Unpacking the Phenomenal Success of Schedule I, a Drug Dealing Simulator

The remarkable success of Schedule I in 2025 has caught the gaming world off guard. This drug manufacturing and dealing simulator, developed by a solo creator with a minimal marketing budget, shot to the top of Steam's Global Top Sellers list upon its release in late March and has stayed among the best-selling games since. What's even more astonishing is that it achieved this feat despite being released in a fiercely competitive market, with major titles like Split Fiction and Assassin's Creed Shadows also launching around the same time. So, what factors contributed to Schedule I's exceptional success? The answer lies in a combination of its captivating theme, a potent blend of mechanics appealing to diverse audiences, broader shifts in player preferences, and a dash of good fortune. One of the most obvious reasons for Schedule I's success is its subject matter, which combines business management, open-world exploration, driving, and combat, all centered around building a criminal empire. This bears a strong resemblance to Grand Theft Auto, likely contributing to its appeal, especially with Grand Theft Auto 6 delayed until May 2026. According to Katie Holt, a senior research analyst at Ampere Analysis, the delay of Grand Theft Auto 6 and the eagerness of players for something similar created a gap that indie developers like TVGS could fill more quickly than larger gaming companies. Over the past decade, few games have attempted to fill the void left by Rockstar, unlike twenty years ago when numerous imitators emerged. Holt notes that the crime genre, despite its proven potential as seen with Grand Theft Auto, is often avoided by major publishers. While Schedule I shares some themes and systems with Grand Theft Auto, it stands on different foundations, focusing on the drug dealing process with detailed systems for manufacturing narcotics and a comprehensive management layer for the day-to-day operation of the business. This allowed Schedule I to attract simulation enthusiasts, offering a twist on the 'first-person leveling-up' simulator grind, as observed by Simon Carless, founder of GameDiscoverCo. Schedule I's simulation is rich enough to appeal to sim lovers but not so detailed as to deter players seeking GTA-style criminal gameplay. Its drug manufacturing process is presented as fun, tactile minigames, and its art style is cartoonish and lighthearted, making it more intuitive and mass-market friendly compared to other games like Drug Dealer Simulator. The game may have also benefited from a broader shift in gaming tastes, with viral hits from smaller developers gaining popularity over the past couple of years and fewer AAA titles being released since 2023, creating more space for indie titles to shine. All analysts agree that the inclusion of cooperative play was a key element in Schedule I's success, aiding in the game's longevity and building a strong community. The game's relatively low price point also made it more accessible, especially for cooperative play. Schedule I has gained significant attention from streamers and influencers, with entertaining co-op gameplay that has contributed to its viral success. Without any coordinated marketing, the game relied on viral sharing to attract its huge audience, with significant views on Twitch and YouTube, and over 82,000 posts on TikTok using the hashtag 'schedule1'. The significance of virality in putting a title in front of millions of players cannot be overstated, and while luck plays a role, a game's unique mechanics and solid gameplay loop are also crucial. Schedule I's demo, offered as a 'Free Sample' in December 2024, exploded in popularity before the game's launch, contributing to its instant hit status. What remains to be seen is whether Schedule I can maintain its success in the long term, though with regular updates planned by TVGS, it has the potential to sustain its audience for years to come.