Lethal Company's Horror is in Its Simplicity | Bytesized

Michael Cripe provides his first Bytesized discussing why Lethal Company works as well as it does thanks to its simplicity.
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[@kylerclarke2689]

I wrote off Lethal Company as another stream overreaction bait title. I tried it with 3 friends and laughed harder than I can even remember. We only played a few days before it became stale, but imo the game is a barebones co-op masterpiece. It's just so silly and terrifying.

[@Redrum2445]

heavily recommend thunderstore mod manager, and getting mods. community never stops growing, currently at around 18000 mods and counting. Plus if you have tech illiterate friends, you can share your mods as a code, and they can import with that very code so you don't have to relay which mods to get if you change a mod or two!

[@Spazbo4]

try out some mods, might get a few more days of play time that way

[@lordmarshmal_0643]

Yeah this game definitely feels like it stalls out after a while even when playing with others but I think at that point it'd be better to start looking into, as someone else said, mods (I personally use R2ModMan as my mod launcher but it still pulls from Thunderstore) but also _solo play_ Lethal Company is at its core a horror game, and the tone shifts extremely quickly from funni with friends to a certified nightmare when you're alone, with nothing to keep you company except for whatever pops out of those vents

[@happymoomoocow]

Even without mods it hasn’t gotten old for me. Once you get good, getting to higher quotas reveals a lot of the games nuances and it takes a lot more skill than you’d think

[@PhantomHalf]

The mods alone can make this game survive for. 5+ years

[@jhonejay1426]

u mean like elderscrolls?

[@r2doucebag595]

Especially the butt plug mod

[@lostozian_turandot]

It's very interesting to see that different talent leads at Second Wind are able to hold different opinions! The team does not demand a monolithic opinion that the company stands by. Creators can express themselves sincerely and intelligently and improve the discourse of game media overall. Also HELL YES HORROR PIKMIN!

[@WanderedIn]

IMO the comedy is also part of the horror - specifically, I have never seen a game so good at tricking players into letting their guard down and goofing off, over and over and over. And then someone dies. Often everyone dies.

[@lordmarshmal_0643]

The bracken seems to have become the game's mascot, and for very good reason It is extremely simple to deal with in concept, give it a quick glance to scare it off, but don't stare... but it plays off the game's co-op aspect so well because its greatest weapon against you, is mob mentality Plus it seems to consistently give people a solid startle whenever it finds an opportunity to _almost_ close that gap to you, arguably moreso than it actually closing said gap

[@Brocknoth]

I'd argue that it's the best designed monster in the entire game. Walking down a dark hall way in pairs chatting when suddenly your teammate goes silent. You turn around to figure out what happened and all that's left of them is their walkie/flashlight and a trail of blood. It's masterful in it's simplicity.

[@Heavenlyhounds96]

Objection! The mascot role is shared by the Bracken and Hoard Bugs (although tbf I've gotten VERY accustomed to the "YIPPEE" mod XD)

[@jupiterivan3433]

The Bracken is probably the single most complex monster in the game. The thing has layers. I thought it was as simple as be aware of its existence, but don’t stare it down but it gets creepier. If you're prone to sneaking around the Bracken will do the same… right behind you. My friends told me that a Bracken was sniffing my asshole for a solid minute before I turned around and noticed it. I almost didn't believe them, until I saw a video of it happening to someone. The thing stalks you relentlessly, but doesn't always go for the kill. Either that, or Zeekers forgot to program a kill command if the target is sneaking… which, honestly if that's true I hope he doesn't change it. Kind of remind me of the fact that the ghost lady in PT is literally always behind you, even if you'd never know if you didn't freecam the game.

[@xystem4701]

The way that it can so quickly go from happy friends exploring to intense horror as you scurry around searching for an exit, unsure if anyone else is alive, is what makes this game so great. It totally nails the horror, but is still somehow the funniest game I've played in ages

[@guisseppimelon8224]

The developer of lethal company is very good at what he does.

[@kingt34]

God I love this channel. The previous channel that shall not be named had lots of fluff that just didn't appeal to me, but Second Wind is non-stop quality content that's all right up my street.

[@PendragonDaGreat]

"Lethal Company is basically just horror Pikmin" So... Pikmin?

[@pikmaniac2643]

Pikmin but you have no captain and are always going to some variant of the submerged castle.

