I appreciate the themes which underlie Stillalive Studios' latest public-transport sim Bus Bound. Revealed during the PC Gaming Show 2025, this non-canonical follow-up to Bus Simulator 21 aspires to be more than just a game about ferrying virtual folk around a city in a safe and timely fashion. You are the rectangular vanguard in a push to revitalise the public transport system of the city of Emberville, tasked with establishing a bus service so good it'll change the shape of the city itself.
Casting you as the debut driver of Emberville's brand new bus service. You'll drive through its 24-mile urban sprawl by day and night, come rain or shine, navigating fully simulated traffic and dealing with various road events. You'll avoid roadworks, dozy rubbish trucks and other hazards as you pick up engers and carry them to their chosen destinations.
Where Bus Bound diverges from its simulator cousins is in how your bus service affects the world around you. Through demonstrating the benefits of riding the bus to Emberville, you'll be able to expand your service, plotting new routes that take you to more places where you can serve additional engers. As more people swap their cars for coaches, Emberville will begin to reshape around your bus lanes, with car-congested roads being replaced by safer, healthier and culturally vibrant pedestrianised areas.
As with Bus Simulator 21, Bus Bound lets you drive Emberville's bus lanes alone, or in cooperative mode with up to four players. Players can share the load by driving different bus routes, although progress gained belongs to the host.
It's also worth noting that Bus Bound hasn't forgotten its simulator heritage amid these loftier aspirations. You'll be able to drive a dozen different bus types around Emberville, including several major US bus brands like the Bluebird Sigma and the New Flyer Xcelsior 40ft CNG, all of which can be extensively customised with an array of paints and decals.
There's no word on a specific release date for Bus Bound yet, but service is due to commence soon.
Check out every game, trailer, and announcement in the PC Gaming Show 2025
