Take the metamorphic sandstone as the reference object, by making rock like samples with fractures, the conventional triaxial loading and unloading test and PFC numerical simulation of rock like sample with single fracture were conducted, and the effects of the loading path, inclined angle of fracture, axial stress level during unloading, initial confining pressure during unloading on the compressive strength, peak strain and crack propagation evolution of the samples were considered. The compressive strength of the specimen under triaxial unloading is smaller than that under triaxial loading. The peak strain of the specimen under triaxial unloading is also smaller than that under triaxial loading. The specimen is more prone to brittle failure. When the axial stress level is the same during unloading, with the increase of the initial confining pressure during unloading, the difference of the compressive strength of the specimens with different inclined angles of fracture gradually decreases. Under the condition of uniaxial compression and triaxial compression, the failure of all specimens is tensile failure, and the shear failure is the main one during unloading.