Probably Stolen best perks: Tier List and Builds

Find the best Probably Stolen starting perks, compare point costs, and build stronger normal or Rock Bottom runs with practical progression tips.

Which Starting Perks Should You Choose?

A bad starting loadout can leave your shop struggling before its first profitable week. Choosing the Probably Stolen best perks helps you preserve inventory, cut recurring expenses, and unlock useful faction benefits sooner. This Probably Stolen best perks guide prioritizes reliable progression, with separate recommendations for normal runs and cash-starved Rock Bottom starts.

Probably Stolen - Cyberpunk Shopkeeper Sim official screenshot

Official screenshot · Source: Steam store

The short answer: prioritize Sawyer’s Crew and Diplomatic for general progression. Add Vigilant for protection, or consider Savings and Welfare Program when your biggest problem is getting merchandise onto the shelves.

These recommendations synthesize a starting-perk tier list and gameplay breakdown with player experiences in the Probably Stolen Steam discussion. They are not official balance rankings. Community reports sometimes disagree, particularly about Vigilant and alarm reliability, so those distinctions matter.

Probably Stolen Best Perks Tier List

The strongest starting perks either keep delivering value or solve an immediate bottleneck. A recurring discount can outperform a one-time gift, but starting cash becomes much more important when you otherwise cannot trade.

This ranking evaluates general usefulness, point efficiency, and early-game impact. Specialized combinations can change a perk’s value substantially.

Tier	Perk	Point cost	Main benefit	Best use
S	Sawyer’s Crew	1	Early Underground Exchange access, free routine janitor service, reduced vandalism cleanup costs	Nearly any shop
S	Diplomatic	2	33% more reputation generated through trade	Long-term faction progression
A	Vigilant	2	Prevents nighttime robberies	Protecting stock and avoiding protection expenses
A	Welfare Program	1	Early commissary access and wealth-dependent food stamps	Building early food inventory
A	Well-Connected	2	Starts with 15 additional reputation across all factions	Reaching early faction benefits
B	Model Citizen	1	Starts with 30 additional Security reputation; 20% higher wanted-customer reporting rewards	Security-focused openings
B*	Savings	1	Starts with 150 additional credits	Funding first-day purchases
C	Colorful Character	1	Adds three starting perk slots, while occupying one itself	Expanded, carefully planned builds
C	Proficient Scavenger	1	Up to two additional searches per dumping-ground visit	Scavenging-focused openings
C	Secret Admirer	1	Occasional random item gifts	Supplemental stock
C	Tape Head	1	Starts with all music cassettes	Music access or delayed resale value
F	Intimidating	3	Crimes generate 25% less available evidence	Narrow evidence-management needs

Savings rises sharply in value for Rock Bottom. Its general ranking should not discourage you from taking it when zero starting cash is your main obstacle.

Use the Probably Stolen best perks tier list as a shortlist, not a rigid purchase order. A strong perk that addresses tomorrow’s problem may still be less useful than one that lets you survive today.

Why the Top Perks Win

Sawyer’s Crew: Best Value for One Point

Sawyer’s Crew combines an immediate unlock with recurring savings. Routine janitor service becomes free, while vandalism cleanup remains a separate expense at a reduced cost.

That distinction matters: the perk does not make every cleanup free. Its dependable benefit is removing ordinary janitorial charges throughout the run.

Because you save money repeatedly, more of your earnings can go toward merchandise and upgrades. Early Underground Exchange access adds another reason to consider it, but the routine savings alone make it a strong foundation.

Diplomatic: Best for Sustained Progression

Diplomatic increases reputation earned from trade by 33%. It does not grant a 33% sales-price increase, and it does not apply to every reputation source.

As a simple illustration, trades that would normally generate 100 reputation would generate roughly 133 before any relevant rounding or other modifiers.

