Lies of P: Beginner's Guide — Tips, Combat, and Builds to Survive Krat

Lies of P punishes button-mashing and rewards precision. You play as P, a puppet navigating the puppet plague in the city of Krat, and the game expects you to learn its guard system, build around your weapon choices, and spend resources carefully. This guide covers everything you need to survive the first several chapters and build habits that carry through endgame.

This guide covers the base game and the Overture DLC (patch 1.12.0.0, September 2025). It applies to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.

Quick Tips

• Learn Perfect Guard first. It blocks all damage and staggers enemies. Dodging alone will not carry you through boss fights.
• Sharpen your weapon constantly. Use the Grinder between fights and during boss openings. A dull weapon loses damage fast.
• Level Vitality and Vigor early. Survival matters more than raw damage in the first few chapters. Upgrade your weapons for damage instead.
• Do not consume Boss Ergo. Save every rare Boss Ergo drop for unique weapons and amulets you can trade for later.
• Keep your weight under 60%. The Capacity stat controls your equipment load. Heavy gear slows your dodge and sprint.
• Attack after running out of heals. Landing hits after you spend your last Pulse Cell earns one back. Aggression keeps you alive.
• Mix blades and handles. Weapon assembly unlocks after Chapter 2. Pair a heavy blade with a fast handle (or vice versa) to match your playstyle.

Combat Fundamentals

Combat in Lies of P centers on three defensive options: guard, Perfect Guard, and dodge. Knowing which to use and when separates progress from frustration.

Guard and Guard Regain

Hold the guard button (L1 / LB) to block incoming attacks. You take reduced damage, but a portion of your health bar turns red. That red segment is recoverable health. Hit the enemy before the red drains away, and you reclaim it. This is Guard Regain — the game's built-in reward for staying aggressive after blocking.

Perfect Guard

Press the guard button right as the attack connects with P. You hear a metallic clank, see orange sparks, and take zero damage. No chip, no Guard Regain loss. You also build stagger on the attacker and push toward breaking their weapon.

The parry window is about 9 frames. Tapping or holding the guard button both open the same window. Do not spam the button — rapid presses trigger a lockout that kills your parry timing. Watch the enemy's weapon, not their body, and press guard when the weapon is about to touch you.

For a full breakdown of parry mechanics, timing drills, and boss-specific practice, see our Perfect Guard guide.

Fury Attacks

Red-glowing attacks are Fury Attacks. You cannot regular-block them. Your two options: Perfect Guard the hit, or move out of range. Sprinting sideways is safer than trying to dodge through them, since Fury Attacks often have wide hitboxes.

Dodge

Dodging costs stamina and gives invincibility frames. Use it to reposition or avoid grabs. Against fast multi-hit combos, guard is safer than trying to dodge every swing. Against wide sweeps or Fury Attacks you cannot parry, dodge or sprint.

Weapon Durability and the Grinder

Your weapon has a durability bar in the bottom right of the screen. As durability drops, your damage drops with it. Use the Grinder (equipped by default) to sharpen your weapon whenever you have a moment of safety. Grind before boss fights, during long boss combos where the boss is far away, and after clearing groups of enemies. Getting caught with a dull weapon in a boss fight is a common early-game death.

Pulse Cells and Healing

Pulse Cells are your healing charges. They refill at Stargazers (the game's checkpoints). When you use your last Pulse Cell, keep attacking — landing hits on enemies after you run out of charges earns one back. This recovery mechanic rewards staying in the fight instead of retreating.

Backstabs

Human-sized enemies and many Stalkers can be backstabbed. Circle behind them after they commit to an attack and hit their back for massive damage. Backstabs do not work on bosses or large enemies, but they clear regular encounters fast.

Stats and Leveling

You level up at any Stargazer by spending Ergo. Each level lets you put one point into a stat. Here is what each stat does and when to prioritize it.

Stat	What It Does	When to Level
Vitality	Max HP and Guard Regain recovery amount	First priority. More health keeps you alive while you learn enemy patterns.
Vigor	Max Stamina for attacks, dodges, and sprints	Second priority. Running out of stamina mid-combo or mid-dodge gets you killed.
Capacity	Equipment weight limit (armor and weapons)	Third priority. Keeps your weight under 60% so your dodges stay fast.
Motivity	Damage scaling for heavy/strength weapons	After your survival stats feel comfortable. Check your weapon's scaling letter.
Technique	Damage scaling for fast/dexterity weapons	Same timing as Motivity. Pick based on your weapon's primary scaling.
Advance	Damage scaling for elemental weapons (Fire, Electric, Acid)	Niche. Only level if your build centers on elemental damage.

