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

If you've been active on Steam, Twitch, or gaming YouTube recently, you've likely come across Schedule I, an indie drug dealer simulator that has skyrocketed to the top of Valve's sales charts. This game has outpaced giants like Monster Hunter Wilds, GTA 5, and Marvel Rivals, thanks to its viral spread across social media.

Launched just last week, Schedule I has quickly climbed to the top of Valve's best-selling and most-played lists. 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.

Developed and published by TVGS, known as Tyler, the game's creator recently 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.”

In response to initial feedback, Schedule I's Post-launch Patch #4 was released on March 29, addressing several employee bugs and multiplayer issues.

So, just how successful is Schedule I? Emerging from obscurity, it has become the top-selling game on Steam, surpassing even high-profile titles like inZOI and Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Valve ranks its top-selling chart by revenue, indicating that the budget-priced Schedule I is generating more income than its pricier, triple-A competitors.

As for its player base, Schedule I reached a peak of 414,166 concurrent players on Steam over the weekend, placing it in the top 30 most-played games ever on the platform. At the time of writing, more people are playing Schedule I than Monster Hunter Wilds, GTA 5, and Marvel Rivals.

Players are thoroughly enjoying Schedule I, as evidenced by its 'overwhelmingly positive' user review rating on Steam, with 98% of reviews being positive. Here are some 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 seen as a meme game, its future longevity remains to be seen. However, developer Tyler is undoubtedly thrilled with the game's impact on his life, and fans can look forward to substantial content updates.

If you're diving into Schedule I, don't miss IGN's guides on Schedule I Cheats and Console Commands, and Schedule I Multiplayer: How to Play Co-Op.