If you’ve been browsing Steam, Twitch, or gaming YouTube recently, you might have come across Schedule I, the indie drug dealer simulation game that's taken the gaming world by storm. It's currently the top-selling game on Valve’s platform, surpassing giants like Monster Hunter Wilds, GTA 5, and Marvel Rivals after going viral on social media.

Schedule I was launched 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 developed and published by TVGS, also known as Tyler, who recently shared his thoughts on Schedule I’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.”

To address some of the initial issues, Schedule I’s Post-launch Patch #4 was released on March 29, fixing several employee bugs and multiplayer issues.

So, how successful is Schedule I? After coming out of nowhere, it's now the top-selling game on Steam, beating out everything from The Sims competitor inZOI to Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Valve ranks its top-selling chart by revenue, indicating that the budget-priced Schedule I is generating more money than its full-priced, triple-A competitors.

In terms of player engagement, Schedule I reached a peak of 414,166 concurrent players on Steam over the weekend. This puts it among the top 30 most-played games ever released on the platform. At the time of writing, Schedule I has more players 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 user reviews being positive. 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. Defo a 10/10"

While Schedule I is clearly a meme game, its longevity remains to be seen. However, developer Tyler won't be too concerned about that. His life has undoubtedly changed forever, and substantial content updates are on the horizon.

If you're diving into Schedule I, don't miss IGN's Schedule I Cheats and Console Commands guide, and Schedule I Multiplayer: How to Play Co-Op guide for the best gaming experience.