Probably Stolen Difficulty Modes Guide

How do the four difficulty options work?

The new-game screen lists four difficulty options next to your starting scenario and starting perks. Difficulty changes prices and bills. Inspection and crafting work the same way on every setting.

Read these lines on the selection screen before you start. A patch can change the wording.

On the difficulty screen	At the counter
Selling markup (Normal shows Mark Up)	A higher markup makes ordinary reselling safer. A tighter markup needs cheaper buys or your own production
Rent growth and starting grace	Faster rent leaves fewer weeks to recover from a bad purchase
Supplier markups and buyer discounts	Read the equipment or wholesale offer before you accept it
Deed and permit costs	A higher buyout takes longer to save. Buy machines that earn their cost

How did hotfixes 1.0.0.1 and 1.0.0.2 change difficulty pricing?

Two launch hotfixes change prices you will actually see:

• Dr. Jackson on Normal: Hotfix 1.0.0.2 lowers his stock markup from 25% to 15%. Early machines, filters and tools cost less.
• Merchant discount: Hotfix 1.0.0.1 makes the visiting Merchant state the discount for your difficulty. He no longer always says 15%.
• Screen text: The same hotfix corrects the reputation lines on the difficulty selection screen.

The offer on the counter already includes your mode’s markup. Read that number before you buy.

Which difficulty should you pick?

Start on Normal (Mark Up) with Apprentice while customer budgets, counterfeit checks and weekly rent are still new. The wider margin lets you try one production line and absorb a bad trade.

Move to hard mode once you can pay rent and the Business Permit without scrambling. From Nothing, the Hard Way on the Steam achievements list needs the Rock Bottom scenario on hard mode. If you also take negative starting perks, do not combine a rent penalty with a trading penalty on the same run.