Ride the Bus Rules – Complete Guide to the Drinking Game
Ride the Bus is a classic card game where one player guesses their way through four phases of card answers. Guess wrong and drink – guess right and move on. A nerve-wracking, fun drinking game that works both as a pre-drink and an end to the evening.
What is Ride the Bus?
Ride the Bus – also known as "Bussruta" in Norwegian – is a popular card-based drinking game where one player at a time "rides the bus" through four question phases. Each phase asks a question about the next card, and if you guess wrong you drink and start over. The goal is to get through all four phases without failing.
The game is known for being easy to learn, but it can take surprisingly long to complete – especially when luck is against you and the cards do not cooperate. It is precisely that frustration and tension that makes Ride the Bus a memorable highlight of the evening.
In many groups, Ride the Bus is played as a "punishment" for the person who lost Ring of Fire or another card game – then it is the person with the most cards left in their hand who must ride the bus. But it works just as well as a standalone game.
How to set up Ride the Bus
- Shuffle the deck thoroughly.
- Decide who rides the bus in the first round – preferably the one who lost the previous game, or the youngest in the group.
- The dealer holds the deck face down and is ready to flip one card at a time.
- Everyone else is the "audience" and sits around while the bus passenger guesses.
- The bus passenger answers four questions in sequence. If they guess correctly on all four, they are done. If they guess wrong, they drink and start from the beginning.
Tip: Decide in advance whether the player starts over from phase 1 on a wrong guess, or from the phase where they failed. Most groups play that you always start from the very beginning – it makes the game more dramatic.
The four phases – question by question
Phase 1 – Red or Black?
Guess whether the next card is red (hearts or diamonds) or black (clubs or spades). It is 50/50 – but the first phase is about warming up.
- Correct: Move on to phase 2.
- Wrong: Drink one sip and start over from phase 1.
Phase 2 – Higher or Lower?
Guess whether the next card is higher or lower than the card you already see from phase 1. Ace is highest, 2 is lowest. Same value means you drink regardless.
- Correct: Move on to phase 3.
- Wrong: Drink two sips and start from phase 1.
Phase 3 – Inside or Outside?
You now have two cards visible in front of you. Guess whether the next card falls between the two cards in value (inside) or outside them. Example: if you have a 4 and a 9, a 6 is "inside" and a 2 is "outside". If you hit exactly one of the boundary values, you drink.
- Correct: Move on to phase 4.
- Wrong: Drink three sips and start from phase 1.
Phase 4 – Which suit?
The last and hardest phase. Guess which of the four suits the next card belongs to: hearts, diamonds, clubs or spades. There is now only a 25% chance of getting it right.
- Correct: You are done – the bus has been ridden!
- Wrong: Drink four sips and start from phase 1.
Variants and house rules
Escalating sips
Instead of fixed sip values per phase (1, 2, 3, 4) some groups use an escalating variant where the number of sips increases with each attempt. First mistake gives 1 sip, second mistake 2 sips etc. – regardless of which phase you are in. It makes it progressively tougher the longer it goes on.
Group bus
A popular variant where the whole group rides the bus together. Everyone guesses at the same time (says the answer simultaneously), and those who guess wrong drink. Those who guess correctly are safe. It is more chaotic and suits larger groups well.
Reverse Ride the Bus
In the reversed variant the phases are flipped: you start with suit guessing (25% chance) and end with red/black (50% chance). It makes the beginning extra brutal and the end more manageable.
Double bus
Two players ride the bus in parallel with their own set of cards. The one who finishes last drinks an extra penalty sip. It creates a little competitive intensity and is especially fun to watch.
Ride the Bus as a Ring of Fire penalty
Perhaps the most classic use of Ride the Bus: the player who draws the fourth king card in Ring of Fire and drinks the King's Cup must then ride the bus. It connects the two games elegantly and gives the evening a dramatic finale.
