I Dove Into Both ‘Schedule 1’ and ‘Drug Dealer Simulator’ After the Controversy Started: Which One Takes The Coke… I Mean, the Cake?

There’s a lot of controversy between the indie hit Schedule 1 and Drug Dealer Simulator. So, I needed to check and see if the threat of a lawsuit was really valid between these two rival developers. Schedule I came out of nowhere and quickly dominated the Steam Charts as the indie darling of the first half of the year. And while Drug Dealer Simulator has been available since 2020, it’s been in the headlines more now than it ever has before. Realistically, which of the two games is better?

Does ‘Drug Dealer Simulator’ Do It Better Than ‘Schedule 1’? No, Not Really, To Be Honest

Although Drug Dealer Simulator has had five years ahead of Schedule 1, as well as a sequel, I thought that the game would be loads better. It was shocking when I loaded into what felt like an Unreal Engine asset flip, with gritty textures, and a whole lot of “fuck.” Oh, yeah, it’s edgy over here in Drug Dealer Simulator, so fucking watch your fucking fingers, or you may get fucked up. It has its charming aspects, to be fair. The music is quite good at setting the mood. But it’s also easy to see how Schedule 1 overtook this one by a longshot.

Drug Dealer Simulator, at its core, is a game about being a member of the cartel. I’m given a cell phone, access to a laptop, and the dark web. I need to order drugs, pick them up from dead drop locations, and sell them off to people before a specific time of night. Once the sun sets, it’s time for the Police to come out and keep an eye on the town. Wait, am I describing Schedule I or Drug Dealer Simulator right now? I need to stop testing out the product before I package it up.

Yes, the premise of both games is extremely similar. And I can see why the development team behind Drug Dealer Simulator got a bit upset that Schedule 1 took their spotlight. But to that point, there have been plenty of games that follow the same type of gameplay loop. Especially on mobile marketplaces. Neither of these games does anything particularly special over the other. Except that the one made by a single developer is just more fun to play — and somehow, much more polished overall.

This Should Have Been a ‘Fight Fire With Fire’ Situation, Not a ‘Fight the Better Product With a Lawsuit’ Situation

In today’s world, it’s hard to know exactly what is going to happen if you try something like this. Drug Dealer Simulator is currently getting review-bombed by angry Schedule I fans because of the possibility of a lawsuit against the solo developer. Rather than doing something like this, congratulate them on their success and try to improve your own product. Ironic that a game about dealing drugs has the possibility of going to a court of law. Instead, they’re pulling a Hector Salamanca and blowing themselves up in the process.

Rather than coexisting, with one dealing with the more realistic side of things and another game having that more cartoony style? One of these games will emerge “victorious” over the other. And looking at the reviews, it seems like it’s Schedule 1 by a country mile. Even just playing the two games back to back, you can feel which one has more heart and soul. It’s just an awful look. I don’t partake in the sticky icky, but if I noticed someone was doing it better than me? I’d be working hard to make a better product, not ratting them out to the police.

Controversy aside, Schedule 1 is a much more charming game to play. On a fundamental level, it’s much more accessible and enjoyable. Plus, seeing as the roadmap for the Early Access title keeps getting bigger and better? There’s no doubt in my mind which one of these takes the whole pie at the end of the day.