Lethal Company Explained

Lethal Company
Developer:Zeekerss
Publisher:Zeekerss
Engine:Unity[1]
Platforms:Windows
Genre:Survival horror
Modes:Single-player, multiplayer
Released:October 23, 2023
(early access)

Lethal Company is an upcoming cooperative survival horror video game developed and published by Zeekerss. It was released in early access in October 2023 and gained popularity on the Steam storefront.

In Lethal Company, players obtain and sell scrap from abandoned, industrialized exomoons while avoiding traps, environmental hazards, and monsters. As employees of "The Company", players must sell enough scrap to meet a series of increasing profit quotas until they inevitably fail and the game starts over.

Gameplay

Lethal Company is a cooperative video game for up to four players played in first-person perspective. Set in a retrofuturistic setting, players work as contracted employees of "The Company". They can communicate with each other through the in-game proximity chat, as well as proximity text chat. Players are tasked with visiting abandoned moons to collect as much scrap as possible. Each moon has one facility containing procedurally-generated rooms, alongside valuable scrap, hazardous traps, and malicious creatures. Players must work quickly and return to their ship before midnight, or the autopilot will leave without them. If there are no living players on board the ship as it leaves the planet, all collected scrap will be lost. Collected scrap is sold at the Company moon, 71-Gordion, to obtain Company credits.[2] At the end of each deadline, if the players sell enough scrap to reach the required quota, they will begin another three-day cycle with a higher profit goal. Failure to meet the Company's quota results in players being ejected into space; this constitutes a game-over.[3]

Players may only carry four items at a time, including one item requiring both hands. Two-handed scrap items, while typically the most valuable, prevent one from performing certain actions when held, like climbing ladders and picking up more items. All carriable equipment (such as flashlights or walkie-talkies) and pieces of scrap require one free item slot each. Players can use their ship's onboard computer terminal to navigate to moons and spend their earned Company credits on equipment and humorous ship accessories, such as a shower or toilet. The terminal may also be used to view the positions of other players, open security doors, or temporarily disable landmines and turrets inside the facility.[4]

The game offers twelve playable moons, including the Company's moon where collected scrap is sold. Moons differ in which and how many monsters spawn, as well as the amount and value of scrap available. Players must spend credits to access the most dangerous and lucrative moons.[5] Moons may randomly have dangerous weather conditions or hazards such as fog, quicksand, lightning storms, flooding, or solar eclipses that hinder players' progress.[5] [6]

Players encounter a variety of creatures while exploring. Most are found inside each moon's facility, but some will spawn outdoors. Most entities are hostile towards the players, though some creatures, like the Spore Lizard and Hoarding Bug, will remain passive until provoked.[7] [8] [9] The game's monsters include the Thumper, a two-legged beast that can reach high speeds but is bad at making tight turns, and the Bracken, a humanoid creature that stalks its prey before snapping its neck, but runs away when spotted.[10] [11] One of the most dangerous enemies is the Jester, an invincible creature inside a giant jack-in-the-box. It wanders harmlessly until it spots a player, whereupon it will begin following them while turning its crank. After popping open, it will hunt and kill all players in the facility.[12]

Development

Zeekerss previously developed games on the game creation platform Roblox.[13] Lethal Company was released in early access for Microsoft Windows on October 23, 2023. Zeekerss said he plans to finish the game within six months.[14] He also expressed a desire for content updates to evoke the feeling of breaking into an "alien zoo" and unleashing all the animals.[15] [16]

Reception

Lethal Company has received critical acclaim on the online storefront Steam, topping the platform's Global Top Seller list and having 100,000 concurrent players in November 2023.[17] [18] [19] [20] Its popularity has been attributed to social media[21] [22] and compared to the similar horror game Phasmophobia.[23] [24] [25]

Kelsey Raynor of VG247 noted that the game "...might not look like much given its grisly cel-shaded graphics, but fans are wholly obsessed with Lethal Company, and its gruesome aesthetic is clearly just another part of its charm."[26] Gabriel Moss of IGN said that "Lethal Company already instills a sense of wonder", and that the game's co-op loot hunts "manage to transcend its limited content and missing systems."[27] PCGamesN included Lethal Company on its listing of best horror games available on PC.[28]

According to an approximate estimate by Push To Talk, Lethal Company has sold more than 10 million copies as of January 2024.[29]

Awards

AwardDateCategoryResult
The Steam AwardsJanuary 2, 2024Game of the Year[30] [31]
Better With Friends
The Streamer AwardsFebruary 17, 2024Stream Game of the Year[32]
20th British Academy Games AwardsApril 11, 2024EE Player's Choice Award[33]

