Probably Stolen Beginner's Guide: 10 Tips to Survive

For your first run of Probably Stolen, pick the Apprentice scenario on Price Gouge (Cozy), inspect every item before you buy it, never put contraband in the display case, and always keep money aside for rent. Those four habits save more first shops than anything else. Below we walk through a typical day and share 10 tips that will save you a lot of frustration.

Settings for your first run

Choice	Our pick	Why
Scenario	Apprentice	the developers call it the best start for beginners
Difficulty	Price Gouge (Cozy)	bigger retail markup, slower rent increases
Perks	none	you can't pick them on your first run anyway
Sentinel Collapse Disorder	skip it	the developers explicitly warn against it on a first run

From your second run you can choose starting perks: negative perks give you points to spend on positive ones. Sentinel Collapse Disorder requires regular Immunivax shots — missed doses cause lasting damage. We cover every scenario in our guide to the starting scenarios.

What a day in Probably Stolen looks like

1. In the morning you lift the shutter and ring the bell to call the next customer (the B key; hold it to dismiss the current customer).
2. During the day you buy, sell, haggle and inspect goods.
3. After closing you can head out on an after-hours trip, for example to scavenge at the Dumping Grounds. Watch your health — a serious wound stops trips for several days.
4. In the evening you set up machines for the night, sort your stock and go to sleep. The game saves when you sleep.
5. Every week you pay the rent, which goes up each time. The shop wall shows how many days are left until it's due.

10 beginner tips

1. Inspect goods before you pay

Suppliers overstate value and customers push their luck. Check Hemingway cigarettes under the magnifying glass: lettering, logo, colour and seal — the in-game handbook shows what a fake looks like. Test water, and appraise rare items with the help of the guides.

2. Flaws are leverage

Found a scratch or a counterfeit? Use it to bring the price down. If you misjudge an item, you absorb the cost.

3. The display case attracts customers — contraband attracts arrests

What you put in the display case affects who visits your shop the next day. Never put contraband there — during an inspection that's a quick way to get arrested.

4. Hide contraband in the smuggler's bay

There's a small smuggler's bay behind the poster on the wall, and you can buy bigger ones later. Security inspects without warning and can confiscate what it finds.

5. Check the Wanted board

The board lists wanted criminals. If one of them walks into your shop, you can report them. Remember that every decision shifts your faction reputation.

6. Keep an eye on the five factions

The Lower Levels, the Upper Levels, Security, the Black Market and the Revolution. Good reputation buys access and protection, but it also paints a target on your back. The colour of dialogue text hints at which faction you're talking to.

7. Watch out for Augs

Some customers are Augs — people taken over by a rogue AI chip. Look for a visible chip, unusual pupils, unnatural stillness or overly formal phrasing. Only shoot when you're sure.

8. Shop at Dr. Jackson's wisely

Dr. Jackson sells machines and upgrades. Before buying anything, check that you'll still have enough for rent. From day 14 he sells a Toolbox that lets you bind tools to the 1–9 keys.

9. Sunday is Merchant day

Every Sunday the Merchant visits with rarer stock. It pays to have spare credits that day.

10. Learn the shortcuts

• drag a box to select several items at once,
• right-click a storage bay to open the sorting menu,
• the mouse wheel rotates the item you're dragging,
• the Delete key sends an item to the trash,
• Esc closes the most recently opened window.

The goal

You win by buying the shop from your landlord. You then get a summary: days survived, total worth, your best sale and your perks. On higher difficulties it's a real challenge.

Want to start playing for less than the Steam price? Probably Stolen on a shared Steam account is offline play on your own PC. Before you buy, check whether Probably Stolen is worth it.