Capacity is the stat most beginners ignore. It controls how heavy your equipment can be. Defense Parts (Frame, Converter, Liner, Cartridge) have weight, and better parts weigh more. If your total weight exceeds 60%, your dodges slow down and your stamina recovers slower. If it exceeds 80%, you fat-roll. Put points into Capacity whenever your gear pushes you past the 60% threshold.

For raw damage, upgrade your weapons at Eugénie's workshop in Hotel Krat instead of dumping points into Motivity/Technique/Advance early on. Weapon upgrades give more damage per resource spent than stat points do in the first half of the game.

Weapon Assembly

After you defeat the Mad Donkey in Chapter 2, you unlock weapon assembly. Every standard weapon splits into a Blade and a Handle. The Blade controls base damage, damage type (Slash or Stab), durability, and the blade Fable Art. The Handle controls moveset, attack speed, stat scaling, and the handle Fable Art.

You can mix any blade with any handle at a Stargazer or at Eugénie's workshop. Boss weapons cannot be disassembled.

Recommended Early Combinations

Playstyle	Blade	Handle	Why It Works
Motivity (Strength)	Live Puppet's Axe Blade	Krat Police Baton Handle	High stagger damage with a fast vertical moveset.
Technique (Dexterity)	Puppet Saber Blade	City Longspear Handle	Fast swings with extra reach for safe spacing.
Advance (Elemental)	Electric Coil Stick Blade	Krat Police Baton Handle	Electric damage shreds puppet enemies in early chapters.

For a full breakdown of weapon pairings across all build types, see our best weapon combinations guide.

Legion Arms

Legion Arms are mechanical prosthetic tools attached to P's left arm. They consume Legion focus (a resource that refills by dealing damage) and give you options that your weapon alone cannot cover.

You start with one Legion Arm and unlock more as you progress. Here are the three most useful picks for beginners.

Legion Arm	What It Does	Best Use
Puppet String	Fires a wire that pulls enemies toward you or pulls you toward them	Gap-closing against ranged enemies, crowd control, pulling fleeing targets back
Aegis	Deploys a shield that blocks attacks	Learning boss patterns safely, blocking hits you cannot yet Perfect Guard
Fulminis	Discharges electric damage in a burst	Burst damage against puppet enemies, who are weak to electricity

Puppet String is the most versatile overall. Aegis is the safest for players still learning guard timing. Fulminis is a damage tool for clearing puppet-heavy areas fast.

P-Organ Upgrades

The P-Organ is your passive skill tree. You unlock nodes by spending Quartz, a limited resource found in the world and dropped by certain enemies and bosses. Each node grants a permanent passive bonus.

Early P-Organ priorities:

• Extra Pulse Cells: More healing charges. This is the single highest-value upgrade for beginners.
• Additional Amulet Slots: Amulets are your accessory system. More slots mean more passive bonuses active at once.
• Rising Dodge: Lets you dodge while getting up from a knockdown, cutting the recovery animation where you are most vulnerable.

You can respec your stats and P-Organ later in the game via the Gold Coin Tree. Do not stress about making the "wrong" choice. Experiment with nodes that support your current playstyle and respec when your build changes.

Exploration and Resource Tips

Save Your Boss Ergo

Every boss drops a rare Boss Ergo item. The game lets you consume these for a chunk of Ergo (the leveling currency), but do not do it. Later in the game, you meet an NPC who trades Boss Ergo for unique weapons and powerful amulets. These items cannot be obtained any other way. Store every Boss Ergo you find.

Upgrade Your Defense Parts

Defense Parts (Frame, Converter, Liner, Cartridge) are separate from your costume. They provide your actual damage reduction. Visit the workshop to upgrade them whenever you have the materials. Many players focus on weapon upgrades and forget their armor. Balanced upgrades between offense and defense prevent one-shot deaths in later chapters.

Dimensional Butterflies

Glowing butterflies appear in certain areas. Kill them to earn rare upgrade materials. They despawn if you take too long, so attack them the moment you spot them.

Stargazer Hints

Check the Stargazer travel menu. If a location shows a small icon next to its name, an NPC interaction or side quest is available there. Fast-travel back and check. Missing these can lock you out of side content.

