There’s one thing mistaken with this city; it’s instantly obvious as quickly as I arrive. I’ve lately fled my humble desert hometown after my uncle was raided by the cops and his legal enterprise was seized. I’m engaged on rebuilding the empire right here within the sleepy city of Hyland Level, however there are just a few issues to take care of. To begin with, I have to be taught the ropes of methods to develop weed, prepare dinner meth, and keep a buyer base. Secondly, a rival legal group firebombed my RV. Lastly, the cops stay a continuing trouble. That’s simply life in Schedule 1, a surprisingly expansive drug dealing simulator with some wacky twists, all created by a solo developer.
Schedule 1 has risen by way of the Steam ranks and maintains recognition as a result of it has a very satisfying core gameplay loop. Very similar to Palworld, the primary large shock hit of 2024, Schedule 1 liberally borrows from different simulator video games and totally different genres. I can play single-player, by which case I deal with each component of the operation: rising, packaging, promoting, increasing. Or I can rope in as much as three mates and we will every deal with a part of the enterprise.
Each a part of the Schedule 1 drug empire is constructed round a minigame, most of that are satisfying. For example, I don’t significantly look after cooking meth, however I discover managing the provision chain to be satisfying. If I run into any downtime throughout gameplay, no worries — I stole a TV from my motel room and it has some minigames on it, like Snake, Pong, or a sport the place I play an egg in sun shades along with his balls hanging out. Now this is gaming.
Picture: TVGS through epicgamejourney
Early on, the principle impediment I’ve to fret about is the police. Sometimes, an officer will search me, in search of something unlawful. They arrange blockades between neighborhoods, demanding to go looking my automobile if I hit one. The cops are barely an issue for me, although; I’ve a 100% success fee at simply sprinting away from them at prime pace. Even when I shoot an officer, they’ll overlook every little thing after a few minutes. Weirdly sufficient, the factor they’re firmest on is the city curfew. After 6 p.m., everybody has to get inside, or danger being arrested. I’ve discovered myself hiding in a bush or scared off my patio by a police patrol, who deal with curfew-breaking because the worst doable sin. It’s like residing in a bizarre Footloose city, besides everybody’s always smoking a joint.
Life in Hyland Level appears like a really simplified tackle the Grand Theft Auto franchise, full with crass jokes. For example, a neighborhood eating institution throughout from my beginning motel room is known as Taco Ticklers. One buyer is tragically dubbed “Peter File.” These jokes are so unsophisticated, they’re single entendres. If you happen to’re not a fan of low-cost, lazy jokes, then you definitely’ll seemingly end up irritated by Schedule 1. The opposite night time, I buckled all the way down to experiment with mixing variants and creating new weed strains, most of which had names like “Large Cum” or “Magic AssBlaster.” The graphics are equally simplified and cartoony, like a fundamental claymation setup or a 3D episode of South Park.
Plenty of work has gone into designing the steps of making medication through Schedule 1’s minigames, however a gap display warns me that none of it’s correct to real-world processes. Regardless, it’s satisfying to tinker in my workshop, creating weed with unimaginable new properties. Finally, I turn into a residing god in Hyland Level, and my disciples are smoking the dankest blunts conceivable. Some let me dash quicker than any automobile, and one pressure variable even lets me fly. I can purchase automobiles from the native auto dealership, however there’s not a lot level when I’ve a pocketful of magic weed.
Picture: TVGS
Very similar to the aforementioned Palworld, I feel this sport will ultimately turn into stale and I’ll put it again on the shelf. Schedule 1 is an early entry sport that simply got here out, and so there are issues that simply really feel incomplete. The police are toothless, the rival syndicate who blew up my RV within the begin of the sport has but to reemerge, and the developer maintains a Trello that lists potential concepts starting from “sewer community” to “climate” to “cartel preventing.”
I believe I’ll discover myself returning to Schedule 1 because it receives patches, for the reason that core gameplay is so satisfying. Whereas my co-op server has gotten comparatively far into creating illicit substances like high-end meth and cocaine, my solo sport has stalled as I save up sufficient cash for a bigger property. Finally, I’ll have conquered every little thing Hyland Level has to supply. For now, I’m simply having fun with the trip, and I anticipate that journey will solely develop richer in time.
Schedule 1 is on the market on Steam for $20, and there’s a demo accessible at no cost. I’ll proceed to comply with its developer, who goes by Tyler’s Video Recreation Studio, as this sport already has loads of strengths. Even when the novelty will ultimately put on off, I’m content material for now to let Tyler prepare dinner.
Schedule 1 was launched March 24 in early entry on Home windows PC. The sport was reviewed on PC utilizing a obtain code bought by the writer. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These don’t affect editorial content material, although Vox Media might earn commissions for merchandise bought through affiliate hyperlinks. You’ll find extra details about epicgamejourney’s ethics coverage right here.
