Bus Simulator 27 is developed by a studio with experience creating driving sims, Simteract. Notable games from this studio that are similar in style include Taxi Life and Train Life. Now, the team brings that experience to the bus life with the help of astragon Entertainment as the publisher.
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In this simulator, you run a private bus company that’s in charge of basically rebuilding a city’s transportation system. This gives you the ability to purchase buses and create a fleet, hire and assign bus drivers, design bus lines, and drive the lines yourself. Despite the shared experience of creating simulators from both the developer and publisher, along with the straightforward gameplay, the current state of Bus Sim 27 is rather rough around the edges.
Bus Simulator Makes Getting Started Easy
I like to start with the basics when I review games, and with a simulator, that usually means how easy the game makes it to get started with the actual gameplay. You can skip the tutorial, which is great. It’s helpful to have the options to get a rundown of the controls, but it comes with a lot of story dialogs as well, and depending on the player, that might not be what you’re playing a simulator for. The controls are quite standard for driving in a simulator, but with the added details that you need for a bus, such as opening the doors, using the computer for selling tickets, and getting out of your seat to yell at unruly passengers.
Despite the shared experience of creating simulators from both the developer and publisher, along with the straightforward gameplay, the current state of Bus Sim 27 is rather rough around the edges.
The menus are laid out in a way that makes it easy to find what you need. I expected it to be a chore to create bus lines, but it was actually super simple. It’s also nice to have the option to auto-assign buses and drivers to the lines. It’s nice that the tutorial doesn’t drag on too long. While it can feel like a lot being thrown at you with the different controls if you aren’t used to similar simulators, there are ways that you can pull back up controls that you might need in case you forget the hotkeys.
There’s a Surprising Amount of Customization
Simulators tend to have a lot of customization, or none at all. It feels like there’s not an in-between level. Bus Simulator 27 has more than I expected in terms of customization, and it lets you create and design your character, which surprised me. Similarly, I like that you can drive different routes so you don’t have to go along the same route repeatedly, which could get boring.
When it comes to customization, I think the most important element in Bus Sim 27’s case is the ability to tailor the gameplay experience. You can make it more realistic and difficult, which means you have to worry about traffic laws and all that to a greater extent, since you’ll get greater penalties. Alternatively, you can make the game easier, ignoring traffic laws and letting you simply drive for the joy of driving.
When it comes to customization, I think the most important element in Bus Sim 27’s case is the ability to tailor the gameplay experience.
There are also options for the art style, so you can have the cinematic feeling or a realistic feeling. I’m somebody who plays simulators for something to do that lets me turn my brain off for a while, so being able to make Bus Sim 27 relatively stress-free is a great option. At the same time, I think it’s fun to have the choice to make it realistic and stressful, as sometimes you need a medium to direct your frustrations toward, and video games tend to be cathartic in that way.
Bus Simulator 27 Has Notable Flaws
I love simulators and go into every game wanting to enjoy it, because why would I not want to have fun playing a game? Unfortunately, Bus Simulator 27 has some issues that make it more frustrating than it should be at certain points. The game is still playable overall, but it has more of an early access feel than a full release version.
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The two biggest issues I came across were the driving point system and the AI for the other drivers in the world. For the driving point system, it has a tendency to deduct points incorrectly, and I think part of this is because of finicky details. The most common issue I had was losing points for not using my turn signals, but I was using the turn signals, and they are just so sensitive that they turn themselves off when you start turning, and the system registers them as if you never used them in the first place. On the other hand, I can turn and cut off other drivers without losing a single point. It feels inconsistent at best.
Then, you have the AI drivers. I understand being afraid of being hit by a bus, especially when I’m driving. However, the AI for the other drivers is not great. They would stop at random and take a long time to get going when a light turns green. They also have issues if you’re at an intersection, such as just not moving or constantly starting and stopping. Dear AI Driver, I’m fully stopped and not about to hit you. Go so that it’s my turn to start going, because that’s how the right of way works. It’s not game-breaking, but it adds frustration that’s entirely avoidable.
Bus Simulator 27 offers a way to let you customize how you experience the game, giving you the choice between realistic and difficult. While the game has a solid foundation, its current state is flawed in a way that makes it feel like an early access title. With some updates to refine the driver AI in particular, it could become a worthy successor to Bus Simulator 21, and offer a fun way to hang out with friends without the stress that can come with other online gameplay experiences. Right now, it’s simply not at that point.
Released
September 8, 2026
ESRB
Everyone / No Descriptors
Developer(s)
Simteract
Publisher(s)
Astragon Entertainment
Multiplayer
Online Co-Op
Pros & Cons
- Ability to choose difficulty and realism
- World grows larger as you play and unlock areas
- Easy to get started playing
- Driving score system is flawed
- Driver AI struggles to follow traffic laws
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