You’re wandering through Venigni Works, minding your own business, when you see it. A guy in a bucket hat sitting on a crate. He looks harmless enough. Then he stands up. If you’ve spent any time in Krat, you know the Lies of P Survivor isn't just another NPC. He is a localized nightmare for players who haven't mastered the "dance" of Neowiz’s combat system yet. Honestly, he’s a massive jerk.
He’s fast. Like, annoying fast.
The Survivor is one of the many "Stalkers" you’ll encounter in Lies of P. These are human or human-adjacent enemies who wear animal masks—his is a mouse—and they don’t play by the same rules as the lumbering puppets you’ve been dismantleing. While a puppet might give you a clear, three-second telegraph before swinging a gear at your head, the Survivor just starts swinging. And he doesn't really stop.
Where to Find the Survivor (and Why You Might Miss Him)
Most people find him by accident. He’s tucked away in the Venigni Works Control Room area. After you’ve dealt with a few of those annoying fire-belching puppets and climbed down some ladders, you’ll find a room filled with hanging puppets. It looks like a slaughterhouse. In the corner, there he is.
If you talk to him, he’s clearly lost his mind. He thinks you’re a puppet (which, okay, technically true) and he’s determined to "survive" by making sure you don't. He’s completely optional. You could just walk away. But most of us can’t resist a boss health bar at the bottom of the screen, can we?
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The lore here is actually kinda tragic. He’s part of the Bastards, a group of Stalkers who were basically the low-tier mercenaries of Krat. While the Legendary Stalker and the Alchemists were doing high-level stuff, guys like the Survivor were just trying to not get eaten by the Frenzy. His dialogue reflects a man who has seen his entire squad get turned into scrap metal. He’s terrified. And in Krat, terror usually turns into a sharp blade in your ribs.
Breaking Down the Fight: It’s All About the Backstab
If you try to out-swing this guy with a heavy weapon like the Holy Sword of the Ark or a Big Pipe Wrench, you’re going to have a bad time. He uses a rapier. Specifically, he uses the Salamander Dagger handle or something very similar in moveset, which means his recovery frames are almost non-existent.
Here is the secret: he is incredibly vulnerable to the "Stalker Backstab Circle."
Basically, you want to constantly strafe to your right. Don't even bother trying to Perfect Guard every single hit of his multi-hit flurry. You’ll just lose your stamina and get Guard Regain chip damage. Instead, hold your shield up if you have to, but mostly just walk in a circle around him. Because he lunges so far forward with his thrusts, he often overextends. Once you see his back, hit that light attack button.
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It feels a bit cheesy, but it’s the most effective way to end the fight. You can chain these backstabs if you time your positioning right as he’s standing up. It’s sort of a rite of passage for Lies of P players to learn that human bosses are fundamentally different from giant monsters. They can be parried, sure, but they can also be bullied.
Dealing with the "Flurry"
Every once in a while, the Survivor will go into a frenzy. He’ll start spinning and slashing in a long combo. If you get caught in this, it’s basically over for your health bar.
- Don't panic roll. In Lies of P, rolling has fewer i-frames than you think.
- Distance is your friend. Just back up. He has short reach because he’s using a dagger.
- Use the environment. There are crates and pillars in that room. Put them between you and him.
The Rewards: Is He Worth the Headache?
So, why bother killing a guy who’s clearly having a mental breakdown in a basement? Well, the loot is actually pretty essential for certain builds.
When you finally put the Survivor out of his misery, he drops the Survivor’s Outfit and the Survivor’s Mask. If you’re playing the game for the "Fashion Souls" aspect, the mouse mask is a must-have. It’s creepy in all the right ways. But more importantly, he gives you the Stalker's Promise gesture.
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Gestures in Lies of P aren't just for show. Some NPCs will react to them, and they can even be used to solve certain "riddles" or progress minor quest beats later in the game. Plus, he drops some Quartz if I recall correctly—or at the very least, he’s guarding a chest nearby that contains a Legion Plug. Legion Plugs are the items you need to craft new Legion Arms at Venigni’s craft machine. If you want the Fulminis (the electric arm) or the Flamberge (the flamethrower), you need those plugs.
Why the Survivor is a "Skill Check"
Neowiz did something clever here. The Survivor is placed relatively early in the game to teach you that you can't just brute force everything. Up until this point, you’ve mostly fought slow puppets. The Survivor is the game’s way of saying, "Hey, things are about to get much faster. Learn to time your dodges and find the backstab window now, or the later bosses will destroy you."
He’s basically a mini-version of the Mad Donkey, but faster and in a tighter space.
Interestingly, many players find the Survivor harder than the actual area boss, Fuoco, Flame King. Fuoco is huge and predictable. The Survivor is small, twitchy, and screams at you. It's a different kind of psychological pressure. If you're struggling, try using the Electric Coil Stick. Since he's human, he's not as weak to electricity as puppets are (they prefer Acid or Fire), but the sheer stagger potential of the blunt head can interrupt his faster attacks.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Attempt
To wrap this up and get you back into the game, here is exactly what you should do if he's currently kicking your teeth in:
- Empty your inventory of heavy items. You need your movement speed to be at least under 60% weight capacity. If you're "Slightly Heavy," your stamina regeneration is going to kill you in this fight.
- Equip the Puppet String Legion Arm. Even at base level, it can help you close the gap or pull him toward you for a brief stagger.
- Unlock the "Retain Guard Regain" P-Organ node. If you do miss a parry and just block, you want to be able to get that health back quickly by hitting him after his combo ends.
- Fish for the backstab. Stop trying to play it like a traditional duel. Walk in circles, wait for the lunge, and punish his spine. It sounds brutal, but that's life in Krat.
The Lies of P Survivor isn't an impossible wall, but he is a reminder that in this game, your greatest weapon is often just a bit of lateral movement. Take your time, don't get greedy with your combos, and you'll have that mouse mask in no time. Once you beat him, take those materials back to Hotel Krat and see what Venigni can cook up for your Legion Arm. You're going to need it for what's coming next in the Cathedral.