What Rock Bottom Takes Away
Rock Bottom makes the opening struggle the point of the run. Recorded playtest player experience describes Rock Bottom as a start with no money, no supplies, and no Mentor assistance. Your first goal is to create working capital before the next rent deadline closes in.
The developer's 1.0 scenario announcement describes Rock Bottom as starting from nothing. This Probably Stolen rock bottom guide uses that identity and documented playtest experience without assuming every custom challenge penalty belongs to the scenario.
Separate the Scenario From Your Difficulty Settings
A widely documented challenge combines three choices: Rock Bottom, Hard mode, and six negative starting modifiers. Copying that run means taking on much more than an empty inventory.
The creator's Hard-mode recording removes the ordinary retail markup, making wholesale discounts and scavenged goods especially important. It also removes the initial missed-rent allowance, raises bills, and increases weekly rent growth more sharply.
The six negative modifiers are additional selections. They include restrictions affecting inventory, customers, reputation, and the lease. They are not six automatic Rock Bottom penalties.
Read your own start settings before planning around a grace period or expected margin. An approach that survives a forgiving rent rule may fail immediately in the recorded Hard challenge.
Find the First Credits Without Creating a Bigger Problem
The documented challenge identifies wanted-criminal reports as an important early source of income. Inspect the wanted information carefully and report an actual match. A false accusation can create penalties instead of the cash you need.
Scavenging can provide stock without a purchase price. In recorded playtest experience, however, an expedition can cost the next morning's customer and leave you wounded. With very little starting capital, those consequences matter. Do not spend scarce credits on expedition equipment without considering how it affects the rent deadline.
Once you have some cash, inspect wholesale offers. Their discount can create a resale margin where ordinary buying and selling does not, especially under the recorded Hard rules. Buy useful stock you can move, rather than accepting every cheap bundle.
The opening decision is less “Which production empire should I build?” and more “Which next action leaves me with usable money and another day of trade?”
Stabilize the Shop Before Expanding
Use the display to support stock you can actually handle. Recorded playtest tutorials use merchandise to attract buyers and category neon signs to attract sellers. Arrange it before opening, because that recording sets the day's customer queue when the shutter rises.
Avoid spending the first successful sale on a machine you cannot yet supply or power. Production can be valuable later, but an idle machine does not pay rent.
A practical recovery routine is:
- Check the calendar and upcoming rent.
- Review stock and cash before making new purchases.
- Favor trades with clear resale opportunities.
- Keep the payment reserve available.
- Put goods away and check essential equipment before sleeping.
This is a planning routine, not a guaranteed first-week script. Customer offers and your selected modifiers affect which opportunities are available.
As the shop becomes stable, add one understandable income loop at a time. Cash flow, storage, and a buyer for the output matter as much as the production machine itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Rock Bottom start without the Mentor?
That is how the documented playtest challenge describes it: no money, no supplies, and no Mentor assistance.
Does Rock Bottom automatically include six negative modifiers?
No. Those were deliberately selected for a creator's custom challenge.
Can I miss the first rent payment?
Check your difficulty. The recorded Hard-mode challenge has no initial missed-payment allowance; normal-playtest grace reports should not be applied to it.
Is scavenging the only way to begin?
No. The documented challenge also uses wanted-criminal reporting, and wholesale trading becomes relevant once you have money. None guarantees a particular amount of early income.