We thought we were strapping in for a hardcore driving sim; instead, we got a city-management job. Regardless, we deeply enjoyed Bus Bound.
What a ride!
Bus Bound is one of those simulation games that we instantly fell in love with. It’s a game that respects your time, knows what it wants to do, and doesn’t drag things out unnecessarily. It hands you a set of keys and points you toward a strict routine. It’s up to you to keep a 40-foot metal tube between the white lines while the rain pours down. You might think it sounds boring, but it’s actually not. It brings us to a state of calm that nothing else has managed to do.
The Wheels of the Bus Go Round and Round
Welcome to Emberville. This is the city where you’ll spend hours driving set routes. As silly, simple, or boring as it might sound, we absolutely enjoyed pulling up to curbs and opening the doors—then waiting just so we could close them and pull back out into traffic again. Driving is fun, especially when experimenting with the 17 licensed buses. We don’t know if this means much to you, but here goes: the New Flyer Xcelsior. Yeah, you get to drive this baby. These things are massive. Turning at a tight intersection takes patience but, most importantly, it takes skill. If you don’t have that skill yet, you’ll definitely want to work on developing some.
Sim-lite
Before you go crazy and start imagining things like walking around outside the bus or manually selling tickets to passengers, we have to stop you right there. You just drive. But—and this is a big but—driving comes with some cool mechanics and motivations. By driving “clean,” you earn goodwill, which you later spend at upgrade stops. Doing this physically changes the city in noticeable ways. Parking lots turn into pedestrian plazas, and car traffic thins out to make room for bus lanes. Hey, who said you can’t make a difference as a bus driver?
This city is yours. You’re also dealing with a rival company called SE Auto. They wanted us to fail hard, but we didn’t give them that privilege. There is a lot to do here, and you don’t have to do it alone. Dropping into four-player co-op really helps, as you can split the routes with friends. We wish we had tried that part ourselves, but we saw some videos and it seemed really fun. It’s cool to see how co-op players organize, chat while driving, vocally share their experiences on the streets, and simply cut the grind.
End of the Line?
Bus Bound is such a cool game. And, thanks to the pass, it will continue giving. Right now, the base game is a dream come true for us; we thoroughly enjoy coming home from a long day of work and just relaxing by driving around a city that slightly bends to our will. If you have the patience for it, you can find a really nice, relaxing groove here.
ID Card
- Developer: stillalive studios
- Publisher: Saber Interactive
- Engine: Unreal Engine
- Platforms: PS5 (Reviewed), PC, Xbox Series X/S
- Release Date: April 30, 2026
- Genre: Simulation
Leave a comment