Probably Stolen How to Open Crates and Use Keycards
How to open sealed supply crates in Probably Stolen: the five crate types, department keycards, the drag-and-drop step, sources and drop odds.
Sealed supply crates are one of the best early income spikes in Probably Stolen, and one of the most common sources of confusion. They are not lockpicked, hacked, or opened with a tool. Each crate needs a disposable keycard from the department that sealed it, and the card is consumed when the crate opens.
This guide covers the five crate types, where the matching keycards come from, the exact opening step, and what the community has documented about the loot tables. For inventory space, see the storage guide→. For item values, see the items database→.
A Security keycard opens Security crates. A Medical keycard opens Medical crates. A Command keycard opens any of them. Using the wrong card does not consume it.
The five sealed crates
| Crate | Matching keycard | Base value |
|---|---|---|
| Security Department Supply Crate | Security Department Disposable Keycard | 200 |
| Security Department Evidence Locker | Security Department Disposable Keycard | 200 |
| Medical Bay Supply Crate | Medical Bay Disposable Keycard | 200 |
| Engineering Foundry Supply Crate | Engineering Disposable Keycard | 200 |
| Service Department Supply Crate | Service Department Disposable Keycard | 175 |
The Evidence Locker is a Security Department container, so it takes the Security card rather than a separate “Evidence” card. A Command keycard is the universal key: it opens any sealed crate, including the Evidence Locker.
The base value is what the sealed crate is worth as an item. It is not the value of the loot inside, and it is not a shop price. A sealed crate is also treated as contraband or stolen property in the contexts where that matters, which is why carrying one openly can attract the wrong attention.
How to open a sealed crate
The opening step is a drag-and-drop action, not a context menu.
- Put the sealed crate in your inventory.
- Get the matching disposable keycard.
- Open the inventory screen.
- Drag the keycard onto the sealed crate.
- The crate opens, the card is consumed, and the loot rolls into the crate's grid.
If the card does not match, the game leaves it in your inventory. That is the built-in safety valve: experimenting with a card does not destroy it. The only card you lose is the one that successfully opens the crate.
This is the same “use an item on another item” gesture the game uses for other interactions, such as dragging a bandage onto a Glass Shard to make a Glass Shiv. If dragging does nothing, check that the crate is actually sealed and that the card is the right department.
Once opened, the crate's name loses the “(Sealed)” tag, its value drops to about 15 credits, and it is no longer treated as stolen or contraband. The contents are what you are actually selling.
What is inside the crate
Each crate contains a grid of rolled items. Community documentation puts the grid at 7 columns by 5 rows, with 27 to 58 rolls depending on the crate type. The roll count is not the number of items you keep; an item is only added if it fits in the remaining grid space.
The same community data reports that Luck is rolled per row. If your Luck at the moment of opening is higher than it was when the crate was generated, the game can refill rows using the new Luck value. That makes Luck a real opening stat, not just a shop stat.
Notable pulls, according to community testing:
| Crate | Guaranteed or common | Rare highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Security Supply Crate | Energy Cell; 10mm ammo, bandages, keycards, flashbangs, smoke grenades at roughly 50–55% | Sentinel Mk.III, PulseGuard, Current Converter at roughly 20% |
| Evidence Locker | Chemicals, Dream Dust, Phanta Pill at roughly 50%; Nomore at roughly 35% | Command keycard at roughly 10%; ETERNAL serum at roughly 4% |
| Medical Supply Crate | Genuine Immunivax and an Energy Cell; chemicals, ointment, alcohol, bandages at roughly 75% | Surgery Toolset at roughly 25% |
| Engineering Supply Crate | Energy Cell and Mk.II item; tools and modules at roughly 50% | Module Bay Expansion Kit or Extractor at roughly 25%; Neural Core at roughly 4% |
| Service Supply Crate | Packaged food; toothpaste, water filters, seeds, Energy Cell at roughly 75% | Service keycard at roughly 66%; advanced filters, perfume, mini purifier at roughly 8–12% |
These percentages are community estimates, not an official drop table. Treat them as planning ranges. The guaranteed items are the reliable part: Medical crates are worth opening for Immunivax alone, and Security crates are a steady source of Energy Cells and ammunition.
Where to get sealed crates
The reliable sources are event-driven, not a single shop shelf.
| Source | What they offer | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Underground Exchange | Security crate for 3 Security keycards; Medical or Engineering crate for 4 keycards | Exchange access |
| Thief | Random stolen crates | Roughly 30% visit chance; black-market reputation improves the odds |
| James Bailey | Security crate or Evidence Locker | Returns later; reported 35% base chance plus 1% per day |
| Georgio | Evidence Locker | Around day 37 |
| Scavenger | Engineering crate | Around day 11 |
| Evidence Locker Break-In | Evidence Locker | Random event |
The Underground Exchange is the most controllable source because you trade cards rather than hoping for a visit. The catch is that you are spending the same keycards you need to open the crates. Early on, it is usually better to open the crates you find than to trade three cards for one new crate, unless the new crate type fills a gap your shop cannot otherwise cover.
The Service crate is the least documented. The sources used for this page do not identify a reliable Service crate vendor, so treat Service crates as event or thief stock rather than a farmable supply.
Where to get keycards
Keycards come from three places:
- Inside crates. Security, Medical, Engineering, and Service crates can all roll their own department's card, and the Evidence Locker can roll a Command card.
- The Thief. The same visit that sells stolen crates can supply cards.
- Crafting. Players report buying a Cryptographic Desequencer and blank chips from Dr. Jackson to make keycards. This is community-reported and may depend on progression or stock; check his inventory before planning around it.
Because a successful open consumes the card, keycard supply is the real limit on crate opening. Do not spend your last Security card on an Exchange trade if you are holding a Security crate you cannot otherwise open. The money guide→ explains why a guaranteed open is usually worth more than a speculative trade.
Are crates worth buying?
A sealed crate at 200 credits is a gamble with a floor. Even a mediocre Security crate usually returns ammunition, bandages, or an Energy Cell you would otherwise buy. A Medical crate with a guaranteed Immunivax can pay for itself immediately if your shop sells medical stock.
The bad outcomes are real: a crate that rolls mostly low-value consumables can return less than its purchase price, and a crate bought from the Thief adds reputation risk on top of the money risk. The safe rule is to buy crates only when you can open them in the same session and you already have a customer or display slot for the contents.
Do not stockpile sealed crates in a Smuggler's Bay and forget them. Inspections can confiscate contraband, and the 1.0.0.1 patch specifically fixed cases where Smuggler's Bay contents were confiscated when the bay was in the trash or behind the poster. Keep sealed stock in the container you actually intend to use.
FAQ
How do you open a crate in Probably Stolen?
Drag the matching disposable keycard onto the sealed crate in your inventory. A successful open consumes the card and reveals the loot.
Can a Command keycard open any crate?
Yes. The Command keycard is the universal key and works on Security, Medical, Engineering, Service, and Evidence Locker crates.
Does a wrong keycard get wasted?
No. If the card does not match, it stays in your inventory. Only a successful open consumes it.
How many items fit in a crate?
Community documentation puts the opened crate grid at 7 by 5 cells. Items that do not fit are not added, so clear inventory space before opening a large crate.
Do crates reroll if I reload a save?
No. Since 1.0.0.5, crate contents are final once revealed. Reloading no longer restocks an opened crate with new items.
Community source: Probably Stolen supply crates on Wikily ↗, Thief guide on tposegaming ↗, and the Steam Community hub ↗. Official patch behavior from Steam news ↗.