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Download on Google Play- 3-8 players with a standard 52-card deck.
- No initial deal. Players guess from the draw pile. Everyone needs a drink.
- Round 1: Guess red/black (wrong = 1 drink).
- Round 2: Guess higher/lower (wrong = 2 drinks).
- Round 3: Guess inside/outside (wrong = 3 drinks).
- Round 4: Guess the suit (wrong = 4 drinks).
- Pyramid round assigns drinks by row (1-5).
- Biggest loser rides the bus (flips cards until no face cards appear).
Rules
Ride the Bus is a popular drinking and party card game where players guess properties of cards drawn from the deck. Getting a guess wrong means you drink. The game has multiple rounds of increasingly specific guesses, and the player who loses the most rides the bus in a final penalty round.
Objective
Correctly guess card properties through multiple rounds to avoid drinking penalties. The player with the most wrong guesses must 'ride the bus' in a final penalty round.
Setup
- Players: 3 to 8 players.
- Deck: Standard 52-card deck.
- Deal: No initial deal. Cards are drawn from the deck during play. Each player needs a drink.
Gameplay - Round 1
- Red or Black: Each player guesses whether the next card drawn will be red or black. Wrong guess = take 1 drink.
- Higher or Lower: Guess whether the next card will be higher or lower than your first card. Wrong = 2 drinks.
- Inside or Outside: Guess whether the next card's value falls between or outside your first two cards. Wrong = 3 drinks.
- Guess the Suit: Guess the suit of your next card. Wrong = 4 drinks.
Gameplay - Pyramid Round
- Build pyramid: Lay out cards in a pyramid shape (5-4-3-2-1 rows) face-down.
- Flip cards: Starting from the bottom row, flip cards one at a time.
- Match and assign: If a flipped card matches the rank of a card in a player's hand, that player can assign drinks to others. Bottom row = 1 drink, second row = 2, and so on up to 5.
- Bluffing: Players can bluff about having a matching card. Others can call the bluff.
Riding the Bus
- Loser rides: The player with the most cards remaining (or most penalties) rides the bus.
- The bus: Lay out a row of face-down cards. The rider flips them one at a time. Number cards are safe. Face cards or Aces mean the rider drinks and the row resets with additional cards.
- Escape: The rider escapes by flipping through the entire row without hitting a face card.
Variations
- Simplified bus: The bus rider simply flips 4 cards and drinks for each face card without resetting.
- Give and take: Replace the pyramid with alternating 'give' and 'take' rows.
Tips and Strategies
- For higher/lower, guess based on probability: guess higher for low cards and lower for high cards.
- In the pyramid round, bluff strategically but do not get caught too often.
- Pace yourself with drinks, as the bus ride at the end can be punishing.
Tips & Strategy
Use probability to your advantage: guess higher when your card is low and lower when your card is high. In the pyramid, bluff with confidence.
The guessing rounds are mostly luck, but the pyramid round introduces a bluffing element. Bold bluffs can shift drinks to opponents, but getting caught means double penalties in some versions.
Trivia & Fun Facts
The bus ride at the end can theoretically go on indefinitely if the rider keeps hitting face cards, making it one of the most dreaded finales in drinking games.
How many drinks is the penalty for incorrectly guessing the suit in the fourth round of Ride the Bus?
History & Culture
Ride the Bus emerged from college party culture in North America during the late 20th century and has become one of the most widely played drinking card games.
Ride the Bus is a cornerstone of North American college party culture, known for its simple rules, escalating tension, and memorable penalty rounds.
Variations & House Rules
Some groups skip the pyramid round and go straight to the bus. Others add a 'give and take' mechanic where pyramid rows alternate between giving and receiving drinks.
Adjust the drink amounts for each round based on your group's comfort level. Use non-alcoholic drinks for a family-friendly version of the guessing game.
