Schedule I Is the Drug Empire Sim You Didn’t Know You Needed — But Is It More Than Just a Meme?

How a Meme-Tier Drug Empire Sim Became One of Steam’s Most Addictive Strategy Games

By Ultimate Gamer - Louis van Wyk

When you first lay eyes on Schedule I, it looks like a joke. A neon-soaked, meme-bait game with Rick & Morty-esque character models and a plot that sounds like it was cooked up during a 3am Discord call. You’re a drug dealer, starting small with a weed operation out of your RV, eventually working your way into full-scale narcotics distribution. Sound familiar? Yes — but this one hits different.

Despite its chaotic exterior, Schedule I has exploded on Steam since its early access launch in late March 2025, racking up nearly 200,000 concurrent players and an "Overwhelmingly Positive" rating. Turns out, underneath the meme art and unfiltered absurdity lies one of the most surprisingly addictive sim experiences of the year.

🌆 Build the Empire or Die Trying

Schedule I drops you into Hyland Point — a filthy, dangerous, and oddly charming city where everyone’s on the take and the police seem more like a formality. You start out broke, armed with nothing but seeds, soil, and ambition. From there, you water your plants, harvest your stash, and hand off grams to nervy NPCs in alleyways, car parks, and skate parks.

But it doesn't stay small-time for long. The game expands quickly, unlocking harder drugs, new districts, dozens of supplier relationships, and eventually — full-blown business empires. Players can invest in properties, hire staff, buy weapons, and optimise their supply chains like a true back-alley CEO.

What’s more, it all works. From planting to packaging to flipping bulk orders, there’s a flow to the game that feels incredibly rewarding. It’s Drug Dealer Simulator meets Weedcraft Inc. with just a pinch of GTA Online’s entrepreneurial chaos.

👥 Multiplayer That Actually Matters

Unlike many early access indie sims, Schedule I includes co-op support right out of the gate — and it’s shockingly functional. Up to four players can build an empire together, each handling different parts of the business: farming, packaging, distribution, and security. It's chaos, but it’s organised chaos.

The social aspect completely changes the tempo of the game. Solo is slow and methodical. Co-op is fast, hilarious, and wildly unpredictable. It's the kind of game where one mate’s poor decision leads to a full-scale turf war with a rival gang while you’re just trying to label a new sativa strain in peace.

📰 What the Critics Are Saying

The critical reception so far has been cautiously impressed. While major outlets haven’t all weighed in yet due to the game’s early access status, the coverage it's received is positive:

· PC Gamer said it’s “not just a meme game,” calling it “surprisingly strategic and weirdly satisfying.”

· IGN highlighted the game’s “chaotic charm and real mechanical depth beneath the aesthetic noise.”

· Indie reviewers on YouTube and TikTok are already calling it “the next Vampire Survivors moment” — a game that looks dumb until it eats your weekend.

💬 What the Players Think

Steam reviews are glowing — not just from fans of the genre, but from casual players who gave it a shot on impulse. Most praise the game’s loop and freedom, while a few note some early access jank (occasional bugs, missing tutorials, and balance quirks).

From Reddit:

“Bought it as a joke. Played for 10 hours. Help.”
—u/420ExcelCEO

“It's Breaking Bad, but if you were also your own delivery driver, accountant, and garden gnome. Absolute chaos.”
—u/ShatterLabz

On X:

“Schedule I is what happens when Stardew Valley goes full cartel.”
—@GrowOpGuy

⚖️ Hype vs Reality

The trailer did its job — it baited clicks and eyeballs with its over-the-top presentation. But what kept players hooked wasn’t the jokes. It was the game’s surprising mechanical depth and freedom of playstyle. You can genuinely run a clean weed-only operation, scale into hard drugs, or focus on a distribution logistics empire with minimal front-facing action. It’s flexible, strategic, and surprisingly detailed.

That said, this is still early access. There are bugs. Some systems need polish. And while the art style might work for some, others will be completely put off by the cartoonish visuals and caricature-heavy designs.

But none of that’s stopping the game from blowing up. The devs have already promised major updates, including a storyline, better tutorials, expanded maps, and new substances — so the best may still be ahead.

🧠 What We Think (Ultimate Gamer's Take)

We came in expecting chaos. We stayed because this game is honestly fun as hell.

It’s easy to laugh off Schedule I as another Twitch-fuelled meme, but once you're a few hours deep into managing harvest cycles, drop-off routes, and shady landlord deals, you start to see it for what it really is — a top-tier sim disguised as a stoner joke.

We were especially impressed with the co-op. This is the kind of game that becomes a core memory with the right group of mates. Is it perfect? No. But it’s addictively playable, unpretentious, and leaves you constantly thinking, “Just one more package.”

🎯 Final Verdict

Schedule I might be the most misleading game on Steam right now — in the best way possible. It lures you in with wild visuals and meme energy, then hooks you with tight sim mechanics, emergent gameplay, and a world that’s as hilarious as it is hostile.

Whether you’re into survival sims, tycoon-style progression, or just want a good laugh with friends, this is one empire worth building.

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