How to play Lagos Life: the complete beginner's guide

Lagos Life is a free, multiplayer life-simulation game set in Lagos that runs entirely in your browser. You create a character, get a job, pay rent, spend money at real Lagos spots and share one city with hundreds of thousands of other players. It launched on 1 October 2026, Nigeria's Independence Day, and went viral almost overnight.

Here's everything you need for your first day.

What you need

• A phone or computer with a browser. There's nothing to download and no app store listing. Play at lagoslife.app.
• You must be 18 or older. The game's terms make it 18+ only.
• Data. It's a live online game, so you need a connection the whole time.

Tip: community guides report you can "install" it as a web app — use Add to Home Screen in Chrome (Android) or Safari (iPhone) so it opens like a normal app.

Step 1: Create your account

Sign up with a username and password. According to community patch notes, email verification and longer (8+ character) passwords became required around 6 October, so use a real email.

Step 2: Build your character

Character creation walks you through how you look, a couple of personality traits, your dream, and then the big one: the birth lottery.

Step 3: The birth lottery (Nepo or LAPO)

The game randomly decides your starting life. Most coverage describes two outcomes:

• Nepo Baby — born into money and connections. You start comfortable.
• LAPO Baby — you start broke, on a micro-loan, and have to hustle.

You can't re-roll it, so don't stress — both paths can end up rich. We compare them in detail in Nepo Baby vs LAPO Baby.

Step 4: Get a job

Your job is your main income in the early game. Pick something you can actually do now — some careers need skills before you can apply. See Lagos Life jobs and promotions.

Step 5: Sort out rent

Rent is due weekly. Miss it and you're in trouble. Start somewhere cheap like Mushin or Yaba and move up once your income is stable. More in our housing guide.

Step 6: Explore the city

The map is full of real Lagos places — Amala Shitta, Quilox, UNILAG, Balogun Market, Elegushi Beach and more. Some cost money; some make you money. And remember: NEPA cuts power daily, so a generator or solar inverter is a real investment.

Your first-week checklist

1. Take the best job you qualify for and show up for every shift.
2. Train skills in your spare time — they unlock better careers and promotions.
3. Keep enough cash for Saturday's rent before spending on enjoyment.
4. Do side gigs in free hours.
5. Vote in the governor election once your account is eligible.

Mistakes to avoid

• Don't buy "money doubling" or in-game cash from strangers. The terms ban selling accounts and manipulating the economy, and the developer has already reset funds created by an exploit.
• Don't make extra accounts to vote. That's banned too.
• Remember the naira isn't real. In-game money can be topped up with real money but can never be cashed out.

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Sources: BusinessDay, Vanguard, WeeTracker, Lagos Life terms, community guides at lagoslifeguide.com and lagoslifehub.com.