In other games

The player avatar appears in the online video game Fortnite as "The Employee", which was added to the game in June 2024 alongside additional cosmetics and an emote based on Lethal Company.[34]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Made with Unity: 2023 in review. Unity Technologies. Saver. Michael. Pung. Julia. Stanton. Devon. 2024-01-04. 2024-01-13. January 13, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240113211703/https://blog.unity.com/games/made-with-unity-2023-review. live.
  2. News: Valentina Stella . Marloes . 24 November 2023 . How to make money in Lethal Company . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231129004927/https://www.gamesradar.com/lethal-company-money/ . November 29, 2023 . 29 November 2023 . . en.
  3. Web site: Jain . Sanyam . 2023-12-16 . Lethal Company: Complete Guide . 2023-12-31 . TheGamer . en . January 14, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240114162924/https://www.thegamer.com/lethal-company-complete-guide/ . live .
  4. Web site: Rothery . Jen . Stella . Marloes Valentina . Brandon . etal . Lethal Company Terminal Commands - Lethal Company Guide . 2024-01-02 . IGN . December 20, 2023 . en . March 2, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240302161053/https://www.ign.com/wikis/lethal-company/Lethal_Company_Terminal_Commands . live .
  5. Web site: Rothery . Jen . Stella . Marloes Valentina . etal . Lethal Company Moons - Lethal Company Guide . 2023-12-29 . IGN . November 23, 2023 . en . December 19, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231219122558/https://www.ign.com/wikis/lethal-company/Lethal_Company_Moons . live .
  6. Web site: Shi . Annie . 2023-12-23 . Lethal Company: Weather Conditions, Explained . 2023-12-31 . TheGamer . en . January 14, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240114162627/https://www.thegamer.com/lethal-company-weather-conditions-explained/ . live .
  7. Web site: Rothery . Jen . Stella . Marloes Valentina . Brandon . etal . 2023-12-21 . Spore Lizard - Lethal Company Guide . 2024-01-08 . IGN . en . January 8, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240108005222/https://www.ign.com/wikis/lethal-company/Spore_Lizard . live .
  8. Web site: Rothery . Jen . Stella . Marloes Valentina . Brandon . etal . 2023-12-21 . Hoarding Bug - Lethal Company Guide . 2024-01-08 . IGN . en . February 1, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240201131118/https://www.ign.com/wikis/lethal-company/Hoarding_Bug . live .
  9. News: Writer . Kiera Mills Guides . Mills . Kiera . 2024-02-08 . All Lethal Company monsters and how to beat them . 2024-05-02 . Rock, Paper, Shotgun . en.
  10. Web site: Rothery . Jen . Stella . Marloes Valentina . Brandon . etal . Bracken - Lethal Company Guide . 2023-12-30 . IGN . December 19, 2023 . en . February 18, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240218153000/https://www.ign.com/wikis/lethal-company/Bracken . live .
  11. Web site: Rothery . Jen . Stella . Marloes Valentina . Brandon . etal . Thumper - Lethal Company Guide . 2023-12-30 . IGN . December 21, 2023 . en . January 18, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240118073421/https://www.ign.com/wikis/lethal-company/Thumper . live .
  12. Web site: Rothery . Jen . Stella . Marloes Valentina . Brandon . etal . Jester - Lethal Company Guide . 2023-12-30 . IGN . December 21, 2023 . en . January 18, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240118073420/https://www.ign.com/wikis/lethal-company/Jester . live .
  13. News: Lane . Rick . 2023-11-20 . Co-op horror game Lethal Company costs $10 and is outselling Call of Duty on Steam . en . PC Gamer . 2023-12-03 . December 5, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231205213535/https://www.pcgamer.com/co-op-horror-game-lethal-company-costs-dollar10-and-is-outselling-call-of-duty-on-steam/ . live .
  14. Web site: Gould . Elie . 2023-11-16 . I got chased by man-eating spiders in Lethal Company, and all I got was this crummy teapot . 2023-12-10 . TechRadar . en . December 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231214145540/https://www.techradar.com/gaming/pc-gaming/i-got-chased-by-man-eating-spiders-in-lethal-company-and-all-i-got-was-this-crummy-teapot . live .
  15. News: Bolding . Jonathan . 2024-02-10 . Lethal Company dev thinking updates should be 'bigger and less frequent' and 'like I broke into an alien zoo' . 2024-02-17 . PC Gamer . en . February 22, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240222012312/https://www.pcgamer.com/lethal-company-dev-thinking-updates-should-be-bigger-and-less-frequent-and-like-i-broke-into-an-alien-zoo/ . live .
  16. News: 2024-02-11 . Lethal Company dev wants future updates to feel like they "broke into an alien zoo and released the animals" . 2024-02-12 . Eurogamer.net . en . February 26, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240226122552/https://www.eurogamer.net/lethal-company-dev-wants-future-updates-to-feel-like-they-broke-into-an-alien-zoo-and-released-the-animals . live .
  17. News: Gerblick . Jordan . 21 November 2023 . Steam's new viral co-op horror hit has 30,000 'overwhelmingly positive' reviews and 100,000 peak players, rivaling Call of Duty, PUBG, and Apex Legends . en . . live . 1 December 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231128084602/https://www.gamesradar.com/steams-new-viral-co-op-horror-hit-has-30000-overwhelmingly-positive-reviews-and-100000-peak-players-rivaling-call-of-duty-pubg-and-apex-legends/ . November 28, 2023.
