I used to have a recurring nightmare when I was a kid that I'd been caught stealing at my local grocery store. Security would put me in handcuffs and tell me I'd never get into college and, fortunately, that was enough to put me off a life of crime for good. Or so I thought.
With my degree now safely in my hands, I've realized I'm actually really good at stealing. No, that doesn't mean I've embarked on a real-life crime spree to shock the ages. Instead, I'm referring to one of my favourite parts of Crimson Desert.
While the main missions and faction quests of Pearl Abyss's open-world RPG are a lure for many (despite not being "story heavy" according to an ex-Witcher 3 dev), I've chosen to pursue a different life. And I don't want to boast, but it has proven very lucrative.
Kliff-tomaniac
Waiting to play games is better than playing at launch, and Crimson Desert proves it
Bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and taking in the vast open world and its complex fantasy elements, I'd initially imagined a very different life in Crimson Desert. But my taste for adventure was waylaid by a thieves mask I'd looted early on, unlocking the ability to steal. Pearl Abyss clearly wants me to at least try to picture life as Kliff's kleptomaniac alter-ego, and I am happy to acquiesce.
Masks can be looted easily from fallen bandits or picked up at black market vendors for a measly 10 coppers. Then, stealing becomes a choice opened to you as you enter places you shouldn't be, pickpocket NPCs, or saunter up to a market stall with no intention of parting with cash in favor of a little five-finger discount. Look, if you're really looking to get into stealing, then I'd recommend our guide on how to steal in Crimson Desert, but I'm not necessarily here to tell you how to steal. I'm here to tell you why you should.
Simply put, it's worth it. Incredibly so. I haven't found a better way to make money hard and fast in the game apart from investing, but we'll get into that in a moment. Unlike my conscience being totally against stealing in real-life, Crimson Desert allows me to become a mischievous magpie for shiny things and a financially-savvy squirrel with savings. But it's through the sheer abundance of what I can steal that I get a bit excited. Sure, I can also learn the best Crimson Desert money farming tips, but nothing tastes as sweet as a touch of stealing (disclaimer: don't try this at home, alright?)
A life of crime chose me
My first gold bar taught me that I shouldn't bother stealing everything.
Decked out with my mask, I start off small, occasionally pushing the boundaries to see what happens when I steal. Turns out, it's absurdly simple.
A red circle of suspicion surrounds me when prowling for ill-gotten gains, and if someone spots me getting up to no good, I'm slammed with a bounty and the guards come to make an arrest. I learn the hard way not to put up a resistance and just let them take me. Or, if you fancy the challenge, you can sneak your way to a church and buy a Writ of Absolution.
It doesn't take long for me to realize that I can just dash out of this red suspicion circle to avoid detection. Or if no-one is around, I can just stay still and let it time out. Again, it feels that Crimson Desert wants me to steal, so who am I to turn away an opportunity?
Hungry for more, the RPG's expansive world and sneaky entrances to fully-guarded buildings lure me in. I get a tip-off that a gold bar is hiding in the fireplace at Lioncrest Manor, and this is where the game really begins to change for me. Up until now, I'd been picking up everything I could, and a lot of it wasn't worth all that much. Suddenly, I'm worthy of a bank account. I'm good for the money; I'm not saying the money is good.
It's exciting to steal things in Crimson Desert, especially when you acquire the keys to locked doors, solve your way into a strongbox, or can't help bumping into an unsuspecting NPC's pockets and grabbing whatever's in there, but my first gold bar teaches me that I shouldn't bother pilfering everything. As I traverse the maps and locate the stealing 'hotspots', I know which items are worth my trouble. Yes, even thieves can be picky.
And while I feel that Pearl Abyss is prodding me into a life of crime with the easily-acquired mask, imagine how I feel when I finally obtain the Great Thief's Gloves, enabling me to steal without fear of getting caught every 30 minutes?
It's stolen my heart
What's truly great about how Crimson Desert's thievery is how many opportunities there are to do so. I want to give myself all the credit for being good at a little sleight of hand, but as long as you're stealthy about it, you can get away with pretty much anything.
Early on in my klepto-career, I made a few mistakes. Including (but not limited to) walking out of cover and into a bunch of Hernandian guards for immediate arrest before I understood how the suspicion circles worked. Alas, I was arrested and lost my mask, but they didn't take all my silver.
That's nothing on the higher price to pay for committing a 'petty' assault in Crimson Desert. I say 'petty' because I accidentally touched a guard with a hammer and it cost me a hefty sum. The immediate five-silver bounty on my head was made perpetually worse by hitting the guards trying to arrest me.
But now, I've figured out whilst I've got a slight stealing addiction, I'm also a pacifist at heart. These learning curves are another beautiful facet of Crimson Desert. Some things are complicated, like puzzles and resource gathering, and I count myself among those who hope Crimson Desert never fixes its weird controls. It's just part of what makes it such a unique RPG experience, which goes hand in hand with how, if you're not stealing yet in Crimson Desert, you're missing a trick.
With gold in the bank and an investment that keeps on growing by the day, Kliff is rich and I feel like I'm leading a life I chose: far, far away from quests and storylines.
Crimson Desert is undoubtedly one of the best open world RPGs of 2026 so far, even when you've not got your hand in someone else's strongbox
