Bus Bound, the latest title from the team behind Bus Simulator 21, is set in Emberville, a fictional American city. Your task is deceptively simple: keep to the timetable, obey traffic laws, and deliver passengers safely from stop to stop. What initially sounds mundane, quickly proves absorbing. Parking neatly at the stop, activating the signals, slowly negotiating surface irregularities – precision quickly became my quiet obsession in Bus Bound. Each successful route, punctuated by happy passengers stepping off the bus, brings a tangible sense of reward.

Apart from driving, you also expand your transport network by adding stops and planning new routes across the city. In completing tasks efficiently, you earn various bonuses, which can be used to customize the appearance of buses. At launch, the title by stillalive studios features over a dozen licensed vehicles from American manufacturers. Bus Simulator 21 currently offers roughly twice as many, but Bus Bound’s roster may grow over time.

Paint it, red.

Emberville itself is modest in scale but varied in tone. Some districts bustle with activity, others feel subdued and residential. In Bus Simulator 21, traffic levels and the number of potential passengers depended on the time of day and the weather. This system works well here, too.

Progression in Bus Bound is tied to performance. Safe, rule-abiding driving earns ratings from passengers. One satisfied passenger means one thumbs-up; however, certain conditions can multiply that number. These points matter, as reaching set milestones unlocks new stops and bus lines. Driving carefully simply pays off in this game. Ignore the rules, however, and passengers will complain; in extreme cases, you’ll hear panicked screams. You’ll also earn fewer points, which slows your progress.

They have no idea what awaits them.

Not everything works perfectly here. Passenger dialogue, whether positive or negative, quickly becomes repetitive. Seeing the same lines (like someone wishing they’d brought a parachute) over and over again gets a bit annoying. More variety here would have helped the game feel more realistic.

The driving system itself is approachable but lacks weight. Buses handle with unexpected lightness, especially at higher speeds, making tight turns feel effortless and diminishing the illusion of controlling large, heavy vehicles.
Bus Bound runs on Unreal Engine 5. Vehicle models are a visual highlight, particularly when bathed in warm, low-angle light. Elsewhere, the presentation is less convincing. While districts differ in layout and atmosphere, much of the surrounding architecture appears generic and dated.

Nice baloons.

Character models are a more significant drawback. Passenger faces and animations feel noticeably outdated, recalling games from over a decade ago. It’s particularly noticeable when a several people exit the bus at once – they all move in the same way, almost like a line of zombies saying „hello” to our planet.

On PC, peripheral support is another weak point. Steering wheel compatibility proved inconsistent: sometimes the game detected my device, sometimes it didn’t. At times, the option for accelerating forward didn’t even appear in the settings. In the end, I gave up and switched to a DualSense controller.

Everyone survived.

A few days ago, the developers published an official list of supported steering wheels on Steam. It remains limited and skewed toward older models. For many players, a standard controller may prove the more reliable option.
Localisation is similarly uneven. The Polish version suffers from frequent errors – awkward phrasing, omissions, and even some funny, nonsensical terms – suggesting a lack of thorough editing. Switching to English significantly improved my experience.

The greatest strength of Bus Bound lies in its relaxing and satisfying gameplay. Whether you’re enjoying the sight of happy passengers or the sound of their screams, it consistently delivers. At the same time, the driving model in the game lacks realism, wheel support is limited, and the visuals and animations feel dated. There’s also the question of content – for now, Bus Simulator 21 still offers the more complete package, which leaves room for further development of the newest game by stillalive studios.

Bus Bound is available now on PS5, Xbox Series S/X and PC.

Reviewed on PC.

A copy of Bus Bound was provided by the publisher.