The source breakdown links stronger faction relationships with unlocks, customer budgets, and customer approval. That gives Diplomatic benefits beyond reaching a single threshold: it accelerates progression while you perform your normal trading activities.

Among the Probably Stolen best perks, Diplomatic is especially attractive when you expect a long run with frequent sales.

Vigilant: Best for Predictable Inventory Protection

Vigilant prevents nighttime robberies, protecting both your goods and the money invested in them. Pairing it with Sawyer’s Crew addresses two recurring operating concerns: protection and cleaning.

However, the opportunity cost deserves attention. The video’s player experience notes that skipping paid protection also means earning less Wild favor through those payments.

Community reports also disagree about whether alarms adequately replace Vigilant. Some players describe alarms as sufficient; others question their reliability based on demo experience. Those reports do not establish a universal failure rate.

Choose Vigilant for a guaranteed perk effect—not because every alternative has been proven ineffective.

Welfare Program and Well-Connected: Strong Early Accelerators

Welfare Program provides early commissary access, with food-stamp availability tied to wealth. The video creator reports receiving an initial stamp redeemable for 160 commissary tokens, versus about 120 credits when sold to a merchant.

That makes redeeming the stamp worth considering, especially when you need food stock. However, it is a reported test result rather than a promise for every future version or starting setup.

Well-Connected takes a different approach: an immediate 15-reputation boost with every faction. It helps you approach several early unlocks, whereas Diplomatic improves the rate of future trade reputation.

Your immediate goal	Preferred perk	Main trade-off
Reduce ongoing shop expenses	Sawyer’s Crew	Vandalism cleanup still costs money
Accelerate reputation through regular sales	Diplomatic	Requires trading to deliver value
Eliminate nighttime robbery risk	Vigilant	Costs two points and reduces the need for favor-generating protection payments
Obtain early food merchandise	Welfare Program	Requires commissary visits and carrying space
Advance several factions immediately	Well-Connected	Its reputation bonus is a one-time head start

Best Perk Combinations for Normal and Rock Bottom Runs

The Probably Stolen best perks for a normal opening are not necessarily the best choices for Rock Bottom. Start by identifying your limiting resource: cash, safe inventory, carrying capacity, or reputation.

The combinations below are planning packages, not claims that every start can equip them immediately. Check your available points and slots before committing.

Starting plan	Core package	Positive-point cost	Why it works
Balanced progression	Sawyer’s Crew + Diplomatic	3	Combines recurring savings with faster trade reputation
Low-risk shop	Sawyer’s Crew + Vigilant	3	Reduces routine cleaning expenses and prevents nighttime robberies
Rock Bottom cash opening	Savings + Sawyer’s Crew	2	Funds purchases immediately while limiting ongoing costs
Early food trading	Welfare Program + Sawyer’s Crew	2	Supplies an inventory route alongside cheaper upkeep
Security-focused opening	Model Citizen + Diplomatic	3	Combines an immediate Security boost with ongoing trade reputation

Normal Start: Favor Benefits That Keep Paying

If your profession already provides a workable cash reserve, begin by considering Sawyer’s Crew and Diplomatic.

For context, the video describes a normal Apprentice opening with 400 credits. Savings would increase that to 550, a 37.5% increase. That is useful, but it does not create access to trading where none existed before.

In that situation, recurring savings or faster faction progression may offer more value than extra starting capital.

Rock Bottom: Solve the First-Day Cash Problem

From zero credits, Savings changes your options immediately. You can purchase goods on day one instead of relying entirely on another income route.

Welfare Program offers a different opening:

Access the commissary early.
Redeem an available food stamp.
Purchase only what you can carry.
Bring the food back for subsequent sales.
Reinvest earnings into a more dependable stock supply.

Check your carrying capacity before spending tokens. The video specifically warns that starting pocket space is limited. A satchel or another carrying solution can determine how much inventory you can bring home.

Scavenging Build: Judge the Whole Combination

Proficient Scavenger looks weaker by itself because additional searches also mean additional exposure to injury risk.

