Start with Apprentice, learn the daily shop routine, and keep a cash reserve before committing to a specialist business.
Choose a manageable start#
The official 1.0 preview recommends Apprentice for newcomers. Water Merchant, Rat Wrangler and the other specialist starts introduce different equipment and responsibilities; they are alternatives, not a checklist you need to complete on your first run.
Choose the difficulty deliberately. A price or survival strategy from another player’s run may assume different difficulty settings.
Before opening the shutters#
Read the morning report and calendar, then prepare the display case before opening. The game uses the display’s opening-time contents to shape visitors; changing it mid-day affects the next day instead.
Merchandise helps attract buyers. Signs serve a different role, attracting relevant sellers or visitors. Display stock that supports the business you can actually operate.
At the counter: inspect before buying#
Use the Magnifying Glass on items that support inspection and compare their properties with the relevant handbook. A familiar-looking item or a wholesale offer is not a substitute for checking it.
Avoid challenging a seller without evidence: an incorrect accusation can hurt reputation. Keep enough money for upcoming obligations instead of buying every upgrade as soon as it appears.
- Inspect the offered item and its condition.
- Check the handbook or the matching reference before valuing it.
- Decide whether the purchase leaves enough cash for your next expenses.
Close, prepare, then sleep#
The bell calls the next customer. Closing the shutters sends waiting customers away, so finish the trading you want to do first.
After closing, the door offers an evening trip. A trip normally costs one random visitor the following day; Short Sleeper changes that trade-off. Check your supplies and condition before leaving.
Nightly services and machines resolve when the day advances, and the game saves after that transition. Prepare equipment before sleeping rather than expecting a purchase to have already processed its inputs.
What to prioritize in your first week#
Check the calendar for Sunday rent and reserve money ahead of it. Learn one repeatable line of work before expanding: appraisal needs its service setup, while water trading needs measured stock and appropriate treatment.
Use the guides below when a new system appears. The calculator introduction explains our tools; it is separate from this full-game starting routine.