If you've been active on platforms like Steam, Twitch, or gaming YouTube recently, you might have noticed the buzz around Schedule I. This indie drug dealer simulator has skyrocketed to become the top-selling game on Valve's platform, surpassing giants like Monster Hunter Wilds, GTA 5, and Marvel Rivals after going viral on social media.
Schedule I launched just last week and has quickly climbed to the top of Valve's best-selling and most-played charts. Here's the official description:
From small-time dope pusher to kingpin - manufacture and distribute a range of drugs throughout the grungy city of Hyland Point. Expand your empire with properties, businesses, employees, and more.
The game is developed and published by TVGS, known as Tyler, who shared his thoughts on Reddit about the game's explosive launch:
“Honestly, it’s amazing but pretty overwhelming,” Tyler said. “I never expected this kind of response! At the moment, I’m just trying to stay focused and get patches out ASAP. Also looking forward to getting started on content updates as soon as all major bugs are patched.”
To address initial issues, Schedule I released Post-launch Patch #4 on March 29, which tackled several employee bugs and multiplayer issues.
So, just how successful is Schedule I? After coming out of nowhere, it has claimed the top spot on Steam's sales chart, outperforming titles like inZOI and Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Valve ranks its top sellers by revenue, indicating that the budget-priced Schedule I is generating more income than its full-priced, triple-A competitors.
In terms of player engagement, Schedule I reached a peak of 414,166 concurrent players on Steam over the weekend, placing it among the top 30 most-played games ever on the platform. At the time of this article, more people are playing Schedule I than Monster Hunter Wilds, GTA 5, and Marvel Rivals.
The game has also received an 'overwhelmingly positive' user review rating on Steam, with 98% of reviews being positive. Here are a few standout reviews:
"A woman came up to me and asked for weed, didn't like the price I offered, proceeded to stab me with a broken glass bottle. 10/10"
"Love this game."
"I was dealing drugs in an RV and it blew up."
"Got a motel and sold some weed."
"Created a meth empire, then hopped on the game."
"Really great and hilarious game. Fun game loop and hilarious fun when playing with friends. I know it is in early access but I'd like the police to be a bit more active (They could search your place, look for you even after escaping, run speed greater than the players) as well as gang warfare and a larger map. Still, in its current state, it's brilliant. Defo a 10/10."
Schedule I is undeniably a meme game, and its long-term success remains to be seen. However, developer Tyler's life has been transformed, and substantial content updates are on the horizon.
If you're diving into Schedule I, don't miss IGN's Schedule I Cheats and Console Commands guide, and the Schedule I Multiplayer: How to Play Co-Op guide.
