This guide covers the early game, up to level 25. For people short on time who want the most out of it. Follow the steps in order and come back here whenever you need to. The why behind each step is on the support pages, in the links.
Day 1
- Do crime until your energy hits zero: the highest unlocked crime that shows a 70% chance or better. At level 1, Swipe a Phone.
- Did a Soda Drink drop? Keep it.
- Buy Weed ($50) and take one at a time, spending the energy from each one on crime. With no Soda Drink, stop at 5 or 6.
- Already have a Soda Drink? Use it and take a Speed Pill before the Weed.
- Overdose: pay for one or two at most. No money? Wait out the hospital and keep the Soda Drink.
- At the Starter Shop, buy the pieces that give Success in crime, starting with the Lockpick Set.
- Open the Market & selling page and compare. If you find it cheaper, buy it there.
- Equip everything.
- Cash left over? Save it, up to about $10,000, for the green items.
Day 2 onward
Every time you log in
- Empty the energy bar on the highest unlocked crime that shows a 70% chance or better. New crime with a lower chance? Stay on the previous one until it climbs. Crimes
- Use a Soda Drink: it lasts 20 minutes. No Soda Drink: Weed only, and stop at 30%.
- Take the strongest drug on the list for your level, spend its energy on crime and work your way down to Weed. Drugs
- Levels 1 to 11: Speed Pill, Weed.
- Levels 12 to 17: Cocaine, Speed Pill, Weed.
- Level 18 and up: Heroin, Cocaine, Speed Pill, Weed.
- Stop when the risk at the Dealer goes over 50%. Short on cash? Stop at 30%.
- Overdose: pay only if the day's profit covers it. Otherwise wait out the hospital; your energy keeps coming back.
How much to play
- Once a day: empty the whole bar and use drugs. It earns 2 to 2.5 times what just emptying the bar earns.
- Want the most out of it: come back every hour, counting from your last drug. One hour without a dose resets the risk.
Goals, in order
- Items that give Success in crime, green and then purple, whenever your cash allows. Items
- Safehouse, in a tier 1 district (level 10). Real Estate
- Apartment (level 20).
The levels are approximate. If you play less, you reach the same levels, in more days.
Gun Store, Chop Shop and Penthouse are left for part 2 of the guide (mid game).
Always
- The more crime, the more XP, money and items.
- Look for cheaper purple or yellow items on the Market & selling page and in the game chat.
- Take a Corner from level 5: it's free. Take another at levels 10, 20 and 35.
- Paid benefits (Gold) exist and help. They're not a recommendation or a requirement.
Attributes
Spend every point at each level. There's no build for this early stage: any point helps in crime.
Further ahead
In the late game, the red item (Godfather) is what makes you competitive in PvP. It only drops from tier 4 and 5 crimes. See Items.
More crime per day, more items. Further along in the game it pays to cover the overdose and break even, because the volume of crimes is what makes items drop.