Crime Simulator IS NOT a stealth-focused simulation like Thief Simulator. Instead, it's a fast-paced, roguelite grind character game, designed around risk, reward, and replayability.
You start fresh out of prison, indebted to a mysterious benefactor. Your goal is simple: steal valuables, finish the heist, and pay off your debt before the clock runs out. Each heist has risks - guards, cameras, alarms, and police - but the greater the risk, the greater your reward.

The game offers four distinct modes:

• Standard Mode - Roguelite experience with set quotas every 3 in-game days. You can choose difficulty levels (Casual, Normal, Pro, Master). Failure to meet quotas results in the loss of the equipped tools and loot in the truck. Dying due to guards or cops results only in losing your currently equipped tools and truck loot - you retain hideout upgrades, player levels, skills, and stored money.
  
• Hardcore Mode - Difficulty permanently set to Master. Failing your quota will reset your progress entirely (including level & money). Your final score is doubled compared to Standard Mode.
  
• Completionist Mode - Quotas rise by $500 each run. No time limits. Objective: complete all available locations by stealing all loot and completing every job. Faster completion yields a higher final score.
  
• Endless Mode - Static quotas with no day limits. Loot resets daily for repeated collection. Pure exploration and progression with all world-level rewards unlocked from the start.

Keep & Lose is regarding failing the quota or winning the game.

As you could notice, each game mode has different difficulties available. Below, you can read how they are different from each other.

• Casual: Reduced NPC eyesight and hearing, delayed police response, minimal armed NPCs, minuscule chance for valuable loot, low-risk gameplay.
  
• Normal: Balanced NPC awareness, decent loot spawn chances, guards and police armed, moderate risk.
  
• Pro: Enhanced NPC awareness, most NPCs armed, quick police response, high loot spawn rate, elevated risk.
  
• Master: Maximum difficulty. Exceptional NPC awareness, hidden police search areas, rapid police response, best loot chances, maximum risk and reward.

After each death system will calculate the gained levels and will benefit you with world-rewards, for example, new items in the shop that are unlocked permanently.

• Killed by Guards/Cops: Lose only currently equipped tools and truck loot. Items and upgrades in your hideout remain safe.
  
• Failing Quota Deadline: Lose everything from that specific run (loot in truck, equipped items). Hideout upgrades, player level, skills, stored money, and earned XP remain.

…and losing! Every time you win the game or sometimes when you die, you will receive special rewards that are unlocked permanently. World rewards can unlock both items (ex. crossbow, invisibility tool, etc.) or in-game features (ex. drop off boxes on the map, difficulty levels, etc.)

Gain XP from successful heists to level up. Each level unlocks a skill point, which can be used to activate a Skill Leaflet!

To unlock skills, you must find Skill Leaflets - collectible upgrade items hidden throughout the world. Search carefully during heists, inside houses, safes, containers, and other sneaky places. Occasionally, you can also purchase leaflets from the Truck Store.

Skills often have multiple tiers (like Agility #1, Agility #2), requiring you to unlock lower tiers first.

A full guide about Skill Leaflets is available here: https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3503573467

Golden Cards are rare collectible perks providing significant boosts, disabling cameras, extending deadlines, or improving shop prices. Collect and strategically use these to maximize efficiency and profits. You lose them every time you FAIL the quota or WIN the game.

Full guide about Golden Cards available here: https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3503659003

• Dying is integral to gameplay - use failures to unlock new features! Remember that depending on game mode, you save your Level, Skills, Money or lose them!
  
• Invest early in hideout upgrades, especially inventory expansion!
  
• Strategically utilize Golden Cards for tough situations.
  
• Start in Standard Mode, understand mechanics, then transition to Hardcore for challenges or Endless/Completionist for relaxed gameplay.

Remember, Crime Simulator is NOT part of the Thief Simulator series. It’s faster-paced and emphasizes risk, repetition, and progression rather than deep stealth mechanics. The game focuses on quick decisions, strategic risks, and replayable progression.

• Random NPC routines, no complex observation tasks;
  
• Emphasizes fast-paced actions: stealing, time jobs, or a heist against a timer.
  
• Roguelite resets and skills are central, not the slow-paced, immersive stealth of Thief titles.