Schedule I is, at its core, an economic, automation, and almost life simulation – though with a morally questionable subject matter. We’re not trading furs between Riga and Lübeck here, nor are we selling pumpkins. Instead, you’re a producer and distributor of drugs. And that raises a very reasonable question: Should you even want to do that?
If your answer right now is “Yes!” – then stay tuned, because things are about to get interesting. Everyone else can safely move along (there really isn’t anything else to see here).
Right from the start, it’s clear that the developer – I believe his name is Tyler – has spent quite some time watching Breaking Bad. There’s hardly another explanation for why your first productions take place in a beige van from the ’80s. It’s not only a loving wink to the series, but it also adds immediate charm. And since you can customize your character, I naturally styled mine after Walter White, a.k.a. Heisenberg – hat included.
The beginning is humble: a small motel room, a few cannabis seeds, and some growing stations. You plant, water, harvest, package, and sell your product to eager customers. Each of these steps is its own little mini-game – from seed to sale. Later, your product line expands to include crystal meth and cocaine, and the developer is even working on adding psilocybin mushrooms as a new category.
As your success grows, so does your level of automation. You can hire employees to take over the tedious tasks: cooking, growing, cutting, packaging, cleaning – eventually, everything runs like clockwork. It costs money, of course, but it’s incredibly convenient. Over time, dealers join your crew as well, handling distribution for you.
The main goal remains clear: grow, expand, make more money. You buy new vehicles, invest in larger production facilities, and soon you’ll have to deal with another new feature – rival gangs from competing cartels. At that point, firearms suddenly become an issue.
Despite its morally questionable premise, Schedule I is a fascinating piece of software. It combines economic simulation, automation management, and a touch of life simulation into an unusually captivating mix. While the early steps can feel repetitive and laborious, that’s exactly part of the appeal: just a little more, and you can finally afford the next employee to take over for you.
And that constant motivation keeps you going – to improve, move into bigger locations, expand your business, and maybe one day build the next drug empire à la Walter White. Schedule I gets a lot of things right. It’s not perfect yet, but it’s still in Early Access. Who knows what ideas Tyler will bring to life in the months and years ahead.
