Starting out in ROB RUN can be confusing when you don’t have much money, equipment, or a place to call your own. You begin at Lenny’s Motel, but before long, you’ll need to explore Looty Bay, steal valuable items, find buyers, and learn how to protect your earnings.
In this beginner’s guide, we’ll cover the important things you should know when starting ROB RUN. I’ll explain how to earn your first money, choose between Citizen, Criminal, and Cop, rob buildings without triggering alarms, sell stolen goods, buy your first plot, and set up money laundering. We’ll also cover police, prison sentences, personal vehicles, and how to join friends on another server.
ROB RUN Beginner Guide – Plot, Police, Earn Money
| Topic | What You Need to Know |
|---|---|
| First money | Rob buildings in Looty Bay and sell stolen goods to a Fence |
| Roles | Choose Citizen, Criminal, or Cop when entering the city |
| Death and arrest | Your losses depend on your role and whether you’re arrested or killed |
| Robberies | Use Lockpicks, avoid breaking glass, and disable security systems |
| Selling loot | Use Fences, Smugglers, or district Sales Centers |
| Money laundering | Open a bank account and use a Laundering Desk |
| First property | Research and purchase a Land Plot Title, then rent a free plot |
| Personal car | Own a house and store your keys in a key locker |
| Police | Speak to the officer at the Looty Bay police station |
| Prison | Federal confiscation determines your sentence |
| Servers and groups | Change states through prison and invite friends to your group |
1. How to Earn Your First Money
Start at Lenny’s Motel
When you begin playing, you’ll be living at Lenny’s Motel. You can order basic equipment using the laptop inside your room. This laptop gives you access to the Black Market, where you can purchase equipment using cash.
Your first goal is to earn enough money to start building your criminal business.
Your First Robbery
Follow these basic steps to start making money:
- Drive to Looty Bay.
- Find a suitable building or location to rob.
- Hide and put on a mask to become a Criminal.
- Steal valuable items and loot.
- Escape the city alive.
- Find a Fence and sell your stolen goods for cash.
Once you have enough money, start saving for your first plot. Owning property unlocks important features such as money laundering, Shipments, and your personal vehicle.
Beginner tip: You don’t need to wear a mask immediately. Until you put one on, dying in the city costs you nothing. Take advantage of this to explore Looty Bay and learn the map before attempting your first robbery.
2. Citizen, Criminal, or Cop: Which Role Should You Choose?
Every time you enter Looty Bay, you choose a role. Each one has different advantages and restrictions, so understand the differences before entering the city.
| Role | Advantages | Restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| Citizen | Explore safely, receive free healing, and lose nothing on death | Cannot use weapons |
| Criminal | Can wear a mask and rob locations | Everyone is your enemy, and you must take your loot out of the city |
| Cop | Receives free equipment and a car for the shift | Can only kill criminals |
Playing as a Citizen
Citizen is the safest option when you’re learning the game. You can explore the city without risking your equipment or inventory when you die.
However, Citizens cannot use weapons, so this role isn’t suitable for robberies.
Playing as a Criminal
Choose Criminal when you’re ready to steal valuable items. Put on your mask to enter the criminal role and start committing robberies.
Remember that other players can become your enemies, and you must successfully escape the city with your stolen goods.
Playing as a Cop
The Cop role gives you free equipment and a vehicle for your shift. Your personal belongings are stored and returned after your duty ends.
However, police officers can only kill criminals.
Important: Everyone in your group must select the same role when entering Looty Bay. To return to Citizen, simply leave the city. Be careful, though, because police officers can close bridges and prevent you from escaping.
3. What Do You Lose When You Die or Get Arrested?
One of the most important beginner lessons in ROB RUN is understanding what happens to your equipment and loot when you die or get arrested.
Your losses depend on the situation.
| Situation | Equipment | Bag |
|---|---|---|
| Death while wearing a mask | Lost | Lost |
| Arrest or surrender to police using Q | Kept | Taken |
| Death as a Citizen | Kept | Kept |
| Death in a settlement without police | Lost | Lost |
Is It Better to Surrender or Die?
If you’re carrying valuable equipment and get caught by the police, surrendering can be a better option than dying.
When you surrender using Q, the police take the contents of your bag, but you keep your equipment.
You can also offer a bribe using money from your bank account. If the officer accepts it, you keep both your bag and equipment.
