I keep my eyes on new game releases because I have to: it’s a part of my job. For those who are a bit more casual when it comes to playing games, it’s usually the media, streamers, and TikTok that get people hooked on something new. Publishers can pay for the attention, of course, but the real success comes from proper word-of-mouth and grassroots content creation. In steps Schedule 1.
This drug-dealing simulator has rocketed past 400,000 concurrent players in its early access state, putting it in the top 30 games of all time on Steam. Along with the number of Steam reviews, people are estimating around 2 million copies sold.
For the solo developer, under the name TVGS, this must be a dream come true. Just a couple of weeks ago, the game got a respectable number of players in the Steam Next Fest, but no one could’ve predicted this level of success. We’ve seen indie games pop off in the past, but this is an extraordinary level of virality. How exactly has Schedule 1 become so popular?
It’s Good, And It’s Viral
Schedule 1 is just a good game. It’s not too flashy, and it’s not too complicated. The world oozes style, and you don’t need a ridiculously powerful PC to play it. The onboarding through the short tutorial is straightforward yet packs a punch with its killer soundtrack and unexpected turn of events – no spoilers! – as you first enter the grimy setting of Hyland Point. Then it’s just you and a small pile of cash and the world as your oyster.
But there are loads of good games released all the time. What about Schedule 1 has catapulted it up the charts? It’s all about virality. Big streamers pick up the game – creators like CaseOh and Cyr – and then TikTok channels splice their content and upload it in chunks. There are some difficulties here around copyright and stolen content, but for game developers, this kind of stuff is gold dust. Free promotion for your game. You have to do absolutely nothing: just let your work speak for itself. The proof is in the pudding. Or in this case, the drugs.
Schedule 1 has a bunch of dumb interactions with drugs that take a little bit of experimentation to find. For example, some mixes will turn customers green or make their heads explode. Not everyone knew about these mixes immediately, which means they see a clip of a mix in-game and think “Woah, what else can you make?” Or, you can bonk a customer over the head and then incinerate their body for cash. The game is also just a little janky, which means there are fun but not game-breaking bugs. All this makes good content.
Play How You Want
While Schedule 1 isn’t an RPG, it does have a lot of variance with how you want to play. For the first ten hours, I was just a solo dealer, growing weed and peacefully building my stockpile of cash. For the next 20, I joined up with some friends and built an entire drug empire and made thousands of dollars. People see the game on TikTok and think, “That looks great, but I want to play it this way.” Keep the game at a reasonable price point with an early release sale, and you’ve got a recipe for major success.
Schedule 1 also has multiplayer co-op, which means it only takes one friend in the group to get hooked on the game and convince others to play as well. I’d compare it to games like Repo and Lethal Company for the virality, but with the extra ease of access and moreish gameplay loop that keeps those player numbers high consistently. Every time I think we’ve seen the peak, the game gets even more players. The future is bright for Schedule 1.