[@baumdf9134]

Pikmin from the pikmins perspective

[@unconcernedsalad2]

i think what makes this game work is that it provides clear goals in all situations by creating predictable rules. these rules enable a gameplay loop to occur naturally, which enables YOU to make YOUR OWN plans, not the developer. (not that there’s anything wrong with narrative or scripted games, just that lethal succeeds in what it wants to be)

[@rjmarch]

The combination of a variety of enemies, the simple goal, and audio design really made it work for my group. We started to get a bit tired of it but then all of a sudden last week we had our most entertaining session. You honestly can't script some of the moments you have. The mod support also really helps it be a bit more malleable.

[@bluemooninthedaylight8073]

I like that so far we haven't seen any merch for this game. It's not some mascot horror game predicating on tweens, but a legitimately fun experience. For me, that's the true measure of a great indie title.

[@JohnSmith-of2gu]

I think you've sold me on this game with all your descriptors. Low budget, but every last bit of dev time was optimized into a great horror experience without bells and whistles.

[@statelyelms]

I think you'd need a whole book to give a solid reason for why Lethal Company is so good. The arcade-y mechanics, the inevitability (and immediate comedy) of failure, the in-game voice chat system lending to the atmosphere (and hilarity), the dopamine-releasing loot recovery (simple recovery, nice sound when you collect successfully, easy to learn hard to master), the simple creepy enemies that are conquerable over time but always a threat and a scare.. there's so much more too. I think the biggest reason is probably that it takes away frustration by making everything have natural, expected costs as much as possible and makes the frustrating things (like dying or failing) more expected and fun.

[@Kevin-cf9nl]

The "upgrades" that are guaranteed to make your job harder or more dangerous in some way are especially nice. Every one is so powerful but inherently broken/limited, that they are super appealing because you can easily see how they'd come in helpful, but in practice never make you overpowered and usually backfire in hilarious ways.

[@EricFraire]

Perfectly stated! Both of you! The quote/end quote "uprgrades"😆

[@happymoomoocow]

I remember the first time my friend bought a jetpack for $700 and blew it up before we could even leave the company building

[@BobertAdams]

That's my boi Michael!!! You have a heart of gold and an unrivaled work ethic. I love you brother, great job as always!

[@MikeCripe159]

❤

[@Fa6ade]

Joined for Yahtzee but bytesized is rapidly becoming some of my favourite content.

[@internet_introvert]

I think that the problem with Lethal Company is that it is so popular right now and it's design scope is tight and focused. By the time 1.0 comes out, everyone's going to be over it. Active modding communities seem to outshine developers, so whatever the dev's plan, the final release will just be "here's a few QOL's you all havent thought of yet." unless they make changes so drastic they risk breaking the spell.

[@SecondWindGroup]

Hm, it's an interesting thought, but also Phasmophobia would say otherwise!

[@Princeps32]

I think as far as the popularity it had for two months, yes it's peaked already, but there's a lot of room to grow to keep an audience. Among Us absolutely peaked in 2020-2021, but people still play and talk about that game too. More map themes, layouts and variety, enemy variants, some sort of longer term meta-incentive to build towards, the dev can broaden the scope without hurting the core design.

[@axios4702]

This happens tragically often with early access games, I've seen it over and over again over the years. Games go viral too soon and lose their 5 minutes of fame.

[@Bricriu-gj9dd]

"Horror Pikmin" is the hottest take for this game I've heard in a minute, given how horrifying that game already is.

[@LetterboxTuxedo]

The depths in Pikmin is horror Pikmin (plus Pikmin creatures are horror themselves) but I def can see their point.

[@ReclaimedDasein]

Forgot to include this, but a really good presentation. Keep up the good work.

[@wilmannator]

Love that these are generally 8 minutes. Any chance you'll do a Bit-sized review series that's just 1 minute per vid? Would really enjoy that kind of nerdy synergy.

[@spenceduggs]

I appreciate the comparison to The Backrooms - that's what my crew & I call the Bracken room

[@charlottecreature2281]

I would recommend Errant Signal video on Lethal Company. He covers the game makers previous work and how he built up and tested core mechanics for this game :)

[@Rubberman202]

You know, I've come across so many hilarious moments when it came to watching people play Lethal Company that I kind of forget it's a horror game... Or rather, that it's supposed to scare you. Yeah, there are monsters in it, but then again, Castlevania has monsters in it, and it never felt like those games were trying to scare me.

[@jackalbane]

An excellent little encapsulation.

