- BGG rank
- BGG #296
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Indonesia
- 2–5 players
- 180–240 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2005
- BGG rank
- BGG #443
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Bus
1999
Rules assistance for Bus
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 120 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.0/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for Bus
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Bus is a board game released in 1999 for 3–5 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Jeroen Doumen and Joris Wiersinga and its main mechanics are Network and Route Building, Pick-up and Deliver, and Action Points.
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About the game
Prior to Essen 1999, a group of students created Splotter Spellen to sell some of their own game designs. This game is regarded as one of the highlights of that group. The object of the game is to deliver as many people to their destinations as you can. To accomplish this, players place route markers on the board to connect passengers to their destinations. However, the destination types (work, bar, home) vary from turn to turn, so you can follow certain passengers as they make their way through the daily grind. Players may buy more buses (they start off with one), build onto their bus route, bring new passengers to the city (via the trains), expand the city by adding more buildings, and run their buses. There is another option, the clock. The action board has one other clever feature. On some actions, route expansion and building, the first player to choose that action actually gets to execute the action last! Which leads to some interesting games of chicken and some painful decisions. Buying more buses allows a player to carry one more passenger every time they run their buses - hence scoring, in the best case, one more point. Depending on how the city gets built, however, finding lots of passengers on the street can be tricky. Bus routes extend from either end of a Settlers-style initial placement. Extensions are appended to either end. Routes may only run parallel if there are no empty streets at one of the ends or the line ends on the crossing as another player's end. All new passengers will arrive at one of two train stations so that is one concern when route building. One must also be careful to run by a nice mix of building types. And, when building, one must always have an eye towards spoiling other players' routes by placing a mix of building types at each of their intersection so that all of their passengers just walk! Finally, when carrying passengers, one wants to be careful to set up to carry the same passenger next turn.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Capstone Games
- Splotter Spellen
Questions and answers
Bus supports 3–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Bus is 120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Bus for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Bus has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Bus belongs to these categories: Transportation. Its main mechanics are Network and Route Building, Pick-up and Deliver, and Action Points. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Bus are: Jeroen Doumen and Joris Wiersinga. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Bus as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.