If you've been browsing Steam, Twitch, or gaming YouTube recently, you've likely come across Schedule I. This indie drug dealer simulation game has skyrocketed to become the top-selling title on Valve's platform, surpassing major releases like Monster Hunter Wilds, GTA 5, and Marvel Rivals. Its viral success across social media has propelled it to the forefront of the gaming community.
Schedule I launched just last week and swiftly 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. I’m 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 fixed several employee bugs and multiplayer issues.
So, just how successful is Schedule I? After emerging seemingly out of nowhere, it's now the top-selling game on Steam, outperforming titles like the Sims competitor inZOI and Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Valve ranks its top-selling chart by revenue, which means 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. This impressive figure places it among the top 30 most-played games ever on Steam. At the time of writing, Schedule I boasts more active players than Monster Hunter Wilds, GTA 5, and Marvel Rivals.
Players are overwhelmingly positive about their experience with Schedule I. On Steam, it holds an 'overwhelmingly positive' user review rating, with 98% of reviews being positive. Here are some notable 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."
While Schedule I is undeniably a meme game, its long-term viability remains to be seen. Nonetheless, developer Tyler's life has undoubtedly been transformed by its success, and significant content updates are on the horizon.
If you're diving into Schedule I, don't forget to check out IGN’s Schedule I Cheats and Console Commands guide, as well as the Schedule I Multiplayer: How to Play Co-Op guide.