[@joaomarcoscosta4647]

At first I had dismissed it as the latested Steam fad, but... This actually looks really fun! Adding this to my 100+ games wishlist, so it can someday join my 1000+ games backlog.

[@Kevin-cf9nl]

It's *really*, surprisingly well designed, in lots of non-obvious ways. Very good foundations and principles.

[@Brocknoth]

Lethal Company is a prime example of the driving force behind the indie gaming market. And that force is you don't need an "endless" budget to create something fun and interesting. All you need is some good ideas, a unique identity no matter how simple, and the passion to create along with the effort to make it happen. The rest will follow, or maybe it won't because the universe is fickle like that.

[@blackdragoncyrus]

Unintentional comedy is one of the best, "hidden" grenres that exists.

[@justinrodriguez5957]

Marty: "What's this mine looking thin-" *boom*

[@xer0vi]

Well this is a neat show. Guess I gotta watch more now.

[@Kradolpher]

One time my friend and I were hiding on the ship, waiting for our crewmates, and my friend had set up the furniture to build a barrier against masked folk. He was at the console back to the entrance while we were discussing that an eyeless dog could go through the barrier. At that exact moment an eyeless dog launched forward and killed him while I stoood as still as possible. One of the other mates and I managed to escape, but it was fucking hard

[@Skoozoo]

Taskmaster fans at 5:35 ME FERN BRADY ME FERN BRADY I AM THE RIGHTFUL QUEEN

[@contragaming843]

I feel like there's a discussion to be had as to whether a minimalist aesthetic on its own has the effect of encouraging less restrained, more chaotic play. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case.

[@WastedYouth89r]

I love seeing breakdowns of this weird little game. Errant Signal was awesome cause he showed the creators previous works and it’s so funny how many elements were honed through other games

[@inzanestrings]

I really hope that as more things get added to the game it doesnt end up overcomplicated. I love coop games like L4D2 because of their simplicity, and when you get games that try to add too many systems i feel like the game loses a bit of the fun as I end up focusing too much on other aspects than the moment to moment gameplay

[@Turnil321]

This reminds me of subnautica. Imagining what is in the dark is scarier than the monsters that are in it.

[@kingmonster]

2:20 - Yeah..."social" is the word you use here...

[@OverlordAblade]

"...Sup"

[@kyruken6740]

I'm doing my part!

[@masterofbalance3559]

Not a fan of horror games, but this does look amusing in more ways than one

[@HKlink]

I find that four players is not really enough for this kind of game. The walkie talkies and the ship computer mean it's beneficial for someone to stay back, but three people going in is an odd number. It leads to someone running off alone. Coupled with the small inventory size, and you typically wanting to have a flashlight and walkie on you, it quickly becomes a game where you have two inventory slots and you kinda want one of them to be a shovel. Luckily, this game has excellent mod support, so I can just play with 5+ people and dedicated flashlight and walkie slots. And naturally the loot bug yippee. And maybe helmet cams. Just a light sprinkling of mods enhances the game greatly, though I still like to play completely vanilla when introducing new players to it. What's the fun in modding a game if you don't even know what it's like without?

[@GmodPlusWoW]

I had never made the Pikmin connection before, but I can totally see it.

[@TJ-vh2ps]

What song is playing during the credits of the video? I love it!

[@Darkthestral1]

My very first time in the game I walked into the first room and my friend was telling me the basics. Out of the blue had my neck snapped and died before I knew what was going on Hilarious

[@shirasho]

There are still too many elements in the game that make it too frustrating for me to come back and enjoy time and time again. Turrets spawning inside and shooting through walls, coilhead/braken tells not being loud enough to react, inconsistent loot generation, etc...

[@TheCreepypro]

I was wondering about this game

[@MotiviqueStudio]

Overstated. You can understate anything. Can't be overstated.

[@TCViper8618]

This game needs to come to consoles

[@user-il9ze9py8c]

This game is way, way undercooked at the moment. I could see it becoming something really special with time and work though.

[@juusojuuso9214]

It's very fun and original, sad that the visual style gives me horrible eye strain headache, like wearing wrong eyeglasses.

[@scottevensen2615]

Watched the first 2:45 of this vid then listened to the rest. Definitely not my game 😅

[@damie9412]

Nice

[@Karimsama]

Ok... I may give it another chance. But I hated it the first time I played...

[@hendrik1769]

Robert Yeah So you are still alie.... "gunshots" Still alive :D!

