Your Probably Stolen starting point
Try Probably Stolen if you enjoy inspecting objects, bargaining and building a business under pressure. Start with Apprentice and a gentler difficulty, learn to check goods before buying, and put the next rent payment aside before expanding.
01 / Probably Stolen
How do you actually play Probably Stolen?
Most of your work happens across a shop counter on a divided space station. Customers bring things to sell or come looking for stock. You inspect what is on offer, decide what it is worth and negotiate a price. A cheap item is only a bargain if you understand what you are buying.
Probably Stolen rewards attention more than speed. Check an item's condition and authenticity, think about who might buy it, and decide whether the likely margin is worth the money and risk. You can turn down a deal. Keeping cash available can be more useful than owning another mysterious object.
Check the goods
Look for counterfeits, test water and appraise unfamiliar valuables before you quote.
Make the deal
Choose a price with room for profit, or walk away when you cannot justify the cost.
Keep the shop running
Sell stock, manage supplies and equipment, then check your cash before committing to another day.
02 / Probably Stolen
Which Probably Stolen business would you enjoy running?
Probably Stolen gives you several ways to make the next payment. Start with the routine you enjoy repeating: making quick trades, inspecting unusual objects, tending production or managing questionable stock. Each route asks you to watch a different kind of feedback.
| Your kind of business | What you do | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Counter trading | Buy familiar goods and negotiate a resale | The margin after purchase and processing costs |
| Appraisal work | Inspect a customer's object and submit a valuation | How your estimate compares with the appraisal result |
| Production | Turn supplies into water, crops or other saleable goods | Input costs, processing time and unsold output |
| Riskier dealing | Handle stolen goods or contraband | Item warnings, faction reactions and inspection exposure |
A Probably Stolen background sets up your opening. You can expand into other businesses as the run develops.
03 / Probably Stolen
Will you enjoy Probably Stolen?
Choose Probably Stolen for the satisfaction of spotting a fake, making a good trade and gradually turning a cramped shop into a working business. The space setting shapes the people, goods and politics you deal with; your main job is managing the counter rather than piloting a ship.
Expect reading, repeated checks and decisions with consequences. Probably Stolen suits players who like learning a system over several sessions. If you mainly want quick shooting or free flight, its trading routine may feel slow. If rising bills spoil the fun for you, choose a forgiving difficulty while you learn.
Probably Stolen also suits players who like discovering a story through ordinary work. Returning customers, newspaper reports and requests gradually reveal what is happening around the station. Read the conversation before choosing: a person who buys from you today may need help or bring a different opportunity later.
Probably Stolen is single player and includes drugs, alcohol, weapons and criminal dealings. Pick it for a morally messy shopkeeping story and a business that demands your attention.
Your first win is a shop that can pay its bills. Bigger margins and riskier trades can come later.
04 / Probably Stolen
Which Probably Stolen start should you choose?
Start Probably Stolen as an Apprentice if you want to learn the counter, inspect different goods and upgrade as you go. Choose a beginner-friendly difficulty so that learning an unfamiliar item does not compete with the harshest economic pressure.
Have a particular business in mind? Water Merchant focuses on testing and purification. Hydroponic Farmer and Aquafarmer give you production to manage. Gunsmith brings weapons and permits, while Fence makes stolen goods part of the business. Chemist and Rat Wrangler add their own systems to learn. Save Rock Bottom for a run where starting with nothing is the point.
Pick one route you want to understand. In Probably Stolen, expanding into everything at once makes it harder to tell which purchases are earning their keep.
05 / Probably Stolen
What makes a Probably Stolen deal risky?
An expensive item may be misidentified. Water may need treatment. A profitable weapon or stolen good may attract an inspection. Probably Stolen makes you judge the item and the situation, rather than accept every attractive offer.
Customers also have loyalties. Keep an eye on faction feedback after a decision: access and protection can come with new enemies. When a trade goes badly, trace the loss back to a missed check, an overpayment or a risk you chose to take. Change that part of your routine before making the same purchase again.
The five Probably Stolen reputation tracks are Lower Levels, Upper Levels, Security, Black Market and Revolution. Watch the relevant track after bargaining, reporting or helping someone. Treat a contact or perk as another option to evaluate; keep checking item restrictions and investigation notices even when your reputation improves.
06 / Probably Stolen
Can you play Probably Stolen on your device?
Probably Stolen is a paid Windows PC game installed through Steam. You will need a download and a single-player session at your computer. Check the current regional price before buying.
The minimum setup is 64-bit Windows 10, an Intel Core i3 or equivalent, 8 GB RAM, a GTX 650 Ti equivalent or better, DirectX 10 and 1 GB of storage. English and Simplified Chinese are among the supported interface and subtitle languages.
Returning to Probably Stolen from the demo? Your save can carry over, but a fresh run lets you experience the new opening storylines. The demo was retired with the full release, so use the trailer below to judge the pace before deciding to buy.
See if the pace fits
Watch Probably Stolen before you decide.
Watch the trading, inspection and shop management. If you like weighing up an object before taking a risk, this is the routine you will spend your time learning.
Player unavailable? Watch the Probably Stolen trailer on YouTube (opens in a new tab)
Before your next deal
Probably Stolen questions, answered.
Can I play Probably Stolen free in my browser?
Probably Stolen requires a paid Steam copy and a Windows PC download. The launch demo has been retired. Watch the trailer to see whether the trading and inspection routine suits you.
What is the goal in Probably Stolen?
Keep your business afloat, manage rising rent and earn enough to buy the shop from the landlord. Along the way, choose how you trade and which relationships you build.
Does Probably Stolen have co-op?
Probably Stolen is a single-player game. You make the trading, equipment and faction decisions yourself.
Where should I start if I keep losing money?
Use the Probably Stolen beginner guide to tighten your inspection routine, then use the rent guide to separate money for bills from money available for stock.
Keep your business moving
Your next Probably Stolen move.
Updated · Space Games