The odds in Ride the Bus
Ride the Bus is a pure luck game – there is no strategy that increases your chances. But it is fun to understand the odds:
- Phase 1 (red/black): 50% chance of getting it right.
- Phase 2 (higher/lower): Depends on the card from phase 1. If it is a middle card (6–8) the chances are most even. If it is an extreme card (2 or Ace) one direction is almost guaranteed correct.
- Phase 3 (inside/outside): Depends on the spread between the two cards. Large spread = more likely inside. Small spread = more likely outside.
- Phase 4 (suit): Always 25% chance – no help from earlier cards here.
Fun fact: The chance of making it through all four phases in one attempt (given average card combinations) is approximately 10–12%. The vast majority ride at least two or three rounds before completing it.
Tips for beginners
- Be prepared to fail. Ride the Bus is designed to take time. Do not get frustrated – that is the whole point.
- Clarify the rules for phases 2 and 3. What happens with a matching value in phase 2? What if the card in phase 3 hits exactly on a boundary value? Decide this in advance.
- Cheer on the bus passenger. It is much more fun to watch when the group engages – shout out guesses, give words of encouragement and cheer when someone finally completes it.
- Have water bottles ready. Ride the Bus can give many sips in a short time. Drink responsibly and have water on the side.
- Rotate who rides. Let everyone take a turn on the bus – it is much more fun than just one person being stuck for a long time.
Ride the Bus in the bigger picture
Ride the Bus differs from most other drinking games in that it is very focused on one person at a time. It creates a "showcase effect" where everyone else watches and cheers (or chuckles). It is a different social dynamic than e.g. Ring of Fire where everyone is in the game all the time.
That makes Ride the Bus a perfect "in-between game" – a small intense pause where one person gets the attention while the rest relax and enjoy their drinks. It is especially well suited as a transition between two larger games.
Frequently asked questions about Ride the Bus
What are the rules for Ride the Bus?
In Ride the Bus, one player guesses through four phases with one card at a time: Phase 1 = red or black (50/50), Phase 2 = higher or lower than the previous card, Phase 3 = inside or outside the two visible cards, Phase 4 = guess the exact suit (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades – 25% chance). If you guess wrong in a phase, you drink (1, 2, 3 or 4 sips) and start from phase 1 again. Get all four right in a row and you are done.
What do you need to play Ride the Bus?
You only need one regular deck of 52 cards and drinks. No other equipment is necessary. A dealer holds the deck, and one player at a time is the "bus passenger". The rest of the group sits around and watches.
How many players can play Ride the Bus?
Ride the Bus technically works for one player and a dealer, but is most fun with 3–10 players present. The game is about one bus passenger at a time while the rest cheer (or chuckle). With many players it is a good idea to let everyone take a turn so that everyone gets to be the bus passenger.
What happens with a matching value in phase 2?
If the next card in phase 2 has exactly the same value as the card from phase 1, the most common rule is that the bus passenger drinks and starts from phase 1. Some groups let a matching value count as "higher" – clarify this in advance to avoid arguments mid-game.
Can you play Ride the Bus without alcohol?
Yes, absolutely! Ride the Bus works just as well with soft drinks, juice or water. You can also replace "sips" with "points" or "push-ups" for a non-alcoholic alternative. The tension and entertainment lies in the card guessing itself, not in the drink.
Do you always start from phase 1 on a wrong guess, or from where you failed?
That is a common discussion! Most groups play that you always start completely from phase 1 on a wrong guess – this makes the game more dramatic and potentially longer. Some groups let the player continue from the phase they failed in, which makes the game shorter. Decide the rule in advance.
Related games you might want to try
Do you like Ride the Bus? Here are some other popular drinking games on drikkelek.com:
- Ring of Fire – the classic card game where Ride the Bus is often used as an after-game.
- Pyramid – another card-based drinking game with bluffing and escalating sip values.
- Most Likely – a social game without equipment where the group votes on who is most likely to do things.