What Happens to Your Personal Car?
Your purchased personal car doesn’t disappear when you die. Any modifications installed on it also remain safe.
This makes owning a personal vehicle useful once you’ve started building your character’s progress.
4. How to Rob Buildings Without Triggering the Alarm
Robberies are one of the main ways to earn money in ROB RUN, but triggering an alarm can quickly turn a simple robbery into a police chase.
If you want to get in and out safely, pay attention to the building’s security.
Use Lockpicks Instead of Breaking Glass
Lockpicks allow you to open doors and containers without triggering the alarm.
Avoid breaking windows or other glass objects, as doing so can activate the alarm and attract police attention.
Disable Cameras and Alarms
Some buildings contain electrical panels that you can hack.
Use these panels to disable security cameras and the alarm system before continuing with the robbery.
You should also destroy cameras before they have an opportunity to raise the alarm.
Control the Clerk
When robbing a store, hold the clerk at gunpoint to prevent them from triggering the alarm.
Avoid killing the clerk unless absolutely necessary. Killing them fills your wanted bar faster, making the robbery more dangerous.
Understand Keys and Hidden Rooms
Some buildings have hidden rooms that require specific keys.
For example, the Downtown gas station has two hidden rooms, one on the left and another on the right. Each room requires its own key.
Always check a key’s description to understand which door it opens.
5. Where to Sell Stolen Loot
After successfully completing a robbery, you’ll need to sell your loot to turn it into money.
ROB RUN has three main types of buyers.
| Buyer | What They Buy | Important Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fence | Stolen goods | Pays cash based on your Notoriety and the value of your loot |
| Smuggler | Cargo | You can sell cargo without opening it |
| Sales Center | Loot | Offers a bonus to players renting a plot in that district |
Sell Stolen Goods to a Fence
Fences are the main buyers for stolen items. They pay cash, and the amount you receive depends on your Notoriety and the value of the goods.
If you’re just starting out, finding a Fence is one of the easiest ways to turn your first robbery into usable money.
Sell Cargo to a Smuggler
You don’t always need to open every crate, bag, or safe you steal.
Smugglers purchase cargo directly, allowing you to sell it without opening the contents.
However, you can also take cargo back to your own property and process it there.
Use the Sales Center for Extra Rewards
Sales Centers offer a bonus when selling loot, but this benefit is only available to players renting a plot in the same district.
If you already own property, check whether the local Sales Center offers a better return.
Should You Open Cargo or Sell It Directly?
After the latest patch mentioned in the source guide, opening cargo at a Cargo Workbench on your plot pays better than selling it directly.
If you have your own plot, consider opening cargo before selling its contents.
6. Bank and Money Laundering Guide
Money laundering is important because cash carried in your bag or stored at your base can be stolen. Money deposited into your bank account cannot be stolen.
To start laundering money, you’ll need a bank account and your own property.
Step 1: Open a Bank Account
Visit the Looty Bay bank and open an account.
You cannot launder money without having a bank account first.
Step 2: Get Your Own Plot and House
Purchase and rent a plot in a settlement, then place your house.
Your property gives you access to the equipment needed for money laundering.
Step 3: Use the Laundering Desk
Place a Laundering Desk at your base and load it with cash.
The desk processes the money, and the cleaned funds are transferred to your bank account.
Step 4: Improve the Laundering Speed
You can purchase Banknote Counters to make the Laundering Desk work faster.
Another useful feature is that laundering continues even when you’re offline.
Can You Launder Money Without a House?
Yes. Until you own your own house, Lenny can launder money for you.
However, he takes a cut of the money, so having your own Laundering Desk is a better long-term option.
Important: Money in your bank account is safe from theft. Cash in your bag and cash stored at your base can be stolen.
You can withdraw your money using ATMs or by speaking to a bank employee.
7. How to Get Your First Plot and House
Owning property is one of the biggest milestones for a new ROB RUN player. It unlocks money laundering, cargo processing, and access to your personal vehicle.
However, you cannot simply purchase a house anywhere. You first need to find an available plot in a settlement.
Step 1: Research a Land Plot Title
Open the Trade Laptop and research the Land Plot Title.
Research only unlocks the item. You still need to purchase the title separately.
Step 2: Find a Settlement
Open the global map and look for a settlement that has an owner.