Ergo Farming

If you need extra Ergo to level up or buy supplies:

• Malum District: A solid early-to-mid-game spot. Clear the enemies near the Stargazer, rest, repeat.
• Grand Exhibition Gallery: Puppet enemies near the Stargazer give high Ergo for how fast you can clear them.

Equip Ergo-boosting amulets to increase your yield per run.

The Lying and Humanity System

Lies of P tracks a hidden Humanity meter based on your choices. In this world, lying is an act of empathy and independent thought — something puppets are not supposed to do. The more "human" you act, the higher your Humanity climbs.

How to Build Humanity

• Lie to NPCs when dialogue gives you the option. Most lying choices increase your Humanity.
• Listen to records on the gramophone at Hotel Krat. Play each record you collect all the way through.
• Complete side quests involving named characters.
• Use gestures at specific locations (Pray at altars, Check Ground at graves).

Tracking Your Progress

The game shows a message after Humanity gains. The messages escalate as your meter fills:

1. "Your springs are reacting"
2. "The Ergo is whispering"
3. "You feel warmth"
4. "Your heart is pounding"

Spring, the cat at Hotel Krat, also becomes more affectionate as your Humanity rises. If the cat rubs against you, your Humanity is high.

Why It Matters

Your Humanity level determines which ending you get and whether you can obtain the Golden Lie weapon. Three endings exist, and late-game choices lock you into one based on your accumulated Humanity.

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: The section below describes ending requirements. Skip it if you want to discover outcomes on your own.

Ending	Requirement
Real Boy	Give your heart to Geppetto when asked. No Humanity requirement.
Free from the Puppet String	Refuse Geppetto. Moderate Humanity (Level 2+).
Rise of P	Refuse Geppetto. High Humanity (Level 4). Choose "Give Sophia Peace" earlier.

For the "Rise of P" ending, you need near-maximum Humanity and must choose to "Give Sophia Peace" when that choice appears. The Golden Lie weapon also requires high Humanity. You can collect it from the portrait in Geppetto's study once your meter is full enough.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Mistake	Why It Hurts	What to Do Instead
Spamming dodge on every attack	Burns stamina fast, no stagger buildup on the boss	Practice guard timing. Dodge for repositioning, guard for damage prevention.
Ignoring Capacity stat	Over 60% weight = slow dodge, slow stamina recovery	Put points into Capacity whenever new gear pushes you past the threshold.
Consuming Boss Ergo	Loses access to unique weapons and amulets forever	Store every Boss Ergo. Trade them later for uniques.
Never sharpening your weapon	Damage drops as durability falls, fights take longer	Use the Grinder between fights and during boss openings.
Over-committing to attack combos	No stamina left to guard or dodge the counter-attack	Land 2-3 hits, then guard or back off. Wait for the next opening.
Skipping Defense Part upgrades	One-shot deaths in mid-game from fixable damage gaps	Upgrade Defense Parts at the workshop alongside your weapons.

FAQ

Can I respec my stats?

Yes. About halfway through the game, you unlock the Gold Coin Tree, which lets you reset your stat points and P-Organ choices. You can rebuild your character without starting over.

What is the best starting weapon?

All three starting weapons are viable. The Puppet Saber (Technique) is fastest and most forgiving for beginners. The Greatsword of Fate (Motivity) hits hard but has slow recovery. The Electric Coil Stick (Advance) deals electric damage that works well against puppet enemies in the early chapters.

Should I focus on guard or dodge?

Guard. The game is built around its Perfect Guard system. Dodging works for repositioning and avoiding grabs, but guard builds stagger, recovers health through Guard Regain, and handles multi-hit combos better than dodge-spamming.

How do I get more Pulse Cells?

Through P-Organ upgrades. Spend Quartz on the nodes that increase your maximum Pulse Cell count. You can also recover one charge by landing hits on enemies after your last Pulse Cell is used.

Does lying affect gameplay?

Lying builds your hidden Humanity meter, which determines your ending and unlocks the Golden Lie weapon. Lying is rewarded in this game. Choose the lie option when you want to push toward the "Rise of P" ending.

Is there New Game Plus?

Yes. After completing the game, you can start NG+ with your stats, weapons, and most items carried over. Enemies hit harder and have more health. The Overture DLC also adds Boss Rematch modes (Battle Memories and Death March) for additional endgame challenge.