[@Nerd_Rage255]

KZbin algorithm help.

[@microfiber]

g a m i n g

[@worthstream]

I like Bytesized, but it's becoming longer and longer. Maybe rename it to Floatsized? Doublesized?

[@jparkerj20]

How much do you wanna bet that some bigger studio will make a copy of this game with nicer graphics but with stupid cash grab schemes and just got awfully rickety?

[@HatsAlEsman]

Every game needs proxy chat. They are cowards to remove it

[@GeorgeNoiseless]

Michael. "Proof of Concept"? No. To quote the game's own EA blurb: '... there are still many ideas and features I have in mind. (...) Lethal Company is "finished" but still far from realizing its potential.' The game has a delightful modding scene that shows how much potential there's still is for future versions, but 1.0? You've basically seen it. Simple design does not mean _incomplete._

[@adfury]

This made by the viscera cleanup crew?

[@loke5052]

lethal company is basically made by 1 dude

[@LocalSlasher]

Nope

[@bloopboop9320]

Main problem with the game is that there's no real motivation in the game to get better or anything to work towards. You lose everything every time you lose which means there is no sense of trying to get better. What the game needs is a progression system of sorts that works in tiers. 1000 Quota Reached = Congrats, you get a permanent ship upgrade 1500 Quota Reached = Congrats, you get ANOTHER permanent ship upgrade 2000 Quota Reached = Congrats, you get a special item or something It just needs something to motivate players to continue getting better and more organized.

[@loke5052]

it takes away from the frustration that you arent actually building towards something. Ive never really been frustrated losing a run even if the way we lost was annoying. Because the fact that nothing really matters allows the comedy of the situation to be so much stronger

[@bloopboop9320]

@@loke5052 Yeah but there is no incentive to get better or to work harder. It becomes a very dull gameplay loop without an incentive for strong teamwork. As mentioned by Yahtzee, the game is fun IF you take it seriously and actually try to work towards something; however, when no one works together it can be very funny but also nothing gets done and it becomes repetitive. It changes from "playing TF2 because you like the game" to "playing TF2 because it's funny that everyone is dancing and no one has captured the intelligence for 30 minutes". The game has "save files" but there's no reason to have them after you lose a run. What's the point? Why save the game after you have lost? The game desperately needs a MILD progression system to incentivize keeping a save file instead of starting a new one. Just mild ship upgrades that unlock every 500 or 1000 quota to incentivize players to coordinate.

[@johnsnow5125]

Ah, Lethal Company, I remember. The FotM of last month

[@jhonejay1426]

hey 46 uploaded seconds ago

[@Crossingway]

hi

[@ElGalloUltimo]

"Can't be overstated*." The instances where it actually makes sense to say "Can't be understated" are basically zero. It is synonymous to saying "I can't stress enough how UNimportant this is"

[@Jon-yv4iu]

Calling lethal company a horror game is kind of laughable. Any atmosphere the game tries to build is immediately undercut by my friend making a stupid joke 2 rooms over. This isnt an issue with only Lethal Company. Phasmophobia also suffers from this exact issue. In an attempt to experience whatever horror the game has to offer I tried playing solo. And it's so painfully dull and bare bones when there aren't 2-3 other people running around being silly. At that point I realized I wasn't enjoying the game. I was enjoying doing a communal activity with people I like and we could be doing just about anything and be having as much fun as we were with Lethal Company. If I may paraphrase one of your own writers "yes it's more fun with friends, but so is being boiled alive. It doesn't mean I reccomend the experience".

[@pretzelbomb6105]

I consider the argument that, a game relying on being in good company makes it objectively inferior to a similar solo experience, at best elitist, but that’s beside the point. Lethal Company isn’t just “VR Chat with monsters”. Like all horror, it starts off as something else. You’re joking with your friends, they’re daring each other to leap the gaps, you think you could definitely take on a loot bug this time… and before you know it, silence. Maybe you heard a scream get cut off, maybe you watched your buddy miss a jump, or maybe you just looked around and realized you’re alone. That’s when it sets in. You’re in the middle of a monster-infested hellhole with nothing but a stop sign and a flashlight you forgot to charge. I can’t make you enjoy the game, and it does sound like a more scripted horror experience a la Resident Evil or Alien: Isolation might be your cup of tea, but saying LC isn’t horror because you found it boring just seems disingenuous.

[@kamilw2581]

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