Indie Drug Dealer Simulator 'Schedule I' Tops Steam Charts, Outselling GTA 5 and Monster Hunter Wilds

If you've been on Steam, Twitch, or gaming YouTube recently, you've likely come across Schedule I, the indie drug dealer simulator that's taken the gaming world by storm. It's currently the top-selling game on Valve's platform, outperforming major titles like Monster Hunter Wilds, GTA 5, and Marvel Rivals after going viral on social media.

Schedule I launched just last week and swiftly climbed to the top of Valve's best-selling and most-played charts. The game's official description captures its essence:

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 Schedule I'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 early issues, Schedule I's Post-launch Patch #4 was released on March 29, fixing several employee bugs and multiplayer issues.

So, just how successful is Schedule I? Having come out of nowhere, it's now the top-selling game on Steam, beating out everything from The Sims competitor inZOI to Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Valve ranks its top-selling chart by revenue, meaning the budget-priced Schedule I is generating more money 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, securing a spot in the top 30 most-played games ever on the platform. At the time of this article's publication, more people are playing Schedule I than Monster Hunter Wilds, GTA 5, and Marvel Rivals.

The community's response has been overwhelmingly positive. On Steam, Schedule I boasts an 'overwhelmingly positive' user review rating, with 98% of reviews being positive. Here are a few highlights:

"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 may be considered a meme game, its future longevity remains uncertain. However, developer Tyler's life has undoubtedly been transformed by this success, 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, along with the Schedule I Multiplayer: How to Play Co-Op guide to enhance your gaming experience.