Probably Stolen controls: how to rotate items, move them and use hotkeys
To rotate an item in Probably Stolen, pick it up with the left mouse button and press E (clockwise) or Q (counter-clockwise) while you hold it. F flips it and R resets its orientation. Every key below is a default from the game code and can be changed in the options; the game is playable with the mouse alone.
How do I rotate items?
Rotation only works on an item you are dragging.
- Left-click and hold an item to pick it up.
- Press E to rotate it clockwise or Q to rotate it counter-clockwise.
- Press F to flip it, or R to put it back in its original orientation.
- Release over a free slot to place it.
The mouse does the same without the keyboard while you drag: the middle mouse button flips the held item, and so does the right mouse button by default. The option “swap drag rotate and flip” (the setting is stored as swapDragRotateFlip) makes the right button rotate clockwise instead of flipping. The sort menu also has an “Enable Auto Rotate while sorting” toggle, which the developer turned off by default for new players in patch 1.0.0.5.
What are the default keybinds?
| Action (game’s wording) | Default key |
|---|---|
| Rotate held item clockwise | E |
| Rotate held item counter-clockwise | Q |
| Flip held item | F |
| Reset held item orientation | R |
| Move hovered item to trashcan | Delete |
| Open sort menu (while hovering an empty tile) | S |
| Quick move to inventory (hold + click) | Left Ctrl |
| Quick move to showcase (hold + click) | Left Shift |
| Quick move to storage (hold + click) | Left Alt |
| Pin mode (click items to pin or unpin) | P |
| Open options | K |
| Toggle control hints | O |
| Advance dialogue | Space |
| Call next customer (Bell) | B |
| Toolbox slots 1 to 9 | The digit keys 1 to 9 |
| Menu / Back | Esc, plus an optional second key |
Esc is reserved and cannot be assigned to another action. The Bell hotkey was added as rebindable in patch 1.0.0.5 and holding it dismisses the current customer; the extra Menu / Back binding came in 1.0.0.6 (see patch notes). Rebinding is in Options: click an action, then press the new key.
How does quick transfer work?
Hold a quick-move key and click an item instead of dragging it. The three keys correspond to the game’s three destinations: inventory (Left Ctrl), the Display Case “showcase” (Left Shift) and storage (Left Alt). In the tutorial the game tells you: “Ctrl-Click or Drag the item you wish to BUY to move it to the Negotiation Counter”, and the same for items you want to sell. Press O to show the on-screen hints for these keys.
How do I split a stack when dragging?
When you pick up a stack, you take all of it by default. Hold Left Alt while picking up to take 1 unit, or Left Shift to take half (rounded up). Items such as Gutterflow pellets or fish feed also split by double-clicking and merge when dropped on another pile, according to their tooltips.
How do I select and move several items?
Hold the left mouse button on an empty area and drag to draw a selection box; the tutorial text reads “Hold the left mouse button and drag to select multiple items.” Then drag any selected item to move the whole group. If you hold Ctrl, Shift or Alt while clicking, the click does not start a group drag. Holding Shift during a group move switches the game to precise placement. The 14 September 2026 update 049 announcement lists multi-item drag and move and right-click sorting among its changes.
How do I open the sort menu?
Right-click an empty inventory slot, or hover an empty tile and press S. You can turn the right-click version off with “Disable right-click sort menu”. The tutorial says: “Right-click an empty inventory slot to open the sorting menu.”
How do clicks work: interact, activate, open?
Right-click an item to open the Interact Menu. Containers open and items activate with a double click by default; the options “Single click to interact with item”, “Single click to activate item” and “Single click to confirm item choice” change each of these to one click. Other helpers: “Auto Open Negotiation UI” opens trading when a customer arrives, and “Auto Call Next Customer” calls the next customer for you.
Is there controller support?
The Steam data lists “Mouse Only Option” but we found no controller support in the store data; see Platforms.
FAQ
How do I rotate items in Probably Stolen? Drag the item and press E (clockwise) or Q (counter-clockwise).
Can I rebind keys? Yes, in Options. Esc is reserved.
How do I move an item to the trash quickly? Hover it and press Delete, which is the default for “Move hovered item to trashcan”.
How do I call the next customer from the keyboard? Press B, or use the Bell.
What does the O key do? It shows or hides the control hints on screen.