Software:Lethal Company

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Short description: 2023 horror video game
Lethal Company
Lethal Company Steam cover.jpg
Developer(s)Zeekerss
EngineUnity[1]
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
ReleaseOctober 23, 2023
(early access)
Genre(s)Survival horror[2]
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Lethal Company is a cooperative video game developed by Zeekerss. It released in early access for Microsoft Windows in October 2023 and gained popularity on the Steam storefront.

Players are tasked with collecting scrap from abandoned, industrialized moons, while having to avoid traps, environmental hazards, and monsters. They are contracted employees who work for "The Company" and are given three-day periods to meet the persistently increasing profit quota.

Gameplay

A player speaking into a walkie-talkie in a forest

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 are able to communicate with each other through the in-game proximity chat, as well as proximity text chat. Players are tasked with visiting abandoned moons in order 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 it 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][3] 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.[4]

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 you 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 consume one 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 hazardous landmines and turrets inside the facility.[5]

The game offers eight playable moons, in addition to the Company's dedicated moon where scrap is sold. Each moon has its own array of creatures that can spawn, as well as a difficulty level that determines how many of those creatures will spawn, as well as the amount and value of scrap that spawns within the facility. The three most dangerous of these moons require a certain amount of Company credits to access them.[6] Moons may randomly have dangerous weather conditions, such as flooding or solar eclipses, that hinder players' progress.[6][7]

There are 19 entities that players can encounter. Most are found inside the facility, but some will spawn on the outside surface of the moon. All enemies pose a potential threat to the player, though some creatures, like the Spore Lizard and Hoarding Bug, will remain passive until provoked.[8][9] Some facility enemies include the Thumper, a speedy two-legged land animal, and the Bracken, a humanoid that stalks its prey before snapping its neck, but runs away when spotted.[10][11] One of the greatest threats in the game is the Jester, a creature inside a giant jack-in-the-box toy. It wanders harmlessly, until it stops and winds itself up over the course of just under a minute. After this time period, it will hunt down all players inside the facility unstoppably.[12]

Development

Zeekerss previously developed games on the game creation platform Roblox.[13][14] Lethal Company was released in early access for Microsoft Windows on October 23, 2023.[13][15] Zeekerss said they plan to finish the game within six months.[16]

Reception

Reception
Review score
PublicationScore
IGN7/10[2]

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][15][18] It has been compared to Phasmophobia.[19][20]

Kelsey Raynor of VG247 noted that the game "...might not look like much given its grisly cell-shaded graphics, but fans are wholly obsessed with Lethal Company, and its gruesome aesthetic is clearly just another part of its charm."[13] 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."[2]

Awards

Award Date Category Result Ref.
The Steam Awards January 2, 2024 Game of the Year Nominated [21][22]
Better With Friends Won

References

  1. ↑ Saver, Michael; Pung, Julia; Stanton, Devon (2024-01-04). "Made with Unity: 2023 in review". Unity Technologies. https://blog.unity.com/games/made-with-unity-2023-review. Retrieved 2024-01-13. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Moss, Gabriel (29 November 2023). "Lethal Company Early Access Review" (in en). IGN. https://ign.com/articles/lethal-company-early-access-review. 
  3. ↑ Valentina Stella, Marloes (24 November 2023). "How to make money in Lethal Company" (in en). gamesradar. https://www.gamesradar.com/lethal-company-money/. 
  4. ↑ Jain, Sanyam (2023-12-16). "Lethal Company: Complete Guide" (in en). https://www.thegamer.com/lethal-company-complete-guide/. 
  5. ↑ Rothery, Jen; Stella, Marloes Valentina; Brandon (December 20, 2023). "Lethal Company Terminal Commands - Lethal Company Guide" (in en). https://www.ign.com/wikis/lethal-company/Lethal_Company_Terminal_Commands. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Rothery, Jen; Stella, Marloes Valentina (November 23, 2023). "Lethal Company Moons - Lethal Company Guide" (in en). https://www.ign.com/wikis/lethal-company/Lethal_Company_Moons. 
  7. ↑ Shi, Annie (2023-12-23). "Lethal Company: Weather Conditions, Explained" (in en). https://www.thegamer.com/lethal-company-weather-conditions-explained/. 
  8. ↑ Rothery, Jen; Stella, Marloes Valentina; Brandon (2023-12-21). "Spore Lizard - Lethal Company Guide" (in en). https://www.ign.com/wikis/lethal-company/Spore_Lizard. 
  9. ↑ Rothery, Jen; Stella, Marloes Valentina; Brandon (2023-12-21). "Hoarding Bug - Lethal Company Guide" (in en). https://www.ign.com/wikis/lethal-company/Hoarding_Bug. 
  10. ↑ Rothery, Jen; Stella, Marloes Valentina; Brandon (December 19, 2023). "Bracken - Lethal Company Guide" (in en). https://www.ign.com/wikis/lethal-company/Bracken. 
  11. ↑ Rothery, Jen; Stella, Marloes Valentina; Brandon (December 21, 2023). "Thumper - Lethal Company Guide" (in en). https://www.ign.com/wikis/lethal-company/Thumper. 
  12. ↑ Rothery, Jen; Stella, Marloes Valentina; Brandon (December 21, 2023). "Jester - Lethal Company Guide" (in en). https://www.ign.com/wikis/lethal-company/Jester. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Raynor, Kelsey (November 16, 2023). "This $10 Steam game is going massively viral, and it's easy to see why". https://www.vg247.com/steam-game-going-viral-and-easy-to-see-why. 
  14. ↑ Lane, Rick (2023-11-20). "Co-op horror game Lethal Company costs $10 and is outselling Call of Duty on Steam" (in en). PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/co-op-horror-game-lethal-company-costs-dollar10-and-is-outselling-call-of-duty-on-steam/. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Dinsdale, Ryan (20 November 2023). "Lethal Company, Steam's Latest Hit, Reaches 100,000 Concurrent Players" (in en). IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/lethal-company-steams-latest-hit-reaches-100000-concurrent-players. 
  16. ↑ Gould, Elie (2023-11-16). "I got chased by man-eating spiders in Lethal Company, and all I got was this crummy teapot" (in en). 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. 
  17. ↑ 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" (in en). Gamesradar+. 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/. 
  18. ↑ 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" (in en). gamesradar. 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/. 
  19. ↑ Tarason, Dominic (2023-11-24). "Lethal Company's co-op horror comedy is like an immediately more chaotic and deadly Phasmophobia" (in en). PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/lethal-companys-co-op-horror-comedy-is-like-phasmophobia-but-immediately-more-chaotic-and-deadly/. 
  20. ↑ "Phasmophobia fans, you can't miss this chaotic new horror game" (in en-US). 2023-11-10. https://www.pcgamesn.com/lethal-company/new-phasmophobia. 
  21. ↑ "The Steam Awards 2023 shortlist has been revealed - here's what Steam players think are 2023's best games" (in en). Eurogamer.net. 2023-12-16. https://www.eurogamer.net/the-steam-awards-2023-shortlist-has-been-revealed-heres-what-steam-players-think-are-2023s-best-games. 
  22. ↑ Dicarlo, John (2024-01-02). "Steam Announces Winners of 2023 Steam Awards" (in en). https://gamerant.com/steam-awards-2023-winners/. 

External links

  • Lethal Company - Announcement Teaser (Trailer). July 8, 2022.



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