Probably Stolen Guide

Beginner Guide: Your First Week

Updated · Basics

Quick answer

First run: pick Apprentice on Mark Up (Normal) and play the tutorial — the Mentor leaves 18 notes that explain every system. Pay rent (200) every 7 days, inspect before you buy (Magnifying Glass from Day 3), join the Appraiser Board for steady fees, and call Joe Wild (8376) once his card arrives on Day 7. Save toward the Business Permit (1,500 by Day 45) and then the 12,000 deed. Don't hand Eleanor the Care Package, don't touch Lou's toy box, and don't shoot customers you're unsure about.

Easy start into Pure Water (1.0) · Video by Recreational Suffering on YouTube
Starting with 0 credits (1.0 run) · Video by ambiguousamphibian on YouTube

Days 1–7 (Apprentice, tutorial on)

Day What happens What to do
1 The Mentor is your first customer; Officer Lun hands over the Wanted poster Read every Mentor note — there are 18 across the tutorial
3 Magnifying Glass and the Hemingway guide Inspect cigarettes, Food Stamps and Immunivax before buying (appraisal)
4 Joe Wild offers theft insurance Take it unless you picked Vigilant (perks)
5 Loan Shark (bowler hat) Hear him out, but you don’t have to sign (loans and rent)
~5–8 Appraiser Board Join (85 credits on Normal) — steady fees and the An Eye for Value achievement
6 Dr. Jackson and Georgio first visit Dr. Jackson sells machines; Georgio’s goods need inspecting
7 First rent (200); Joe Wild’s card arrives Pay rent; call 8376 to open Wild’s favor network

Ten rules for a first run

  1. Always have rent on hand on Sundays. There are no partial payments, and Mark Up gives you only one grace.
  2. Test and inspect before you buy. Ghostwater, fake cigarettes and recalled Immunivax are everywhere.
  3. Don’t overpay suppliers — they overstate value; the developers’ own store text warns about it.
  4. Pick one product line and grow it — water is cheapest since the 1.0 price cuts (water); chemistry pays more but needs care (chemistry).
  5. Hide contraband before inspections — Smuggler Bays exist for a reason.
  6. Don’t report everyone on the poster — John Smith and the Butcher are worth more alive (wanted list).
  7. Never give Eleanor the Care Package (Eleanor).
  8. Never touch Lou’s toy box (Lou).
  9. Don’t shoot unless you’re sure it’s an Aug — a human means a manslaughter investigation (Augs).
  10. Budget for the Business Permit — 1,500 on Mark Up, on sale Day 38, enforced Day 45.

The road to winning

Milestone Target
Comfortably Afloat 10,000+ credits of estimated wealth at the start of a day
Authorized Business Permit by Day 45
Keys to the Kingdom 12,000 deed on a rent day — before Day 50 for Prodigious

Common first-run mistakes

FAQ

What should I pick for my first run?

Apprentice on Mark Up. The developers call Apprentice 'best for beginners', it starts with 550 credits, a Storage Bay and household goods and food, and unlike Fence, Gunsmith, Chemist and Rock Bottom it includes the tutorial.

How do you make money early in Probably Stolen?

Buy low and sell with the normal markup, inspect everything before buying, join the Appraiser Board (85 credits) for appraisal fees, and pick one production line once you can afford it — water is the cheapest to get into since the 1.0 price cuts. Keep cash for rent every 7 days.

Is there a hotkey to call the next customer?

Yes — since patch 1.0.0.5, B rings the counter bell; hold B to dismiss the current customer. It can be rebound in Options.

Can I go back to an earlier day?

Yes. Load Game keeps several earlier days per run (the 'Saved days per run' option controls how many), so you can roll back a bad day.

Related guides

Sources

Checked against the current version on · Medium confidence — consistent community reports, not officially confirmed. Spotted something outdated? Tell us.

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