1
Squirrel's Pick Squirrel's PickThe best game on this page. If you only try one, try this. Closest Match Closest MatchThe most similar game to the anchor, by what players say.
CrimeOpen WorldAction
$19.99 ~35.3 hr median co-op complexity: light 97.8% of 307k
The Squirrel's verdictCo-op is the defining addition here: Schedule I lets you and a partner build a drug production and dealing operation together, something Drug Lord Tycoon never offered. It also layers in pickpocketing and police mechanics. Steam rating is 97.8% positive with a 35.3-hour median playtime.
Not for you if you want deep long-term progression — reviewers report the loop becomes repetitive after reaching endgame with little left to work toward.
2
CrimeActionOpen World
$19.99 ~28.5 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 86.2% of 21k
The Squirrel's verdictBoth are single-player drug business sims where you build a supply operation from nothing. Drug Lord Tycoon is management-and-numbers focused; Drug Dealer Simulator puts you on foot doing hand-to-hand deals, packing product, and dodging police in first person. Good fit if you want the same drug-economy loop but with physical, on-the-ground execution instead of spreadsheets.
Not for you if you want multiplayer, or you'd rather manage a business from a menu than run product deliveries yourself on foot.
3
Immersive SimFPSEconomy
$19.99 ~76.5 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 93.9% of 4k
The Squirrel's verdictBoth put you managing a drug business from the ground up, but Weed Shop 3 is a single-shop sim (growing, dealing, decorating) rather than Drug Lord Tycoon's broader operation. No multiplayer here either. Reviews describe long play sessions and janky but deep systems, with active players still logging hours years after release.
Not for you if you wanted an evolving multi-area empire instead of one shop, or expected co-op with friends.
4
Hidden Gem Hidden GemLoved by the players who found it, but still under the radar.
Life SimTime ManagementEconomy
$11.99 ~28.6 hr median no co-op complexity: light 91.8% of 2k
The Squirrel's verdictPumping Simulator 2 shares the same idle-tycoon skeleton — upgrade a business, hire staff, and let systems run while money accumulates — but swaps drug production for a gas station with illegal side activity. At $11.99 and 91.8% positive, it fits players who want a consistent dev and a similar loop. Median playtime sits at 28.6 hours. Solo only.
Not for you if you need deep replay value or varied gameplay — fixed asset locations and content ceilings leave some reviewers feeling it runs dry within a few hours.
5
Hidden Gem Hidden GemLoved by the players who found it, but still under the radar.
Center Station Simulator
PC
ExplorationCraftingAutomation
$19.99 ~75.7 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 88.1% of 572
The Squirrel's verdictCenter Station Simulator is a solo production-chain sim where you build machines, process raw materials, and grow a facility step by step — structurally close to Drug Lord Tycoon's management loop but with deeper crafting chains and a 75.7-hour median playtime. Released in 2024 with a Very Positive rating and reviews as recent as five days ago.
Not for you if you need clear in-game guidance — reviewers flag unlabeled items, non-standard key bindings, and multi-step crafting with no on-screen explanation.
6
Budget Pick Budget PickThe best game here for the least money.
FPSImmersive SimLife Sim
$9.99 ~25.4 hr median no co-op complexity: light 85.9% of 910
The Squirrel's verdictWeed Shop 2 covers the same tycoon territory — grow product, run a shop, hire staff who eventually handle operations for you — and released as a finished build in 2017 with a Very Positive rating and a 25.4-hour median playtime. Players who want that grow-and-sell loop with a completed progression path rather than an uncertain one will find it here. No co-op, same as Drug Lord Tycoon.
Not for you if you disliked the late-game cartel mechanics or alien content added in updates reviewers found out of place.
7
Medical SimClickerCrime
$19.99 ~25.1 hr median no co-op complexity: light 80.1% of 2k
The Squirrel's verdictWeedcraft Inc suits players who want production chains and city-level market automation wrapped in a scenario structure with a story mode guiding progression. Strain-crafting and multi-city expansion replace Drug Lord Tycoon's looser sandbox feel. Released in full in 2019 with a Very Positive rating; median playtime runs around 25 hours.
Not for you if you want an open sandbox, multiplayer, or any combat — and reviewers warn repetitive clicker mechanics can set in before scenarios are finished.
8
CrimeCapitalismEconomy
$24.99 ~26.2 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 73.4% of 3k
The Squirrel's verdictBoth cast you as the boss of an illegal drug operation, DLT through farming and street-level dealing, DNFC through a fast-food-chain front for meth production and factory-line logistics. Same teen/adult audience wanting business-sim structure around contraband. Neither offers co-op. DNFC runs $24.99, Mostly Positive on Steam, median playtime 26 hours.
Not for you if you want multiplayer, or you're bothered by reported bugs like walls not connecting and save-file corruption.