500K sales in 2 days: This indie game with 96% positive reviews is blowing up

In Probably Stolen, players run a small shop on the lower levels of a rundown space station. This is where the poorer population lives, while the wealthy enjoy a comfortable life on the upper levels. Surrounded by crime, corruption and black-market trading, players try to build a livelihood for themselves. The problem is that rent keeps going up, and the shop initially barely makes enough money to get by. Fortunately, there are a few rather shady ways to boost business – although players need to be careful not to get ripped off themselves.

Those who prefer to keep things relatively honest can buy goods from customers and resell them for a profit. However, bending the law can be considerably more lucrative. Alongside stolen items, players can trade weapons, drugs and other contraband. While these deals bring in plenty of money, an unexpected police inspection can quickly turn them into a serious problem.

Probably Stolen isn't just about buying and selling, either. Players can establish their own production chains, purify water, grow crops or even breed fish and rats. New machinery and upgrades allow them to gradually expand their business. There are also different factions whose favor can be earned through certain decisions. Whether players turn a wanted criminal over to the authorities or choose to do business with them instead can have consequences.

Probably Stolen seems to have struck a chord

The sales figures alone show just how well the unusual concept has been received by the community. On October 30, developer Questing Goose Studio announced that 500,000 copies had already been sold – just two days after release. And that's not all. According to SteamDB, Probably Stolen reached a new peak of more than 152,000 concurrent players on November 1. The shopkeeping simulation is also performing exceptionally well in the SteamDB charts, ranking second in both "Trending Games" and "Popular Releases." That's an impressive achievement for a small indie game.

And the success doesn't seem to be a coincidence. In Steam reviews, many players describe the familiar "just one more day" effect, which can quickly turn into several hours of gameplay. The wide range of business opportunities and considerable freedom of choice are particularly motivating. On the other hand, some players complain that the gameplay becomes repetitive over time. The user interface and occasional minor technical issues have also drawn criticism. Nevertheless, an impressive 96% of more than 7,000 Steam reviews are positive.

10% launch discount on Steam

Probably Stolen normally costs $19.99 on Steam, but a 10% launch discount brings the price down to $17.99 until November 11. The game is officially rated Steam Deck Playable. 

Anyone curious about what goes on behind the counter can get a closer look in the trailer below: