Bus Simulator 18

An ultra-realistic deep dive into the world of urban public transport, warts and all… Unless you want to get fined, you’ll need to use your indicators, sell and check tickets, respond to passenger requests, give out change, and catch fare-dodgers, all against the ticking clock. It goes without saying that this is one for fans of simulation games.

Have you ever wondered what your local bus driver’s day is like? Are you good with people and have no fear of being attacked for no real reason? If you’ve got your Category D driving licence and the Highway Code is your Bible, welcome aboard Bus Simulator 18.

Perhaps still mentally scarred after your last job at National Express, you decide to set up your own company in Seaside Valley, a pretty little city whose council wants to create a reliable and efficient public transport system. And this is where you step in! But not so hasty: you’ll still need to earn your stripes and resist the urge to tear through this peaceful town like a lunatic at the wheel.

Top of your to-do list is to buy yourself a brand-new bus, hire drivers with different levels of experience, and plan your routes taking care to stop in every area. And so, with a need to fill the company coffers, you speed off to work! But not so fast! If you’ve already managed to run over five pedestrians before your first stop then maybe you’re in the wrong career...

As its name implies, Bus Simulator 18 is a purebred bus simulator played from a first-person point of view. Developed by Stillalive Studios, this is a game where every detail counts, and one that will shine the spotlight on both your driving skills and your business acumen. Because between every working day, you’ll need to make sure you’re hitting your profitability targets and generating turnover. This will let you pay your employees’ wages and improve your buses or the size of your network, for example. With extremely detailed 3D graphics and ultra-realistic gameplay, Bus Simulator 18 immerses you in a world that’s teeming with life and is genuinely huge (12 neighbourhoods and a total of 78 bus stops) without ever quite being labyrinthine. And thanks to its clear and detailed interface, the game remains accessible to beginners, too.

But no matter your level, the tutorial will always come in handy to get to grips with your bus’s physics and controls. Not to mention the surgical precision of every last one of your manoeuvres, and even the timetables, which will soon become your new obsession! After going through all that, you’ll find room in your heart to forgive the bus driver who missed your stop yesterday morning!