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Probably Stolen beginner guide: tips for your first week

Start on Mark Up (Normal) with the Apprentice specialization, which the game marks “Recommended For New Players”. Learn the daily loop (open, call customers, buy and sell, sleep), keep enough cash for rent every 7 days, and work toward buying the store, the game’s only win.

Which specialization should I pick?

You start every run with 600 credits; specializations trade some of them for equipment. The nine currently playable ones:

Specialization What you start with
Apprentice More starting credits, a Storage Bay, a stock of household goods and food. Marked “Recommended For New Players”.
Water Merchant Water Trading Manual, water testing and purification equipment, extra water containers
Fence Smuggler’s Bay, contraband, Black Market reputation up, Security reputation down, immediate Underground Exchange access, higher starting rent
Rock Bottom Nothing
Hydroponic Farmer Hydroponic Farming Manual, Hydroponic Systems, seeds and supplies, higher starting rent
Gunsmith Class I Weapon Permit, firearms, gun mods, ammunition, higher starting rent
Chemist Chemistry Manual, chemistry lab equipment
Rat Wrangler Animal Cage, rats, food
Aquafarmer Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, tilapia and fish food, higher starting rent

See Specializations for each one.

Which difficulty should I pick?

Price Gouge (Cozy) adds 20% retail markup and cheap property. Mark Up (Normal) is the middle option with a 15% markup. Thin Margins (Hard) and Red Ink (Challenge) have no markup, double power costs and no Rent Grace at the start. See Difficulty.

What does a day look like?

The game’s own tutorial walks you through it:

  1. Open the shutter door and call the next customer.
  2. Put the item you want to buy or sell on the Negotiation Counter and open the negotiation interface. Ctrl-click or drag moves items.
  3. Use the Bargain Interface to demand more or offer better prices; this affects the customer’s budget and the reputation you gain.
  4. Place goods in the Display Case before opening to attract buyers.
  5. Close the store, check your reputation and the Clientele UI, and go to sleep. The game autosaves when you sleep.

You cannot end the day while important people are still in line. A conversation recorder lets you replay past dialogue.

Player-reported, unverified: The background colour of a customer’s text shows their faction (Security is red, the Lower Levels grey), even when their clothes suggest otherwise. Trades count toward that faction’s reputation.

What should I do in the first week?

  • Know your rent day. Rent is collected every 7 days, starts at 200 credits and grows with each payment. Keep the cash in hand. Not paying without the Rent Grace favor ends the run. See Buy the store.
  • Learn the overnight machines. Machines such as the Water Purifier, Furnace and Evaporator work overnight and need Energy. Put an Energy Cell in them and leave room for the output. See Machines.
  • Check water before you buy or sell it. A seller’s label can be wrong. See Water.
  • Watch reputation. Your standing with factions such as Lower Levels, Upper Levels, Security and Black Market changes what happens. See Reputation.
  • Toggle nightly services. Services can be turned on or off every night.
  • Plan toward the buyout. The price is flat until day 50; see the money guide.

What are the common beginner mistakes?

  • Selling water worse than its label. Unexposed mislabeled water counts as a crime, and Ghostwater is logged as Consumer Endangerment. Test water first.
  • Skipping rent. Without Rent Grace, refusing the Landlord ends the run.
  • Missing a mortgage payment. The Loan Shark takes items, and if they do not cover it you get the Repossession ending.
  • Ignoring the vendor permit. Without it, refusing the Trade Board Official records the crime Operating Without a License in your Security record. The game also has a “No Permit” ending, but in version 0.46D nothing triggers it (see Trade license).
  • Full machine output. A Furnace will not smelt if the output grid has no room.

Player-reported, unverified: Heavier chemistry setups need several machines (blender, heating plate, filter, evaporator), and the heating plate can spoil a batch if it overheats. See Chemistry.

FAQ

Is there a walkthrough? There is no fixed storyline order. The only win is the Buyout ending, and you can continue playing afterward. See Endings.

Which specialization is best for beginners? Apprentice, which the game itself recommends for new players.

How do I win? Buy the store from the Landlord for cash, or pay off a mortgage from the Loan Shark.

How many days do I need? The game has no required length. The store price starts rising after day 50.

See also