Schedule I beats AC Shadows as Steam’s no.1

Indie business simulator Schedule I shocked the whole gaming world as it topped the charts at Steam in the bestsellers by stealing the crown from Assassin's Creed Shadows. The excitement building up all around for the new Assassin's Creed title by Ubisoft has failed to sway the fans from the hooded, gnarled underground charm of Schedule I—and the figures say it all.Just released into early access yesterday, Schedule I has already gone ahead of one of the biggest franchises in the business; a strong concept and engaging gameplay would sometimes trump a big marketing budget. According to Steam DB, Schedule I peaked at over 88,387 concurrent players last night, with about 4,000 more than the Assassin's Creed Shadows title. While Ubisoft's AAA title is still garnering a lot of mainstream attention, retaining its players seems to be a different story altogether compared to the indie hit.The success of Schedule I is even more pronounced due to its troubled development. The game faced delays and decisions that some fans considered detrimental, putting into question whether it would fulfill its potential. That turned out to be a misconception, and the game now seems to have a dedicated audience eager to jump in and explore the unique mechanics.Developed by indie studio TVGS, Schedule I represents a high-stakes business simulation that puts players in the role of the underground entrepreneur who deals with the production and distribution of illicit goods. Unlike most tycoon games, Schedule I injects tension and risk into the operation, with players having to manage both supply chains and threats from law enforcement. There is a cooperative multiplayer mode that allows for up to four players to build their empire together.The word about the burgeoning success of the game shows that players are starting to want the more bizarre experiences. Whereas Assassin's Creed Shadows takes the player into feudal Japan with a hyper-real historical setting, Schedule I offers a more contemporary, high-stakes power struggle that echoes in ways we could not imagine.Schedule I has yet to grow in terms of players and sales, though it already shows something to the developer that arguably has more power than the others to shake up the industry. It's bad news really for Ubisoft: competition has simply taken so close to the heart that, even being the heavyweight contenders, they are not safe and sound from disruption.