This year's biggest indie game hit is a drug-dealing simulator
"Schedule 1," a drug-dealing business simulator, is the biggest indie game hit of the year so far. Players build a drug empire, starting with a humble marijuana business before graduating to meth and cocaine.
The game peaked in April at nearly 460,000 concurrent players on Steam, the most popular online store for downloading PC games.
Popular clips of the game show players doling out designer drugs to avatars, which take hits and exhale smoke or, in some cases, burst into flames.
TVGS, an Australian video game developer, released "Schedule 1" on Steam for early access in March, but told followers that the full game is still in development. The game's popularity quickly surged. It was ranked No. 1 on Steam after its release and held the top spot for more than two weeks. It is this week the No. 5 game in the store.
The game is so popular that similarly-named games have shot to the top of the PlayStation store as console gamers search for it. TVGS said on X that any game appearing on the PlayStation store with "schedule 1" in the title is not affiliated with them.
"I'd love to port Schedule I to console when the game is at the right stage for that, but I will announce it to the Schedule I community well before it happens," the developer said on X.
"Schedule 1" is a "tycoon game," which is also known as a business simulation game.
Tycoon games generally let players take on the role of a business owner, developing their own employees and customer base. Popular examples of tycoon games are "RollerCoaster Tycoon" and "Cities: Skylines." Tycoon games are especially popular with children on Roblox, which can attract thousands of players and make millions of dollars for independent developers.
"Schedule 1" is not the first drug simulator game. Movie Games SA published "Drug Dealer Simulator" in 2020. Movie Games said it was investigating similarities between its game and "Schedule 1."
Grand Theft Auto Online, one of the most popular online games, also lets players run drug-dealing businesses and has similar tycoon-style mechanics. Players can earn experience and money by completing missions and engaging in criminal activities like heists. They can then use the in-game money to purchase properties and upgrades to their businesses, which unlock more activities.
Last week, Rockstar Games, the maker of the Grand Theft Auto series, announced it is delaying the release of "Grand Theft Auto 6" to May 2026. The delay of the highly anticipated game caused shares of Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, to tumble by as much as 8%.
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