Start Each Workday With the Quota in Mind
Scam With Your Friends is a fictional co-op call-center simulation where every workday is a race against the boss's quota. Your crew needs enough earnings before the performance-review timer expires, or the entire run ends. That makes speed, teamwork, and calm communication more important than chasing every possible call.
The basic loop is simple: clock in, accept calls from fictional AI characters, complete a scenario through the in-game desktop, and add your payout to the team total. Days become more demanding as quotas rise and workplace chaos increases.
Keep an eye on the taskbar instead of treating it as background decoration. It shows the numbers that decide whether you advance.
| Taskbar item | What it tracks | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Personal balance | Your individual earnings | Useful for comparing contributions at the end of a run |
| Team total | Combined earnings from all players | This is the number that helps clear the day |
| Daily quota | The required team earnings | Reach this before the review to continue |
| Review timer | Time until the boss evaluates the team | A payout is useless if it arrives too late |
A reliable opening routine helps everyone settle in:
- Check the quota and countdown immediately.
- Decide who will answer incoming calls first.
- Keep one player ready to use desktop apps while another talks.
- Take workable calls quickly instead of waiting for a perfect opportunity.
- Reassess the team total after every successful payout.
In solo play, you handle each of these jobs yourself. In online co-op, splitting them is faster: one person can maintain the conversation while another enters information or manages the remote-access tools. The game supports both single-player and online co-op, so the core objective stays the same regardless of party size.
Handle Calls and Build Caller Trust
Calls appear as incoming pop-ups with a caller name, portrait, and options to accept or decline. Accepting opens the Phone app, where you speak directly with a fictional AI caller in real time. Because conversations respond to what players say, scripted lines are less useful than listening and adapting.
Every active call includes a Caller Trust meter, shown as both a percentage and a mood label. Trust is the practical measure of whether a conversation is still recoverable. If it falls too far, the caller leaves and you lose the time invested in that opportunity.
| Call situation | Best response in the game | Risk to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Caller is curious but hesitant | Answer their question and keep the scenario moving | Overexplaining until the timer runs down |
| Caller challenges your story | Stay consistent and change approach if needed | Contradicting earlier details |
| Trust starts falling | Simplify the objective and refocus the conversation | Arguing or panicking |
| Caller seems suspiciously prepared | Be cautious; they may be a scambaiter | Giving them time to compromise your computer |
| Caller is ready to proceed | Move promptly to the required in-game app | Delaying the payout sequence |
The game’s humor comes from improvisation, but a clear division of responsibility keeps that improvisation productive. The speaker should focus on the caller’s reactions, while an assistant watches the trust meter, locates the correct app, and warns the group if the review timer is becoming a problem.
Do not assume a high trust percentage guarantees success. Mood labels and caller behavior can vary, so use the meter as a signal rather than a promise. A caller at a seemingly decent percentage may still become hostile if the conversation loses credibility.
The fictional scenarios can include absurd investment pitches, account problems, security claims, and other dark-comedy setups. Keep the activity strictly inside the game. The goal is to operate the game’s simulated systems, not to reproduce its scenarios outside the game.
Use the Desktop, Apps, and Shop Efficiently
Your desk computer is the center of the workday. Calls provide the opportunity, but the desktop apps turn that conversation into a completed in-game scenario and a payout. Learn where each tool is before pressure builds.
Two apps appear especially important in the game’s shown systems:
| App or system | In-game purpose | Practical use |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | Receives and manages live AI caller conversations | Accept calls and monitor caller trust |
| Identity | Takes a caller’s Social Security number in relevant fictional scenarios | Enter details quickly after the caller provides them |
| AnyViewer | Uses a connection code to access a caller’s simulated computer | Coordinate the code entry with the player on the call |
| Scamazon Market | Sells scenarios, business apps, games, and joke items | Spend only when the purchase helps the current run |
| Utility apps | Include distractions such as paint, camera, recording, and idle games | Avoid them when quota pressure is high |
The best team habit is to say important in-game details aloud. If the caller gives a code, the speaker should repeat it once while the teammate enters it. That prevents errors and lets the speaker continue maintaining trust instead of switching focus.
The shop is intentionally chaotic. Some listings are useful for expanding what the office can do, while others exist mostly to create comedy and disorder. When the team is close to missing quota, prioritize tools or scenarios that can produce earnings over novelty purchases.
Distractions are part of the challenge. A game on the office desktop may be entertaining between calls, but it can cost a team the few seconds needed to finish a late opportunity. Save the mess-around time for a comfortable lead or after the quota has been secured.
Survive Disasters and Pass the Performance Review
A completed scenario pays money, but surviving the workday is the larger objective. The game includes hazards such as scambaiters, computer viruses, police raids, air strikes, and office disruptions. These can interrupt your rhythm or consume the time needed to hit quota.
Scambaiters are especially costly because they are callers trying to turn the situation against you. If you mishandle one, your computer can become infected. When a call feels unusually hostile, inconsistent, or focused on trapping the team, it may be smarter to disengage and protect the rest of the day.
Use this decision rule when the clock is tight:
- Continue a call when trust is stable and the payout path is clear.
- Switch tactics when trust dips but the caller is still engaged.
- Decline or abandon a stalled call when it is consuming too much time.
- Let another teammate take the next call if the current speaker is flustered.
- Stop taking unnecessary risks once the team reaches quota.
At the end of the countdown, the boss conducts a performance review. Meet the quota and the team proceeds to a harder workday. Miss it and everyone is fired, ending the run. The termination report records days worked, team haul, individual earnings, time played, and average daily earnings.
A separate Call Analysis display may replay memorable lines from the team’s conversations. It is mostly a comedy feature, but it can also reveal why a call failed. If the group repeatedly loses trust after certain responses, use that feedback to adjust the next run.
The game is in Early Access, and its progression, balance, scenarios, and co-op details may change. Treat strategies as flexible: the enduring priorities are protecting time, keeping callers engaged, and coordinating toward the shared quota.
FAQ
How do you play Scam With Your Friends?
To learn how to play Scam With Your Friends, accept fictional AI calls, keep caller trust from collapsing, use the in-game desktop tools to complete scenarios, and earn enough money for the team quota before the boss review timer ends.
What happens if the team misses quota?
The boss fires the team and the run ends. The game then presents a termination report with the team’s results and individual player statistics.
Do you need a microphone?
Plan to use one. The game centers on real-time voice conversations with AI callers, and its Steam listing includes Voice Control. A text-only alternative has not been officially confirmed.
Can you play alone?
Yes. Scam With Your Friends supports single-player as well as online co-op. Solo players must manage speaking, apps, timers, and disruptions without teammates.
Are all workdays the same?
No. The game uses run-based progression, with increasingly chaotic workdays and procedural-generation elements. Scenarios, callers, disruptions, and the pressure of higher quotas can make each run feel different.