Schedule I is a first-person open-world crime simulation game where players build and manage a drug trafficking operation in the fictional city of Hyland Point. Gameplay combines business management with tactical strategy, as players grow and manufacture various substances, sell to residents while avoiding police, and expand through hiring employees and purchasing properties. Drugs can be mixed with various ingredients to alter their effects and increase sell value. Players must contend with law enforcement mechanics including random searches, roadblocks, and a wanted system. The game also features an active modding community and cooperative multiplayer.
The player arrives in Hyland Point after their uncle Nelson is arrested by police and their RV is destroyed by a rival cartel called the Benzies. Left with nothing but a motel room, the player begins building a drug operation from scratch while receiving guidance from Nelson over payphone calls from prison. As the player's enterprise grows, the Benzies continue to threaten and attack, forcing a choice between paying tribute to the cartel or fighting back to reclaim the city territory by territory.
