(Image courtesy of SteamDB. “Lethal Company pits players against a horrifying wage grind.”)
Hayden Plumb
Connector Contributor
“Lethal Company” is an indie light horror game made by a single developer named ‘Zeekers,’ produced in October of 2023. Currently only available on PC for $10.99, the game may be enjoyed alone or with up to four players. The game was very popular on release and remains popular to this day; people still play it regularly and create videos about it.
The main goal of the game is to collect as much scrap as possible, which may be metal, old toys, and other assorted items, as the player visits different planets’ abandoned buildings. They do this to meet their scrap quota, which increases every 3 days. The buildings are pre-generated, and may look like a run-down facility, a large grand mansion, or a dark and gloomy mineshaft. Players may use money earned from selling scrap to get a wide assortment of items such as flashlights, jetpacks and decorations for use in future expeditions. Players may spend money to visit more hazardous environments as well.
Players must be careful while exploring because they may encounter monsters, requiring them to fight or run. Some monsters like the Thumper or the Coil Head will immediately attack the player, while others are less aggressive, like the Hoarding Bug. Every monster behaves differently, and because of that, players will have to change their approach. Another hazard players will encounter are traps. Landmines, turrets, and ceiling spikes are the three main traps, which players must be careful and aware of.
“Lethal Company” values communication and coordination. It uses proximity-based voicechat, which means players can only talk to each other close by. Nearby monsters are able to hear players too and may take advantage of that to attack.
Weather is another mechanic of the game, and it can be shown as stormy, which is rain and lightning, fog and more. The stormy parts of the game can affect players by striking them with lightning if a metal item is being held. In the event of a lightning strike, the player will die, which causes them to drop all their items and be removed from play until the surviving team members leave the planet. They can watch over their teammates and talk to other dead players in the meantime. The replayability of “Lethal Company” is worth mentioning, too. Every time players visit a planet, the buildings, monsters, and items are randomized, providing a new experience with each session. The modding community only adds to the experience, because players can add different mods which can change the game in drastic ways.
Overall, “Lethal Company” is a great game to play alone or with friends. It is quick to learn, but it is hard to master. The traps and monsters will keep players on the edge of their seats while diving deeper into facilities in pursuit of more scrap.
Grade: A-
