Lethal Company beginner guide: receive your order and return to the ship
Step-by-step terminal input, purchase confirmation, dropship collection, scavenging, and return in the standard PC version. Checks inventory slots, two-handed items, batteries, and differences between solo and co-op.
Edition: PC Steam app 1966720, standard release branch, no mods; basic shifts on a new save. Default PC keyboard/mouse bindings are examples; if you changed them, follow the on-screen prompts. Solo play and co-op for up to 4 players are addressed separately.
Verification scope: Checked October 4, 2026. Uses basic mechanics from V80, The Blooming Update, onward; official announcements confirm its standard release. The official text alone does not establish the latest internal patch number, so this does not assert V81 or another version. Beta, major mods, and translation-mod features are excluded.
Sources checked: 2026-10-04
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Read the terminal and ship displays separately before departure
Choosing a destination at the terminal and landing with the lever are separate actions. On a new save, read the ship monitor's quota and remaining days before ordering.
- Approach the terminal and open it with E as prompted. Type help and press Enter; check that the command list appears.
- Enter store and check your credits and product prices. Ordering one flashlight is a suitable first practice example.
- Enter the product name and press Enter. Read the quantity and total on the confirmation screen, then enter confirm to buy or deny to cancel.
- Use the displayed exit control to leave the terminal. Before searching the ship for the item, remember that collecting the delivery is still a separate task.
Screens may differ with rebound keys, mods, or beta versions. To increase quantity, enter something like flashlight 2, then always reread the confirmation to check that it shows two items and the total.
Identify the step between input and collection where progress stops
Confirming an order does not mean the tool has entered your inventory.
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| Symptom | Display to check | Input/action | Success check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannot type into the terminal | Are you operating the terminal? | Approach and press E. Use standard English characters in the input field. | A response to help appears |
| Entering a product name does not proceed | confirm/deny confirmation message | Read quantity and cost, then confirm → Enter | Order-complete response and change in credits |
| Insufficient budget | Available credits and total | Use deny to go back, reduce quantity, or choose different equipment | Confirmation total is no higher than available credits |
| Still not carrying the tool after purchase | Still in orbit/not collected | After landing, locate the dropship by sound and sight | The dropship has arrived |
| Dropship is present but items cannot be taken | Hatch interaction prompt | Approach, open it with E, and pick up the released products with E | The product occupies the selected slot and is visible in your hand |
| Entering a moon name does not make the ship travel | Route confirmation message | After confirm, leave the terminal and operate the lever | Landing progress display/arrival on the surface |
No matching entries in this table. Shorten the query or clear it to restore all entries.
The dropship leaves if collection is postponed. Listening for it after landing and assigning someone to receive it is more practical than memorizing a fixed arrival time.
Try picking up, switching, and sprinting once
Before moving away from the entrance, test flashlight switching and dropping an item. Item count, weight, and whether something requires both hands are separate restrictions.
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| Action/tool | Requirement | Input and checks | Solo/co-op difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pick up/drop | Within reach and able to carry it | Pick up with E. Drop the current item with G and confirm it is on the ground. | In co-op, also confirm the recipient picked it up |
| Switch items | In a normal state that permits switching | Move the selected slot with the mouse wheel. Put down two-handed items first if necessary. | After borrowing a tool, share the name of the item to return |
| Sprint | Stamina remains | Default binding: Shift. Watch weight and stamina, preserving a buffer for the return trip. | Who carries heavy items affects the group's return speed |
| Scan | A position where you can check your surroundings | Right-click to scan nearby targets. Do not treat this as a substitute for lighting or looking around. | Report the detected target's name and avoid confusing it with another target |
| Flashlight | The selected flashlight has battery remaining | Left-click to turn it on and check its charge. Recharge after returning to the ship. | Provide lighting for the number of people who need it |
| Radio | Both parties have powered-on walkie-talkies | Q toggles power; hold left-click to transmit. Check that a brief call receives a reply. | A first solo purchase should be considered differently from buying for someone with a radio partner |
| utility slot | Eligible purchased tools from V80 onward | Check the dedicated HUD slot and displayed key. Do not count it as a scrap slot. | Check each player's slots. The shovel is ineligible. |
No matching entries in this table. Shorten the query or clear it to restore all entries.
If carrying two-handed scrap prevents you from using a ladder or another tool, place it on safe footing first to isolate the cause. Do not ignore weight differences and expect the loaded return trip to take as long as the empty outward journey.
After landing, connect delivery, entrance, and return route
Even when considering Experimentation, which has no route fee, first check weather under moons. Free does not mean identical conditions in every kind of weather.
- Enter moons to show the list. Check the weather beside each candidate; compare alternatives if you are unfamiliar with the bad weather shown.
- Enter the chosen moon's name and confirm. If a fee appears, read the details and use deny to back out of an unintended paid route.
- Land with the ship lever and wait until you can reach the surface. Collect any order delivery.
- Check the path from ship to entrance and remember where you came from at indoor branches. Start by collecting a small amount and returning.
- Place the haul inside the ship. Items still outside the building entrance do not count as items stored aboard.
In co-op, verbally assign the delivery collector and entrance scout. In solo play, do these in sequence rather than combining delivery checks with deep exploration.
Before returning, account for players and cargo aboard
Before pulling the lever, distinguish people ready to leave from those still collecting. The lever does not automatically wait for everyone to return.
- Consider whether your current load and route let you reach the ship, rather than simply whether to keep exploring. Stop collecting and return if batteries are low, you lose the exit, or the return route worsens.
- Drop scrap inside the ship and separate tools to keep from items to sell. In V80, the collection indication when an item is dropped aboard also helps confirm storage.
- In co-op, call players by name to confirm boarding. Check unresponsive players on radar and share the evacuation decision.
- Take off with the lever and read the shift results and remaining days. At 0 days, prioritize selling at the Company over another exploration trip.
Avoid relying on the automatic nighttime departure. A team wipe also loses stored scrap, so do not assume that bringing it aboard makes it permanently safe.
Frequently asked questions
I confirmed an order, but nothing appeared in my inventory
Portable equipment must be collected from the delivery. After landing, approach and open the dropship, then pick up the released tools. A terminal order confirmation is not an inventory confirmation.
I cannot use another tool while holding two-handed scrap
Drop it somewhere safe with G, then check normal item switching. Having a free slot is different from being able to use a tool or ladder while carrying a two-handed item.
I cannot put a shovel in the utility slot
The extra slot added in official V80 is mainly for purchased tools, but excludes shovels. Do not count it as an unrestricted extra scrap slot; free a regular slot instead.
Does returning to the ship automatically complete the quota?
Returning completes the collection stage. You still need to route to the Company, sell at the counter, and check the quota display.