Probably Stolen Rock Bottom Guide

Rock Bottom is the game's challenge start and the source of its two rarest achievements. It is not a harder version of the Apprentice; it is a different opening with no safety net. The first three days decide whether the run exists.

What the start gives you

• 0 credits.
• 200 rent, due on the normal schedule.
• No stock, no machines, no supplies.
• The same store, the same customers and the same rent clock as every other start.

The difficulty preset matters. From Nothing can be earned on the standard challenge; From Nothing, the Hard Way requires the hard-mode rules. The Thin Margins preset is the community's name for the low-margin configuration; check the difficulty screen before you start.

Perks for Rock Bottom

If you have unlocked starting perks, the opening is much more manageable:

• Savings (1 point): +150 credits. This is the difference between scavenging for rent and scavenging for stock.
• Proficient Scavenger (1 point): +2 Dumping Ground searches. More chances per day.
• Welfare Program (1 point): Commissary access and Monday food stamps. Food is a real cost when you have no income.
• Handy (1 point): toolbox and basic tools. Repairs and scavenging.
• Careful Scavenger (0 points): no wounds, three searches. Free, but slower.
• Colorful Character (1 point): +3 slots, if you want a wide build.

The best two-perk opener is Savings + Proficient Scavenger. If you are hungry, swap Proficient Scavenger for Welfare Program.

Do not take Maimed for points. It removes scavenging, which is the entire opening.

Day 1: scavenge, do not decorate

1. Search the Dumping Grounds. Take everything that has a buyer.
2. Appraise before you sell. A misjudged item is a loss you cannot afford.
3. Sell to walk-in customers. Do not wait for a perfect price; rent is coming.
4. Buy only rent cover and food. No machines, no displays, no upgrades.
5. Record the rent date. Put the 200 credits aside before you spend on stock.

The first day is about converting free items into cash. The store is a place to sell, not yet a business.

Day 2–3: build a stock loop

Once the first rent is covered, the next goal is a repeatable stock loop. The cheapest loops are:

• Scavenged goods — free, but limited by searches and wounds.
• Water — a testing kit and a cheap filter turn source water into a product.
• Food — cheap calories, low margin, reliable demand.
• Appraisal — buy low from customers, appraise, sell to the right buyer.

Pick one loop and repeat it. Do not diversify before the loop is profitable. The money guide explains how to measure a loop's margin.

The rent clock

Rock Bottom's rent is the same 200 as the standard start, but you have no cushion. The first rent is the hard gate; after that, the rent curve rises.

Rules:

• Keep one rent payment in cash at all times.
• Do not spend the rent reserve on a "can't miss" deal.
• If you are short, sell stock at a loss rather than miss the payment.
• Buy Rent Grace from Joe Wild on harder difficulties if it is available.

The rent and buyout guide has the full rent curve and the buyout maths.

The first upgrade

The first upgrade should shorten the stock loop, not decorate the store.

• Water loop: a testing kit, then a Water Filter.
• Scavenging loop: a toolbox or more searches.
• Appraisal loop: a labeler and a display.
• Food loop: a cheap cooking or storage upgrade.

Do not buy a Water Purifier (250) before you have a water source and a customer base. Do not buy a display case before you have something worth displaying.

The mid-game recovery

Rock Bottom becomes a normal run once you have:

• A rent reserve.
• A repeatable stock loop.
• One customer faction that trusts you.
• A machine that produces a saleable good.

From there, the best specialization guide applies: pick a lane, build the supply chain, and push toward the buyout. The difference is that you started with nothing, so every credit of margin is earned twice.

From Nothing, the Hard Way

The hard-mode win requires the same opening under tougher rules. Expect:

• Less margin per sale.
• More pressure from rent and fines.
• Less room for a failed experiment.

The opening is still scavenging. The difference is that you cannot afford a single wasted day. Use Savings and Proficient Scavenger, keep the rent reserve, and do not expand until the loop is stable.

A hard-mode win is a long run, not a sprint. The achievements guide lists the achievement; the all endings guide lists the failure states to avoid.

Common Rock Bottom mistakes

• Buying a machine before rent. The machine cannot pay rent if you are evicted.
• Selling without appraising. A misjudged item can cost more than the sale.
• Taking a negative perk that blocks scavenging. Maimed is a trap here.
• Ignoring food. Hunger is a real cost; the Commissary helps.
• Expanding too early. A second business is a second rent bill.
• Treating the first good day as a trend. One good sale is not a stock loop.

A sample first week

The cash targets are directional, not exact. The point is the order: rent first, loop second, expansion third.

The difficulty panel where Thin Margins changes the value of every credit.

FAQ

What is Rock Bottom?

A start with 0 credits, 200 rent and no stock or gear.

What are the best perks?

Savings and Proficient Scavenger. Welfare Program is the alternate if you need food stamps.

Can I win without scavenging?

It is possible but much slower. Scavenging is the intended first capital.

Sources and version notes

• Rock Bottom start data (0 credits, 200 rent, no gear) from the in-game scenario and community start tables, 28–30 October 2026.
• Perk effects from the community perk tables.
• Difficulty rules for the hard-mode achievement from the achievement table.
• Build 1.0.0.6. Exact sale prices need testing.

Official source: Steam store ↗ · Steam guides ↗ · Steam Workshop ↗, checked 2 November 2026.