How to buy the store in Probably Stolen
You buy the store in one of two ways. Pay the full price in cash when the Landlord comes for the weekly rent, or take a mortgage from the Loan Shark and pay it off weekly. Either route ends the run with the Buyout ending, the game’s only win, and the game offers to let you keep playing.
How much does the store cost?
The price depends on your difficulty. It stays flat until day 50, then rises every day by a fixed amount until it hits a cap.
| Difficulty | Base price | Rise per day after day 50 | Maximum rise | Highest price | Cap reached on day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price Gouge (Cozy) | 12 000 | 25 | 3 000 | 15 000 | 170 |
| Mark Up (Normal) | 12 000 | 50 | 5 000 | 17 000 | 150 |
| Thin Margins (Hard) | 24 000 | 50 | 10 000 | 34 000 | 250 |
| Red Ink (Challenge) | 36 000 | 100 | 20 000 | 56 000 | 250 |
Buying before day 50 is always the cheapest. The current value is also shown in the game as “The current value of the property is … Credits.” See Difficulty for the other rules.
How do I buy the store with cash?
- Save up the full price in cash. You start a run with 600 credits (some specializations spend part of it on their starting equipment).
- Wait for rent day. The Landlord visits every 7 days to collect rent.
- If your cash is at least the current price, a buyout choice appears in his dialogue. Pick it.
- You sign the deed, the Buyout ending plays, and you can choose to continue playing.
How does the mortgage work?
The Loan Shark appears once your cash reaches the mortgage down payment. He explains the terms and offers three answers:
- Yes, which needs the down payment in cash and takes it immediately.
- No, which declines the offer permanently.
- Soon, which keeps the offer open for a later visit.
After that he can come back on rent days whenever your cash is at least twice the down payment.
Terms by difficulty, shown for the base price and for the highest price:
| Difficulty | Interest | Weeks | Down payment (base / highest) | Weekly payment (base / highest) | Total paid (base / highest) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price Gouge | 25% | 8 | 2 500 / 3 000 | 1 233 / 1 557 | 12 364 / 15 456 |
| Mark Up | 50% | 12 | 2 000 / 2 500 | 930 / 1 348 | 13 160 / 18 676 |
| Thin Margins | 75% | 16 | 3 000 / 4 500 | 1 615 / 2 269 | 28 840 / 40 804 |
| Red Ink | 100% | 16 | 7 000 / 11 000 | 2 370 / 3 678 | 44 920 / 69 848 |
The down payment is a share of the price rounded to the nearest 500 (minimum 500): 20%, 15%, 12.5% and 20% for the four difficulties. The loan is the price minus the down payment, and interest is the yearly rate prorated over the weeks. Compare the totals with the cash price: the mortgage always costs more.
Once you take the mortgage, the Landlord is replaced by the Loan Shark’s weekly collection; you no longer pay rent. If you pay every week, the last payment triggers the Buyout ending too.
What if I miss a mortgage payment?
On collection day the Loan Shark asks for the payment. If you refuse or cannot pay, he takes items from your store worth about the weekly payment instead, and gives you a Repo Slip. If your items together are worth less than the payment, you get the Repossession ending and lose the run.
How much is the rent?
Rent starts at 200 credits, with an extra amount for some specializations (Fence +50, Gunsmith +50, Hydroponic Farmer +40, Aquafarmer +40). It rises with every payment by a multiplier set by difficulty:
| Difficulty | Increase per payment | 1st | 5th | 10th | 14th | 20th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price Gouge | 2.5% | 200 | 219 | 244 | 268 | 308 |
| Mark Up | 5% | 200 | 242 | 306 | 370 | 493 |
| Thin Margins and Red Ink | 10% | 200 | 292 | 468 | 683 | 1 206 |
The table assumes a 200 starting rent; add your specialization’s extra to the start. Values are close to what the game shows, which rounds down each time.
What happens if I can’t pay the rent?
If you refuse the rent and do not have the Rent Grace favor, the Landlord evicts you and the run ends with “You Defaulted On Your Rent”. Rent Grace is a Network favor from Wild: it lets you pay the missed rent together with next week’s rent. It is a one-time favor that costs 100 credits and has a cooldown of 15 days; the price doubles after each purchase. The Price Gouge and Mark Up difficulties start with it owned; Thin Margins and Red Ink do not. See Network.
Is it cheaper to buy early?
Yes. The price does not move before day 50, and rent only goes up: on Thin Margins and Red Ink it grows 10% per payment and reaches about 1 200 credits a week by the 20th payment. Each day after day 50 adds to the price until the cap. Keep an eye on the calendar: it shows the next rent day and the Landlord’s amount.
Player-reported, unverified: In a Russian-language demo playthrough the buyout was not available in the demo. The demo is now retired, so this only matters for an old build.
FAQ
Can you buy the store in Probably Stolen? Yes. Pay the Landlord in cash when he visits, or take the Loan Shark’s mortgage.
Does buying the store end the game? It triggers the Buyout ending, but you can choose to continue playing afterward.
How much is the down payment? 2 000 on Mark Up at the base price. See the mortgage table for the others.
Can I decline the mortgage forever? Yes, the “No” answer stops the offers. “Soon” keeps them coming.
Is the mortgage cheaper than cash? No, the total with interest is higher than the cash price.