How to Steal from Shops

While using an item or gun that makes the player invisible or distracts the shopkeeper, shop items turn red and can be 'purchased' for free — this counts as stealing. Alternatively, grappling hook-type weapons can directly yank items off the shelf. Every successful theft increases Curse by 1.

Detection and consequences

If caught stealing, Bello's shop closes for the rest of the run; other special merchants only close that specific store. If caught using a non-hook method, you receive neither the item nor the Curse increase.

• Stealing with a grappling hook: it has a chance to be caught even on the first attempt, unlike other methods; leaving the room before picking up the item may avoid consequences
• Bello's shop: the 1st theft (non-hook) always succeeds; the 2nd has a 50% success rate (50% detection); the 3rd and beyond only 10% success (90% detection); this counter persists across floors and survives a Clone respawn
• Other special merchants: the 1st theft always succeeds; from the 2nd onward it is likewise only 10% success (90% detection); counter resets each floor, so one free theft per floor per merchant
• Different merchants inside the Black Market each have separate counters, even if they share a room

Items and guns usable for stealing

Stealing tools fall into three groups by how they work. Apart from the grapples, all of them come down to creating a window and pressing buy inside it, so the timing is the same.

Grapples: pull the goods straight off the shelf

• Grappling Hook — Directly hooks a shelf item without needing invisibility, but it can be caught (other methods are guaranteed on the first theft). Cannot steal glass-case items: Prime Primer, Gnawed Key, Spice
• Directional Pad — A directional combo fires a grappling hook, functioning identically to Grappling Hook; it can be caught the same way

Stealth and disguise: make the shopkeeper lose sight of you

• Box — Hides the player inside a cardboard box; shopkeeper ignores you. 'Purchase' while inside; firing removes the disguise
• Ring of Ethereal Form — Grants invisibility, invincibility, and flight; 'purchase' during the active window
• Smoke Bomb — Temporarily turns the player invisible; 'purchase' while invisible
• Grey Mauser / The Predator — Reloading an empty magazine triggers invisibility; 'purchase' an item during the reload window

Crowd control: keep the shopkeeper busy

• Aged Bell — Briefly freezes enemies and bullets; 'purchase' a shop item during the freeze
• Charm Horn — Charms nearby enemies including the shopkeeper; 'purchase' while they are charmed
• Chaff Grenade — Detonate inside the shop to stun the shopkeeper; 'purchase' during the stun
• Explosive Decoy — Drop a decoy to draw the shopkeeper's attention, then 'purchase' the target item
• Decoy — Drop a decoy to distract the shopkeeper, then 'purchase' the target item

Robbery

Shops sometimes stock an item priced at 9999. You can steal it using the methods above, but you can also simply rob it:

1. Select the 9999 item; the shopkeeper says your wallet needs topping up.
2. Keep firing to make him angry.
3. He pulls out a gun and sprays the shop — wait for him to finish.
4. The 9999 item is left on the floor for you to pick up.