The Top-Selling Game on Steam Right Now Is Schedule I, an Indie Drug Dealer Simulator With More Players Than Monster Hunter Wilds, GTA 5, and Marvel Rivals

If you've been browsing Steam, Twitch, or gaming-focused YouTube channels recently, you've likely come across Schedule I, an indie game that simulates the life of a drug dealer. This title has skyrocketed to become the top-selling game on Valve's platform, outpacing 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 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 both developed and published by TVGS, known as Tyler, who shared his thoughts on the game's explosive launch on Reddit:

“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 this, Schedule I released its Post-launch Patch #4 on March 29, addressing numerous employee-related bugs and multiplayer issues.

So, just how successful is Schedule I? After seemingly coming out of nowhere, it's now the top-selling game on Steam, surpassing even The Sims competitor inZOI and Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Valve ranks its top-selling chart by revenue, meaning Schedule I, despite its budget price, is generating more income than its full-price, triple-A competitors.

In terms of player engagement, Schedule I reached a peak of 414,166 concurrent players on Steam over the weekend, placing it among the top 30 most-played games ever on the platform. At the time of writing, it has more active players than Monster Hunter Wilds, GTA 5, and Marvel Rivals.

Players are also overwhelmingly positive about Schedule I, with a 98% positive user review rating on Steam. Here are some of the 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. Definitely a 10/10."

Given its meme status, it's uncertain whether Schedule I will maintain its momentum. Nonetheless, developer Tyler's life has been transformed, and substantial content updates are on the horizon.

If you're playing Schedule I, don't miss IGN’s Schedule I Cheats and Console Commands guide, and Schedule I Multiplayer: How to Play Co-Op guide.