Beginners Guide

Start Probably Stolen as the Apprentice on Mark Up, keep 200 credits back for rent on Day 7, stock food, inspect everything you buy, and only report a wanted face you are sure of.

For your first run of Probably Stolen, pick the Apprentice, marked Recommended For New Players, on Mark Up or the easier Price Gouge, hold back 200 credits for rent on Day 7, and buy only what you can inspect.

Quick facts

Start	550 credits, a Storage Bay, Household Goods and Food (Apprentice on Mark Up)
First rent	200 credits, Day 7
Your own markup	15% on Mark Up
Best stock	Food, the most traded commodity, per the Mentor
Hints	Press O

Day 1

0:39 Press the wall's green button to open the shutter, then the counter's green button to call customers. AllThingsHow's run met the Mentor, a Scavenger, two Spacers and Officer Lun, and went from 550 credits to 598 by buying five items for 95 and selling on at the 15% markup. Close when the queue is empty and sleep at the sleeping bag; the game saves after you sleep.

The first week

2:35 From Day 2, wholesale offers appear at 33% and 15% off: buying everything a seller holds is often the cheapest stock you will see, if you have room. On Day 3 the Mentor hands you the Magnifying Glass and the Hemingway handbook, and from then on Spotting Fakes protects your money. Fill your display case with what you have most of, since it brings matching buyers the next day. Rent comes on Day 7.

What to pay for at night

Power and Insurance start ticked and Janitorial does not. AllThingsHow pays for the Janitorial Service only when garbage shows in the report, because skipped cleaning dragged GitM's attractiveness from 250 to 125. Without insurance, an uninsured night carries a 33% robbery chance, plus 5% for each further one.

Mistakes to avoid

Never leave contraband in the display case: GitM lost everything to it. Do not hit the alarm on a hunch, because a false report costs reputation and a fine. Do not shoot a customer without proof: see Augs. KeenGamer's rule is "earn before you expand", one working business before more equipment.

A pixel-art shop interior seen from behind the counter, the wanted poster with nine faces at left and a dense grid of goods below. — A man in a red suit and hat stands at the shop window above a banner reading Jonathan Wild, with the Wanted poster open at left and the inventory grid below, in an official Steam store image of Probably Stolen Questing Goose Studio and tinyBuild

Frequently asked questions

What is the best start in Probably Stolen for beginners? The Apprentice, which Probably Stolen marks Recommended For New Players and which starts with extra credits, a Storage Bay and everyday stock.

How do I open the shop in Probably Stolen? Press the green button on the wall to raise the shutter, then the green button on the counter to call each customer.

Does Probably Stolen autosave? Yes, Probably Stolen saves after you sleep.

How do I rotate items in Probably Stolen? Use Q and E to rotate and F to flip the item you are dragging, or the mouse wheel and middle click.

Sources

Probably Stolen Guide: Every Step From Day 1 to Buying the Store, AllThingsHow, Oct 29, 2026
Probably Stolen Beginner Guide: Running Day 1 and Saving to Pay Rent, AllThingsHow, Oct 29, 2026
Probably Stolen: Complete Walkthrough & Beginner Tips, KeenGamer (Ali Amir), Oct 28, 2026
Probably Stolen tips: rent, contraband and fakes, GitM, Oct 30, 2026
Probably Stolen: How to Spot Fakes With Every Item Manual's Counterfeit Tells, AllThingsHow, Oct 29, 2026
Every Wanted List Bounty in Probably Stolen and How to Report Wanted Customers, AllThingsHow, Oct 29, 2026
I opened a pawn shop with STOLEN items in a dystopian future!, Real Civil Engineer, Aug 3, 2026 (video)

Moments

I opened a pawn shop with STOLEN items in a dystopian future!

Real Civil Engineer

0:39 Press the wall's green button to open the shutter, then the counter's green button to call customers. AllThingsHow's…
2:35 From Day 2, wholesale offers appear at 33% and 15% off: buying everything a seller holds is often the cheapest stock…