Bus Driver Drinking Game – Card Game Rules
The classic card drinking game – who ends up behind the wheel?
Round 1: Hand out sips
- Deal 4 cards to each player, face down.
- Place the remaining cards in a pyramid in the middle – 5 rows (1 card at the top, 5 at the bottom).
- Start with the bottom row – flip one card at a time.
- If you have a card in your hand that matches (same value) → hand out sips! Number of sips = row number from the bottom.
- Jokers do not count in the pyramid.
Round 2: Ride the bus
The player with the most cards remaining after the pyramid round MUST ride the bus. If there's a tie, all tied players ride!
- Place 5 cards face down in a row – this is the bus.
- The driver guesses each card in turn.
- Guess wrong → drink and start over from the card you got wrong!
- Get through all 5 cards to get off the bus!
🍺 Drinking rules summary
- 1–5 sips for matching cards in the pyramid (by row number)
- drink + restart for a wrong guess on the bus
- tie in card count = all tied players ride the bus
How to play Bus Driver drinking game
Bus Driver is a two-phase card drinking game: the pyramid phase and the bus route. In the pyramid phase, four cards are dealt to each player, and cards from the central pyramid are flipped one at a time – if you have a matching card you hand out sips.
In the bus route, the player with the most cards remaining is driven through five guessing rounds: red/black, higher/lower, inside/outside, suit, and higher/lower/same. Guess wrong and you drink and start over.
Rules for Bus Driver drinking game
- Deal 4 cards to each player, place the rest in a pyramid (5 rows).
- Flip the pyramid cards from bottom to top – a match means you hand out sips by row number.
- The player with the most cards after the pyramid rides the bus.
- Bus route: 5 stops with guesses – wrong means drink and restart the bus route.
- If there's a tie in card count, all tied players ride the bus.
Frequently asked questions about Bus Driver
What is the difference between Bus Driver and Ride the Bus?
They are essentially the same game – Bus Driver is the English name, Ride the Bus is the Norwegian name. The rules are identical: a pyramid phase followed by the bus route with 5 guessing stops.
What are the rules for each stop on the bus route?
Stop 1: red or black? Stop 2: higher or lower than the previous card? Stop 3: inside or outside the two previous cards? Stop 4: which suit? Stop 5: higher, lower or same?
What happens if you guess wrong on the bus route?
You drink and must restart the bus route from stop 1. It can take a long time to get off the bus if you're unlucky!
How many players does Bus Driver work for?
Bus Driver works for 3–10 players. With 4–6 players there's a good balance – enough competition for the bus seat without too many cards to keep track of.
Can you play Bus Driver without alcohol?
Yes! Replace sips with soda or other drinks. Alternatively, the player riding the bus can do a forfeit, like singing a song or doing push-ups.