ROB RUN heists: the robbery loop without a body count
Mask, cameras, alarms, keys and exits — the quiet version of the loop that keeps you out of prison.
Put on the mask only when you are ready to rob. Pick a building, disable cameras before they see you, avoid breaking glass (glass trips alarms, lockpicking does not), take the loot, and leave the city to drop criminal status. Your loot only counts once you are out alive.
ROB RUN calls itself an extraction shooter, and the heist loop is why. The robbery is the easy half. The extraction — getting the loot out of Looty Bay without losing it — is the game.
The mask is the switch
You become a criminal when you put on a mask. Before that you can walk the city, read the street and pick a target with no criminal flag. Leaving the city turns criminal mode off again. That single rule is the most powerful tool in the game: scout clean, rob dirty, leave clean.
Kefir’s own description of the design: “The player becomes a Criminal only when they put on a mask. Before that, you can safely explore the city and assess the situation.”
Target selection
| Target | Pay | Heat | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small stores and registers | Low–medium | Low | Best first target; staff may call police |
| Houses and apartments | Medium | Medium | Safes need keys or a Master Key |
| Looty Bay Bank | High | Very high | Cash is one of the confirmed drops |
| Police station | High | Extreme | Cash is a confirmed drop; also contains gear |
| Strip club | Medium–high | High | Cash is a confirmed drop |
| Cargo events | High | High | Clear the area, load a vehicle, leave |
Drop locations from community item data; pay and heat are editorial estimates from reported runs.
The quiet approach
- Scout unmasked Walk the block. Note cameras, staff, exits and where the police would come from.
- Mask up out of sight Do not mask in the middle of the street. The transition is the moment you become a target for every cop and every opportunist.
- Take cameras first A camera that spots you brings a response you did not plan for. Breaking it is loud; plan for the noise.
- Pick locks, do not smash glass Breaking glass can trip an alarm. Lockpicking does not.
- Manage the staff Shop workers try to call the police. Aiming at them stops the call — which is a threat, not a kill.
- Take one load, then leave Notoriety climbs with each crime in a single visit. The second robbery is where most players lose the first one’s loot.
The tools that open things
| Tool | Opens | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lockpick | Doors, some containers | Quiet; the correct default |
| Keys | Specific doors and safes | Loot and vendors; a key without its door is dead weight |
| Master Key | Other players’ safes | Required for player safes — decoders do not open safes |
| Drill | Reinforced containers | Slow and loud |
| Glass cutter | Display cases | The 4 November change increased the tablets required to trade for one |
| Decoder | Base Security Systems | Raid tool, not a heist tool |
Extraction: the part that pays
- Your loot only counts once you leave Looty Bay alive. A bag full of cash in a cell is worth nothing.
- Leaving the city clears criminal status — which is also how you reach sell points without a mask.
- If the police close in, surrendering costs your bag and keeps your equipped gear. Fighting costs everything if you lose.
- Do not lead the chase to your base. A tail is how a quiet player becomes a raid target.
Why shooting civilians is a bad business model
Attacking civilians puts a bounty on you and reveals your position to everyone on the map, according to community testing. It converts a private robbery into a server-wide invitation. The professional version of this game is quiet, fast and boring to watch.
From stores to vaults
The heist ladder is gated by tools and by Notoriety. Small stores fund lockpicks. Lockpicks and keys fund houses. Houses and cargo fund the gear you need for a bank. Notoriety raises what fences pay — and raises the response at the same time. The full system is in the Notoriety guide.
FAQ
How do I rob a store in ROB RUN?
Scout unmasked, put the mask on out of sight, disable cameras, pick the lock rather than breaking glass, manage the staff so they do not call police, take the loot and leave the city.
Do alarms always bring the police?
An alarm brings police to that building. Community reports say that if you cut the alarm and leave without incident, police often do not arrive — but treat any alarm as a countdown.
How do I lose the police?
Leave the city, break line of sight, or surrender. Surrendering costs your bag but keeps equipped gear.
Where do I sell stolen goods?
The Fence converts stolen goods to cash. Community guides report that selling requires the mask on.
ROB RUN Notoriety: levels, bonuses and the risk curve
How the heat meter works, what it pays, and why the correct play is usually to leave before level four.
Death, surrender and prison in ROB RUN
What you actually lose in each situation, how surrender works, and why a longer sentence is a currency.
How to make money in ROB RUN: the loops that actually pay
Seven income routes ranked by risk, from dumpster cash to contraband repacking, with the real numbers where sources exist.