Starter guide
How to Play Lagos Life
The one fact that explains everything else: game time is real Lagos time. One game minute is one real minute, set by the server — no accelerated clock. Every mechanic below follows from that.
All mechanics verified against the game client (2026-10-10)
The survival layer
Six Needs, All Draining in Real Hours
| Need | Decay | How to refill |
|---|---|---|
| 🍛 Hunger | 5.5 / hour | Eat — bukas, markets, home cooking |
| 🚽 Bladder | 7 / hour | Fastest-draining need; venues have toilets |
| 🎉 Fun | 4.5 / hour | Clubs, beach, viewing centre, church/mosque |
| ⚡ Energy | 4 / hour | Sleep at home; naps help |
| 🫧 Hygiene | 3.5 / hour | Shower at home or the gym |
| 💬 Social | 3 / hour | Chat, gist activities, dates |
Bladder drains fastest (7/hour), social slowest (3/hour). The tutorial's whole point: keep the bars green, then Phone → Jobs → apply → Go to work.
The money layer
How Shifts Actually Pay
Shifts run 6 AM – 10 PM. On a scheduled day, tap “Go to work”. Clock in within 90 minutes of your start time and you get the early-bird bonus: +3 performance.
Win 4 tasks for +15% pay. Tasks pop up every 3–6 minutes with a 2-minute response window. Win all four in a shift and the whole shift pays 15% more.
Leaving early has an exact formula. Under 10% of the shift worked: ₦0. Between 10% and 25%: paid as a flat 25%. Past that, pay scales linearly up to 100% at full shift — and final pay is rounded to the nearest ₦50.
Degrees compound inside wages. A UNILAG degree class feeds straight into the pay formula — and if you can't be online, auto-work can run your shifts for you.
The deadline layer
Rent: Your First Real Deadline Is Week 3
Rent hits Saturdays after 9 AM. But moving in prepaid 2 weeks — those credits automatically cover your first two Saturdays. The first rent that can actually bounce is the third Saturday.
Two weeks of arrears = Quit Notice. Fall more than 2 weeks behind and you're moved out to a cheaper place. Never sign a rent your job can't cover.
The route
The Optimal First Week (LAPO Start)
- 1
Budget before anything. Rent + the ₦12,000/week LAPO repayment are fixed costs — run them through the budget calculator so you know your real weekly take-home.
- 2
Take the best zero-skill job. The refinery's Operator Trainee pays ₦70,000/week with no skill requirement — confirm yours in the job calculator.
- 3
Keep needs green. Eat at bukas, sleep at home, shower. Depleted needs make every shift and training session worse.
- 4
Bank the third Saturday. Before it arrives, hold rent + loan in cash. Everything after that is profit — and profit goes into a business or land.
Saving is automatic and server-side. Offline, your businesses keep settling for up to 7 days — jobs don't pay for shifts you didn't work.
🛠️ HANDI — the gig app
Six gig services, each mapped to one of your skills — your skill level is your gig quality. Ratings multiply your pay:
- New → base rate (e.g. ₦2,500 / 90 min)
- Rising — 5 jobs done → ×1.2
- Pro — 15 jobs → ×1.45
- Top-rated — 35 jobs → ×1.75
It's the side door into income while your career skill is still low — train the skill, and both doors open wider.
🧠 MindSpace — the therapy centre
Lagos Life models your head, not just your wallet. When a mental debuff lands, MindSpace is where you clear it — Group Therapy costs ₦5,000.
Treat it like hygiene: cheap to maintain, expensive to ignore. A debuffed mood also kills the ×1.15 training bonus that kicks in above mood 40.
Questions
First-Week FAQ
Is Lagos Life real-time?
Yes. Game time is real Lagos time, server-authoritative: one game minute is one real minute, and venue opening hours (24-hour clock) match your actual clock. There is no fast-forward — a 90-minute shift is 90 real minutes.
What happens if you don't play Lagos Life for a while?
Your needs decay while you're away (they drain per real hour), but you don't die, and your businesses keep settling daily — offline income is banked for up to 7 days. Progress is saved server-side automatically, so there is no save file to lose.
What should I do in my first week in Lagos Life?
1) Budget first — your rent and (if LAPO) the ₦12,000 weekly loan repayment. 2) Take the best zero-skill job — the refinery's Operator Trainee pays ₦70,000/week. 3) Keep needs green so shifts and training stay efficient. 4) Bank enough to cover week 3's rent before the third Saturday — your move-in prepayment covers the first two.
When is rent due in Lagos Life?
Rent is charged every Saturday after 9 AM. Moving in prepays 2 weeks, which automatically covers your first two Saturdays — the first rent payment that can actually hurt you is the third Saturday. Fall more than 2 weeks behind and a Quit Notice forces you into a cheaper home.
Week two and beyond
Once rent is safe, the game opens up: skills to train, businesses to buy, a map of 130 places to work through.