Ride the Bus Game Rules: Can You Guess Your Way to Freedom?

What's the "Ride the Bus" Game Rules? 🤔

Ever felt like you're on a never-ending journey... of drinking? That's kind of the vibe of "Ride the Bus," a card-guessing game where players try to correctly predict a series of card attributes to finally "get off the bus." It's simple, suspenseful, and can get pretty lively as players try to break their unlucky streaks.

What You'll Need 🛠️

This bus ride doesn't require much luggage:

A Standard Deck of 52 Cards
Drinks & Cups for each player
Players: 3 or more people. One will be the "Bus Driver" (dealer).

Getting Started: All Aboard! 🚌

Choose the Bus Driver: One person is designated as the dealer, or the "Bus Driver." They'll manage the deck and ask the questions.
First Passenger Boards: The Bus Driver shuffles the deck and then picks one player from the group to "board the bus." This player is the first one up to guess. Only one player attempts to get off the bus at a time.

How to Play: The Four Rounds of Guesses 🚦

The chosen player (the "passenger") has to correctly guess their way through four rounds. The Bus Driver draws a new card for each question.

Here are the rounds:

Round 1: Red or Black? ❤️🖤
- The Bus Driver asks, "Red or Black?"
- The passenger guesses if the color of the top card to be drawn will be red (Hearts/Diamonds) or black (Spades/Clubs).
- The Bus Driver then reveals the card.
Round 2: Higher or Lower? ⬆️⬇️
- If the passenger was correct on Round 1, the Bus Driver draws a new card and asks, "Higher or Lower?"
- The passenger guesses if this new card will be higher or lower in value than the previous card drawn in Round 1. (Aces are usually high, but decide as a group if they can be low too).
- The Bus Driver reveals the card.
Round 3: Between or Outside? ↔️
- If correct on Round 2, the Bus Driver draws another new card. Looking at the values of the first two cards drawn (from Round 1 and Round 2), the Bus Driver asks, "Between or Outside?"
- The passenger guesses if the value of this new card will fall numerically between the values of the first two cards, or if it will be outside that range.
- The Bus Driver reveals the card.
Round 4: Which Suit? ♠️♥️♦️♣️
- If the passenger makes it through Round 3, they're on the final step! The Bus Driver draws one last new card and asks, "Which Suit?"
- The passenger must guess the specific suit of this card (Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, or Clubs).
- The Bus Driver reveals the card.

Drinking Penalties & Getting Off the Bus 🛑

Incorrect Guess: If the passenger answers incorrectly at any of the four rounds:
- They must take a number of sips corresponding to the round they failed on.
  - Wrong on Round 1 (Red or Black) = 1 sip.
  - Wrong on Round 2 (Higher or Lower) = 2 sips.
  - Wrong on Round 3 (Between or Outside) = 3 sips.
  - Wrong on Round 4 (Which Suit) = 4 sips.
- After drinking, that passenger's turn is over for now, but they are still on the bus. The Bus Driver then picks a new player to board the bus and start from Round 1. Or, if you want to be cruel, the same player has to try again from Round 1 immediately. Decide this before you start!
Correct on All Four Rounds: If the passenger successfully guesses all four rounds correctly – congratulations! They have "gotten off the bus." They are safe (for now) and don't have to guess again unless everyone else gets off and you decide to start a new game.

Ending the Game 👋

The game typically continues with the Bus Driver choosing players to board the bus one by one (or cycling through those still "on the bus") until everyone has successfully completed all four rounds and "gotten off the bus."

If you're a fan of card games that involve a bit of luck and prediction, you might also want to check out how to play the Pyramid Game Rules – it’s got a different kind of guessing involved!

The Dojo's Take 🍻

"Ride the Bus" is a classic for a reason. It's simple, requires no real skill beyond making a guess, and the tension can build as players get closer to the final round. It's especially funny when someone gets stuck "on the bus" for ages, repeatedly failing on the same tricky question. The drinking penalties are straightforward, making it easy to keep track.

For more fun ideas, why not browse our full collection of party games?

Drink Responsibly 🙏

Keep the ride fun and safe for everyone. Drink responsibly, make sure everyone is comfortable with the pace, and remember that water is a good co-pilot.

Your Questions Answered: FAQ ❓

What if the "Higher or Lower" card (Round 2) is the same value as the Round 1 card? This is a common point for a house rule! Often, it's counted as an incorrect guess for the passenger. Some play it as a "push," and the dealer draws another card for the Higher/Lower question. Clarify before starting.
For "Between or Outside" (Round 3), what if the third card matches one of the first two cards' values? Usually, this means it's not "between." So, if the first two cards are a 5 and a 10, and the third card is a 5 or a 10, it would be "Outside." "Between" strictly means a value that falls in the gap.
What happens after a player gets off the bus? They're safe! They don't participate in the guessing rounds anymore. The Bus Driver moves on to another player who is still "on the bus."
Can the Bus Driver play or change? The Bus Driver usually doesn't try to get off the bus themselves while dealing. You can rotate who the Bus Driver is after everyone has had a chance to get off, or after a set number of players.
What if the deck runs out of cards? Just gather up all the used cards (except any that might be part of a current player's four-round sequence, if you lay them out), give them a good shuffle, and continue.