  18. News: Dinsdale . Ryan . 20 November 2023 . Lethal Company, Steam's Latest Hit, Reaches 100,000 Concurrent Players . en . IGN . live . 1 December 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231129021013/https://www.ign.com/articles/lethal-company-steams-latest-hit-reaches-100000-concurrent-players . November 29, 2023.
  19. News: Wood . Austin . 27 November 2023 . In under 6 weeks, co-op hit Lethal Company passes Baldur's Gate 3 and Resident Evil 4 to become the highest-rated Steam release of 2023 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231128125857/https://www.gamesradar.com/in-under-6-weeks-co-op-hit-lethal-company-passes-baldurs-gate-3-and-resident-evil-4-to-become-the-highest-rated-steam-release-of-2023/ . November 28, 2023 . 29 November 2023 . . en.
  20. Web site: Kerr . Chris . November 20, 2023 . Indie horror Lethal Company tops 100,000 concurrent users on Steam . 2024-05-02 . www.gamedeveloper.com . en.
  21. Web site: Diaz . Ana . 2024-01-17 . Lethal Company was bound to blow up — and now it's everywhere on social media . 2024-02-18 . Polygon . en-US . March 5, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240305230528/https://www.polygon.com/24040561/lethal-company-roblox-popularity-explained . live .
  22. News: Ridley . Jacob . 2023-12-25 . Lethal Company is a viral hit in no small part thanks to all the intense shouting . 2024-05-15 . . en.
  23. News: Tarason . Dominic . 2023-11-24 . Lethal Company's co-op horror comedy is like an immediately more chaotic and deadly Phasmophobia . en . PC Gamer . 2023-12-29 . December 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231229192433/https://www.pcgamer.com/lethal-companys-co-op-horror-comedy-is-like-phasmophobia-but-immediately-more-chaotic-and-deadly/ . live .
  24. Web site: Koselke . Anna . 2023-11-10 . Phasmophobia fans, you can't miss this chaotic new horror game . 2023-12-30 . . en-US . December 30, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231230172058/https://www.pcgamesn.com/lethal-company/new-phasmophobia . live .
  25. News: Bell . Alice . 2024-04-26 . I respect Lethal Company's dedication to being a slapstick-fest that makes zero sense whatsoever . 2024-04-28 . Rock, Paper, Shotgun . en . April 26, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240426201340/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/i-respect-lethal-companys-dedication-to-being-a-slapstick-fest-that-makes-zero-sense-whatsoever . live .
  26. Web site: This $10 Steam game is going massively viral, and it's easy to see why. Kelsey. Raynor. November 16, 2023. VG247. November 17, 2023. November 16, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231116201928/https://www.vg247.com/steam-game-going-viral-and-easy-to-see-why. live.
  27. News: Moss . Gabriel . Lethal Company Early Access Review . 30 November 2023 . IGN . 29 November 2023 . en . November 30, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231130013746/https://www.ign.com/articles/lethal-company-early-access-review . live .
  28. News: Lees . Gina . 21 of the best horror games to play right now . 17 April 2024 . PCGamesN . 12 March 2024 . April 16, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240416192527/https://www.pcgamesn.com/15-best-horror-games-pc . live .
  29. News: Ryan K. . Rigney . 19 January 2024 . The 10-Year Journey Behind Lethal Company’s Success . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240119202657/https://www.pushtotalk.gg/p/how-lethal-company-sold-10-million-copies . 19 January 2024 . June 24, 2024 . Push To Talk.
  30. News: Blake . Vikki . 2023-12-16 . The Steam Awards 2023 shortlist has been revealed - here's what Steam players think are 2023's best games . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231229050021/https://www.eurogamer.net/the-steam-awards-2023-shortlist-has-been-revealed-heres-what-steam-players-think-are-2023s-best-games . 2023-12-29 . 2023-12-29 . . en.
  31. Web site: Dicarlo . John . 2024-01-02 . Steam Announces Winners of 2023 Steam Awards . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240102202431/https://gamerant.com/steam-awards-2023-winners/ . 2024-01-02 . 2024-01-02 . Game Rant . en.
  32. Web site: Michael . Cale . Taifalos . Nicholas . Streamer Awards 2024: All results and winners for every category . Dot Esports . . 18 February 2024 . 18 February 2024 . March 9, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240309165034/https://dotesports.com/streaming/news/streamer-awards-2024-all-results-and-winners-for-every-category . live .
  33. Web site: 20th BAFTA Games Awards: The Nominations. BAFTA. 7 March 2024. 12 April 2024. April 12, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240412093521/https://www.bafta.org/games/awards/2024-nominations-winners. live.
  34. Web site: Bardhan . Ashley . 31 May 2024 . Lethal Company dev celebrates his game being added to Fortnite by wiping out an entire squad of his characters . June 14, 2024 . GamesRadar+.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Lethal Company".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.