15 Early Probably Stolen Tips for Day One

Sources checked 2026-11-03 · Independent fan guide · Single-sourced claims are marked inline

The Probably Stolen tips that matter in your first days: start Apprentice, read every receipt, hold stock back, keep a bandage in the bag, and pay the nightly bills. The game does not explain itself — IGN's framing — so this list compresses the early habits from IGN, GameSpew, Tpose Gaming and Into Indie Games' week-one walkthrough into one shelf.

Before the shutter opens

1. Start as the Apprentice on the easiest difficulty. The developer's 1.0 announcement calls Apprentice "best for beginners"; Into Indie Games and GameSpew agree. You begin with extra credits, a Storage Bay and a stock of household goods and food (Tpose Gaming).
2. Remember Rock Bottom is a scenario, not a difficulty. You can pair it with harder modes, Tpose Gaming warns — your first run should not.
3. Your first run can't use active perks. From the second run onward you can hold up to four (Into Indie Games), so don't hunt for a perk menu on day one.

At the counter

4. Open the receipt before you sell. The tablet's Interests section shows what each customer actually wants and their budget — Into Indie Games' first customers had 62 credits for food and 106 for materials.
5. Don't drain every budget. If stock is low, hold some back; the next customer may pay more (GameSpew).
6. You are not on the clock. The store lists itself as playable without timed input — inspect inventory and consider the deal instead of racing (GameSpew).
7. Inspect everything risky. One confirmed discrepancy is enough to confront a seller and force the price down; a wrong accusation costs you reputation instead (Into Indie Games, Tpose Gaming).
8. Relabel fakes selectively. Relabeled counterfeits sell fine to tourists, upper-level customers and scavengers; avoid lower-level citizens and Security (Into Indie Games).
9. Barter in both directions. Pushing for better prices is expected, but sometimes give the customer the better deal — the faction reputation pays later (IGN).

The shop itself

10. Use the Storage Bay and your bags. Inventory space runs out fast; the bay and scavenging bags are extra slots (GameSpew).
11. Master the window display. Neon signs plus matching stock draw the customers you want; swap signs around coming events like a Nutrifruit shortage to buy low and sell high (Into Indie Games, IGN).
12. Keep a wide range early. Until you've found a focus, stock a bit of everything to please as many customers as possible (GameSpew).
13. Check the Feedback Box. It sits left of the door and shows faction reputation moving after each deal (IGN).

Nights and dangers

14. Pack a bandage for the Dumping Ground. Scavenging risks injury — the community-run probablystolenwiki.com read 10.00% minor / 2.25% major wound odds off an official screenshot — and you can't scavenge while wounded. Each night out also costs you one customer the next morning (GameSpew, Into Indie Games, probablystolenwiki.com).
15. Pay the nightly bills and don't report everyone. GameSpew: pay the power, security and janitorial services. IGN: wanted criminals belong to factions — reporting them costs standing, and some (Into Indie Games' Arthur Lefleur) will trade a favor instead. The exception is Augs: once confirmed, deal with them on sight.

For the systems behind these habits, the beginner guide walks the scripted first week, and the money guide explains the margins that keep the rent paid.