Getting started
Probably Stolen beginner guide
A Probably Stolen beginner guide to the first week: you buy, inspect, haggle and sell, then pay the rent before it buries you. The notes on this page are the game's own.
How to use this section
Site narration
The first week is a money problem before it is a shop problem: stock costs Credits, appraisal is a paid service, and the rent arrives whether the week went well or not.
The notes below are the game's own. The four starts decide what you open with, and the system pages carry the numbers behind each rule.
The shop loop
Site narration
The repeating beat is: acquire stock, inspect or test it, price and haggle, then absorb inspections, faction notes and rising rent.
A day is a shop shift. Open the shutters, call customers, close, then spend the night on-site, scavenging or at an after-hours location.
What the notes say
1. Drag the item to the Negotiation Counter and the Trading Interface will appear. 2. A deal button will appear if you are able to buy or sell the item. Clients only have a limited budget to spend at your Store. You will automatically sell your items with a retail markup.
On the left side of the Shutter Door, you'll find the Display Case, one of the key features of your Store. Depending on the type of items you place inside, you can attract one client per day looking to buy that type of item. For example, if you put many [Food] items and one low-value [Medical] item, a food-buying client will visit the store the next day. The total value of the items stored will impact the social class of the attracted client. Upgrading your Display Case will allow you to attract more clients. Make sure to stock the Display Case before opening the Store each day. Do not keep Contraband inside the Display Case or you will be arrested.
After closing the Store for the day, you should have time to visit one of the various locations around the Sector. You can always return to the Dumping Grounds to scavenge. You won't be able to bring much back to the Store without a backpack. You should also bring a bandage to patch yourself up in case you get wounded while scavenging. If you are badly hurt, you won't be able to go out for a few days.
These are the Mentor's own notes, as the game prints them.
The first days
- Pick a starting scenarioFour starts named in the official demo copy.
- Learn the shelvesEvery item whose art matches one-to-one.
- Read the systemsTwelve systems, each with the game's own wording.
- Follow a guideWater trading, winemaking, rats, appraisal, Augs.
- Common questionsRelease, demo content, languages, saves.
Common questions
What should I do first in Probably Stolen?
Pick a start, then work the counter loop: buy, inspect, haggle, sell, and pay the rent before it buries you.
How often is the rent due?
Every seven days. The Landlord collects in person, and can grant one grace week.
Where do I go after this page?
The four starts, the item catalogue for what can be sold, and the systems guide for the rules behind each counter decision.