You cannot enter a settlement unless it has an owner.
Step 3: Check Available Plots
Open the settlement map to see the residents’ houses and available spaces.
Look for a free plot with a rental sign.
Step 4: Rent Your Plot
Find the rental sign and sign the agreement to claim your space.
Step 5: Build Your House
Once you have rented the plot, use the plot plan to place your house and other structures.
You can now start building your own base.
Important Plot Tips
- The level of your Land Plot Title must match the district level.
- Don’t purchase a title before checking whether your preferred settlement has free spaces.
- If you want to live near a friend, rent plots in the same settlement.
- When you move to another plot, everything in your base moves with you.
8. How to Get Your Own Car
You can use rental vehicles before owning a house, but a personal vehicle requires your own property.
Store Your Car Keys
Once you have a house, place your car keys in an available slot inside the key locker.
Your personal vehicle will then appear in your garage.
Important: Remove Items From Rental Cars
When you obtain your own car, your current rental vehicle is recalled.
Anything remaining in its trunk drops to the ground.
Before activating your personal vehicle, make sure you remove all your belongings from the rental car.
9. How to Become a Police Officer
If you want to play as a police officer instead of a criminal, head to the Looty Bay police station.
Speak to the officer there to start your police shift.
Police Equipment and Vehicles
During your shift, you’ll receive free equipment and a car. Your personal belongings are stored safely and returned after your duty ends.
Without a badge, you can only access basic equipment.
How to Get Police Badges
Badges are single-use items. You can find them around the city or purchase them through the Trade Laptop after completing the required research.
Police Role Limitations
Police officers have several advantages, including good vehicles, equipment, and the ability to respawn in the city.
However, there are usually more police officers competing for rewards, and their payouts are noticeably smaller.
The city currently supports a maximum of four police officers at a time.
10. Prison, Sentences, and Tattoos
Getting arrested by an ordinary police officer doesn’t automatically give you a prison sentence. In a normal arrest, the officer simply takes the contents of your bag.
A sentence comes from the Feds when they confiscate your property.
You can also surrender to the Feds yourself by selecting the prison on the global map.
How Prison Sentences Are Calculated
Your sentence depends on the value of your property in the state.
| Sentence Detail | Duration |
|---|---|
| Minimum sentence | 1 year |
| Additional sentence | 1 year for every 500,000 property value in the state |
| Maximum sentence | 40 years per state |
Why Should You Go to Prison?
Prison isn’t only about punishment. Completing a sentence can unlock tattoos and certain items in Larry’s Tree.
11. How to Change Servers and Play With Friends
ROB RUN refers to its servers as States. If you want to move to another server, you must go through the prison system.
There isn’t a normal direct server-switch option in the process described here.
Step 1: Surrender to the Feds
Open the global map, select the prison, and choose Surrender to Feds.
Step 2: Find an Escape Point
Once inside prison, look around for an escape point.
Step 3: Escape and Select a State
After escaping, you’ll be able to choose the state you want to join.
Important: What Happens When You Change States?
Changing states comes with serious consequences.
| Item or Progress | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Property in the old state | Confiscated |
| Clan membership | You leave your clan |
| Unclaimed mail rewards | Lost |
| Tattoos | Kept |
| BCoin | Kept |
Because of these losses, it’s better to change states early, before you’ve accumulated valuable property or rewards.
Group vs. Clan
ROB RUN has two different ways to play with other people.
| Feature | Group | Clan |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum members | 3 people | 100 members |
| Joining | Invite from global map or settlement | Within one state |
| Main purpose | Play together in a small team | Larger player community |
The game also currently has a seven-day wipe period.
Final Beginner Tips
If you’re just starting ROB RUN, don’t rush into expensive robberies before understanding how the city works.
- Explore as a Citizen first: Learn the city without risking your inventory.
- Use Lockpicks: Avoid breaking glass and triggering alarms.
- Protect valuable equipment: Surrendering can be better than dying when caught by police.
- Save for a plot: Your own property unlocks several important systems.
- Use your bank account: Deposited money cannot be stolen.
- Check rental car storage: Remove everything before switching to your personal vehicle.
- Think carefully before changing states: Your old property and unclaimed rewards will be lost.
Once you understand these systems, making money and progressing in ROB RUN becomes much easier. Start with small robberies, build your savings, secure a plot, and gradually expand your operation.
