The best starting perks in Probably Stolen, how negative perks buy positive ones, and starting builds for money, water, chemistry and hard mode.
Probably Stolen Best Perks and Starting Builds
Starting perks are the last decision before a Probably Stolen run begins, and they are easy to rush. The screen asks you to take negative perks to earn points, then spend those points on positive perks. A build that looks strong on paper can leave you unable to pay rent; a modest build with a cash buffer can carry a whole run.
This page covers the known perks, the point economy, and builds for the main playstyles. Exact perk values are community-reported; the screen does not expose every number.
How the perk screen works
The screen shows available perks, selected perks, available perk points, and a counter such as Perks: 4/7. Negative perks add points; positive perks spend them. Some perks are mutually exclusive, so you cannot take every good option.
The practical rule: take negatives that hurt a system you do not use, and spend the points on a system that compounds. A negative that raises rent is dangerous for every build. A negative that hurts a trade you never touch is nearly free.
Known perks
| Perk | Type | Reported effect | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Savings | Positive | Extra starting credits | High |
| Working Pipes | Positive | 600 starting value in water infrastructure | High |
| Short Sleeper | Positive | Less time lost to sleep | Medium |
| Colorful Character | Positive | Reputation gain | Medium |
| Makeshift Reactor | Positive | Power or machine support | Medium |
| Vigilant | Positive | Security or awareness | Medium |
| Bad Lease | Negative | +40 rent | High |
| Awful Negotiator | Negative | Worse sale prices | High |
The names come from the starting-perk screen and community reports. The exact magnitude of several perks is not published; treat “medium” confidence as a direction, not a number.
The best positive perks
Savings is the safest pick in the game. Early Probably Stolen is a cash-flow problem, and extra starting credits buy stock, pay rent, or absorb a bad appraisal. It is boring and it is correct.
Working Pipes is strong for water, chemistry, and hydroponics starts. A 600-credit starting value in water infrastructure saves you the first machine purchase and lets you start producing clean water immediately.
Short Sleeper is a tempo perk. More active hours per day means more customers served and more machine cycles checked. It is best on a production build where every day has a queue of tasks.
Colorful Character and Vigilant are reputation and security perks. They are worth more on a social or criminal run than on a pure production run.
Makeshift Reactor is a power perk. It is useful when you run several overnight machines, but it is not a substitute for an Energy Cell.
The negatives to avoid
Bad Lease adds 40 rent. On Thin Margins, where rent already rises by 10% per payment, that is a compounding penalty. Do not take it unless you are deliberately playing a challenge run.
Awful Negotiator reduces your sale prices. Since margin is the core of the game, this is one of the most expensive negatives. It can be tolerable on a production build that sells at fixed prices, but it is bad for a haggling shop.
Good negatives are the ones that target a system you can ignore: a perk that hurts a trade you never use, or a convenience you can live without. Do not take a negative that touches rent, appraisal, or customer traffic unless you have a plan.
Choose your positive build first, then take the cheapest negative that funds it. The other order leads to a random penalty you cannot play around.
Build: safe first run
| Slot | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | Savings | Cash buffer for rent and stock |
| Positive | Working Pipes | Water income without a machine purchase |
| Positive | Short Sleeper | More time for customers |
| Negative | A trade-specific penalty | Avoid rent and negotiation penalties |
This build works with Apprentice or Water Merchant. It is not flashy, but it survives the first two weeks.
Build: chemistry
| Slot | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | Savings | Buys the first reagents |
| Positive | Makeshift Reactor | Supports overnight machines |
| Positive | Short Sleeper | More batches per day |
| Negative | A combat or gun penalty | Chemistry does not need it |
Chemistry is capital-intensive. Savings matters more than a percentage bonus you cannot afford to use.
Build: hard mode
On Thin Margins, the retail markup is gone and rent rises faster. The priority is cash flow and margin, not convenience.
- Take Savings.
- Take Working Pipes if you are running water.
- Avoid Bad Lease and Awful Negotiator.
- Take a negative that hurts a system you will not touch.
A hard-mode run with no cash buffer is a restart waiting to happen.
Build: criminal
| Slot | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | Colorful Character | Reputation with the underworld |
| Positive | Vigilant | Security awareness |
| Positive | Savings | Fixer fees and bribes |
| Negative | A legal-trade penalty | You are not running a legal shop |
Criminal builds need cash for fixers and a plan for investigations. The crime guide covers that side.
Perks and achievements
Some achievements interact with starting choices. We Have Rats! requires the hidden rat start, and From Nothing requires Rock Bottom. If you are hunting achievements, check the achievements page before you finalise a build.
The Shiny achievement requires 1,000 attractiveness, which is a shop stat, not a perk. Do not take a perk expecting it to carry the achievement.
FAQ
How many perks can I select? The screen shows a budget such as 4/7. Negative perks add points, and some perks are mutually exclusive.
What is the best perk in Probably Stolen? Savings is the safest and most universally useful. Working Pipes is the best specialist perk for water builds.
Can I respec perks? The sources used here do not document a respec. Treat the choice as permanent for the run.
Do perks carry between runs? No. Starting perks are chosen per run.
Community source: in-game Starting Perks screen, community perk reports, and the Steam Community guide hub ↗. Store reference: Probably Stolen ↗. Workshop examples: Steam Workshop ↗.
Related
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How Probably Stolen customers work: lower and upper level buyers, security, black market, haggling, special requests, and how to match stock to demand.
Probably Stolen difficulty explained: Price Gouge, Mark Up and Thin Margins modifiers, rent increases, permit costs, reputation multipliers and Endless Mode.
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Probably Stolen endings explained: the shop buyout win, the end-of-run stats screen, failure states, Endless Mode and what carries into a new run.
Step-by-step Probably Stolen mod installation: subscribing on Steam Workshop, enabling mods, load order, manual installs, updates, backups and uninstall.
A Probably Stolen items database with base values, authenticity risks and sources for hands, cartridges, food, chems, water, modules and contraband.