scrap to the entrance and drops it. Don’t carry scrap all the way to the ship yet — dropping at the entrance makes the final ferry trip one clean run.
When to leave: When the ship operator says “it’s 4 PM, come back” — come back. Don’t negotiate. Don’t say “one more room.” The ship operator’s job includes enforcing the return time.
Day 1 result: You should have 80-150 credits of scrap delivered. Combined with unsold starting credits, you’re at 90-160 total — close to or past your 130 quota. If you’re short, don’t panic. Day 2 fills the gap.
Day 2 — Building Surplus (Land on March or Assurance)
Before landing: If Day 1 went well (no deaths, 100+ scrap collected), buy a Walkie-Talkie (12 credits) and another Shovel (30 credits) if you have 3+ players. If Day 1 was rough (someone died, scrap is low), save your credits.
The moon choice: If Day 1 scrap covered 80%+ of quota, play it safe with Assurance again. If Day 1 was great and you’re already past quota, try March (free, C-tier, better scrap pool). March has a fire exit — the ship operator can guide players to it for faster extraction.
Inside the facility: Same strategy as Day 1: clear 4-5 rooms near the entrance, carry scrap to entrance, leave by 5 PM. The only difference: you should now recognize Bracken rooms (they’re dimly lit, with a single light source, and feel unsettling before you see the Bracken). If a room gives you that feeling, ship operator checks radar for red dots before the team enters.
Day 2 result: Combined with Day 1, you should have 200-350 credits of scrap. Quota is met with surplus carrying into the next quota.
Day 3 — Cleanup or Crisis
If quota is already met: Sell only what you need to reach quota exactly. Save the rest for the next quota (which will be higher). Day 3 is a free day — optionally land on Offense (40 credits, good scrap) to build next-quota surplus, or skip the day entirely.
If you’re short by 50-100 credits: Land on Assurance. Rush-clear 3 rooms near the entrance. Sell everything. Don’t risk deep exploration — you need guaranteed scrap, not maximum scrap.
The 3 Sounds You Must Learn on Day 1
Half of Lethal Company deaths happen because you didn’t hear the warning. Learn these three sounds before your first landing:
| Sound | Entity | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| High-pitched, clean screech getting louder | Rush | Hide in nearest closet IMMEDIATELY |
| Gurgling growl, low-pitched | Thumper | Stand your ground with Shovel, backpedal while hitting |
| Heavy footsteps, no other sound | Bracken | Glance briefly (under 0.5s), look away, back away slowly |
If you hear a sound you don’t recognize, assume it’s dangerous and move toward the exit. You can learn the full bestiary later. Day 1 is about survival.
What Kills New Players (And How to Prevent It)
Death: Your crew split up and someone got picked off alone. Prevention: Never send fewer than 2 players into the facility together. The ship operator counts as 1 player for radar support but can’t help a solo player who gets cornered.
Death: No one bought a Shovel. Prevention: A Thumper costs 30 credits to counter (one Shovel) and 200+ credits to lose (all your scrap on a dead teammate). Buy the Shovel.
Death: You went back for one more item at 7 PM. Prevention: When the ship operator says “leave now,” you leave now. Greed kills more crews than monsters.
Death: The ship operator wasn’t watching radar. Prevention: The radar shows red dots (monsters) in real time. A ship operator who’s watching TikTok while the team explores is the single biggest liability in the game. Choose your ship operator wisely.