"Schedule I Surges Past GTA 5, Monster Hunter Wilds in Steam Sales"

If you've been active on Steam, Twitch, or gaming YouTube recently, you've likely come across Schedule I, an indie drug dealer simulation game that has skyrocketed to become the top-selling game on Valve's platform. This game has outshone major titles such as Monster Hunter Wilds, GTA 5, and Marvel Rivals after going viral on social media.

Schedule I launched just last week and has quickly ascended to the top of Valve’s best-selling and most-played charts. The game's official description reads:

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, he recently took to Reddit to share his thoughts on 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.”

In line with these efforts, Schedule I’s Post-launch Patch #4 was released on March 29, addressing several employee bugs and multiplayer issues.

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 writing, it has more players than Monster Hunter Wilds, GTA 5, and Marvel Rivals.

The community's response has been overwhelmingly positive, with Schedule I earning an 'overwhelmingly positive' user review rating on Steam. Currently, 98% of user reviews are 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 staying power remains to be seen. However, developer Tyler is undoubtedly set for life, and significant content updates are on the horizon.

If you're playing Schedule I, don't forget to check out IGN’s guides on Schedule I Cheats and Console Commands and Schedule I Multiplayer: How to Play Co-Op.