Currently living its viral moment, Probably Stolen by Questing Goose Studio, published by tinyBuild, is loose on the Steam store. Available for an introductory price of £15.29, is this cyberpunk shop simulator something that stands out in the crowd or should it stay on the lower levels? I gave Probably Stolen a go to see whether it was worth adding to your game library.
If you’re looking for other games for your library you can check out our PC review here!
Me??? Selling stolen goods??? Absolutely not!
Gameplay
Probably Stolen throws a lot at you as soon as the game loads. When starting a new game, you have to choose what type of shop you want to open. These options range from a standard, generic store to more specialised stores that offer different perks. As expected, these other options come with both benefits and issues depending on what you choose. Some are labelled to say that they will make the game harder. After this, you choose from a list of perks and debuffs for yourself specifically. These range from having increased luck to having worse prices. It’s a pick and mix to create the best combination to get the most from your shop.
After this, there’s a quick tutorial that is weaved in between actually serving customers and it isn’t anywhere near as intense as the choices would make you think. The actually selling of merchandise is exactly the same as most store management simulators. As well as selling, you can buy from people that visit the store. Buying wholesale offers better prices and later on you can also barter to see if you can get some better prices. Once the day ends, there is the option to either leave your shop and see if you can scavenge for stock for your store, or you can go to sleep for the night. Even the night time options develop as you progress in Probably Stolen. Instead of just paying the bills each night, as you get further into the game, you unlock things such as insurance for if your store gets robbed.
Never ending reputation
Each different section of society has an opinion on your store. The government wants you to turn in bad guys, the bad guys want you to give them a free pass and the Black Market wants you to buy and sell all their dodgy dealings. Reputation is quite extensive and adds another interactive layer to Probably Stolen. In your first days of owning a shop, you’re given a list of people that are being watched by the government. If you turn them in you get money back. If you don’t turn them in you get in trouble. It’s up to you to decide who you want to befriend and who you don’t mind upsetting.
Graphics & Audio
Probably Stolen’s art style really commits to the Cyberpunk setting while highlighting the impoverished side of the world. It is really clear that the player’s store is on the lower levels and not living it up with those closer to the surface. Each product has its own unique design and never feels like the devs got lazy with their design. Similarly, the audio makes the lower levels feel lived in and real. It’s mainly ambient sound but it makes it really easy to get engrossed in the game.
Longevity
Honestly, it was difficult for me to lock into Probably Stolen. On a surface level, the game offers plenty to do with goals in mind. However, it falls into the same issue many store management games have: it gets too repetitive. It also suffers from feeling like there’s no real achievement for succeeding. Sometimes you need to be told you’re doing a good job, and Probably Stolen doesn’t often do this beyond the tutorial at the begining of the game.
I can definitely see this game being perfect for many players who are looking for a game to switch off to but this missed the mark for me.
Final Thoughts
Whilst I didn’t have the best time with Probably Stolen I can’t deny that this game was made with so much love and care. It’s a really well made game and I can see why so many people love it. I will definitely be going back to this evenutally and giving it another go to see whether I can get any deeper into it. I can’t not give props to Questing Goose Studios for creating a really good game. I’m giving Probably Stolen the Thumb Culture Gold Award. This game is well-crafted and can be a great addition to any simulation game fan’s library.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
If you enjoyed this review, why not check out my previous article here or shoutout to similar game recently reviewed by someone else
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