However, community reports describe pairing Careful Scavenger and Proficient Scavenger to combine injury protection with additional attempts. One player reports a Hard Mode Rock Bottom setup using those perks alongside Colorful Character, Sawyer’s Crew, Vigilant, Diplomatic, and Ascetic.

That is a specialized player experience, not a universally verified optimal build. Its lesson is useful nonetheless: evaluate interacting perks together, rather than assuming their standalone rankings tell the whole story.

Situational Picks, Negative Perks, and Common Mistakes

A practical Probably Stolen best perks strategy accounts for both perk points and perk slots. Extra points do not help if you lack room to equip the benefits you want.

Colorful Character Expands Slots, Not Your Budget

Colorful Character adds three starting slots but occupies one, producing a net gain of two usable slots. It also costs one point.

That makes it a build-enabling tool rather than a direct economic bonus. Take it when you have a specific combination in mind—not simply because more slots sound useful.

The video discusses pairing it with Minimalist, which provides three points in exchange for reduced inventory capacity. Community reports favor Ascetic combinations too, but the supplied discussion does not explain Ascetic’s exact mechanics or point value. Check its current in-game description before planning around it.

Negative-perk option	Reported appeal	What to evaluate first
Minimalist	Provides three points in the video’s description	Whether reduced inventory disrupts hauling and scavenging
Alcoholism	One player reports it is manageable with a steady beer supply	Whether you can maintain that supply consistently
One fewer daily customer	One player found it tolerable with high customer traffic	Whether your own start has enough customers to absorb the loss

None of these is automatically “free points.” A drawback that barely affects one shop can undermine another.

Know When Lower-Ranked Perks Make Sense

Model Citizen is an efficient one-point option when Security access matters. Its 30 starting Security reputation grants immediate Security merchant access according to the video breakdown, while reporting rewards provide a secondary benefit.

Secret Admirer supplies occasional items, but unpredictable gifts are difficult to build a first-week plan around.

Tape Head is appealing if you want the soundtrack available immediately. For progression, the video estimates roughly 190 credits in cassette resale value but reports waiting until day seven to sell them. That delayed payout is less useful than Savings when you need purchasing power now.

Intimidating costs three points for a 25% evidence reduction. The video creator found evidence manageable without it, even in a contraband-focused run. That is player experience, not proof that evidence never becomes dangerous, but it supports treating this expensive perk as a specialized choice.

When comparing the Probably Stolen best perks, avoid these common mistakes:

Confusing Diplomatic’s reputation bonus with a sales-price bonus.
Treating Vigilant as protection against every kind of loss or damage.
Buying more commissary goods than you can transport.
Taking inventory penalties while planning frequent hauling trips.
Choosing perks without checking both slot limits and point costs.

FAQ: Probably Stolen Best Perks

What are the Probably Stolen best perks for beginners?

Sawyer’s Crew and Diplomatic are strong general recommendations. Sawyer’s Crew reduces routine expenses, while Diplomatic accelerates reputation from trade. Vigilant is a useful alternative when preventing nighttime inventory loss matters more than faster faction progression.

Is Vigilant better than buying an alarm?

Vigilant explicitly prevents nighttime robberies. Community reports disagree about alarm reliability, and some discussion concerns the demo rather than a verified current-version test. Choose Vigilant for certainty and convenience, while remembering that paid protection can contribute Wild favor.

Is Savings worth taking for Rock Bottom?

Yes. Its 150 starting credits can enable first-day purchases when you would otherwise start with no money. Welfare Program is another strong early option, but its inventory route requires commissary access, an available stamp, and enough carrying space.

Should I always take Colorful Character?

No. It is most useful when a planned combination needs additional slots. Because it costs a point and occupies one slot itself, the benefit is two additional usable slots—not free points. Secure a workable opening first, then expand the build if the extra choices justify their drawbacks.