Ludography
76/100
Players9 ratings
73/100
Metacritic6 critic reviews
More scores
Metacritic usersuser score
61/100
GameFAQsEasy/Just Right
2/5
Player reviews
74% positive4,010 reviews
Steam Deck
Verified
Runs on
Windows
Price
US$24.99

Where to get it

Bus Simulator 21 cover

2021 · stillalive studios · Bus simulation · Racing

Bus Simulator 21

Experience the daily life of a bus driver in two open world cities either in the USA or Europe. Drive up to 30 licensed buses by international manufacturers, including a double-decker and e-buses. Take your passengers to their destinations safely and on time - either in single- or multiplayer mode.

Released
7 September 2021
Platforms
PlayStation 4PlayStation 5WindowsXbox OneXbox Series X/S
Genres
Bus simulationRacingSimulationStrategy
Developers
stillalive studios
Publishers
Astragon
Series
Bus Simulator
Modes
MultiplayerSingle-player
Perspective
First personThird person
Themes
BusinessOpen world
Country
Austria
Age ratings
PEGI 3ACB GUSK 0CERO BGRAC ALLESRB E
Languages
Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian and 2 more
Time to beat
25hmain story50hcompletionist

About

Bus Simulator 21 is a bus simulator game developed by Stillalive Studios and published by Astragon Entertainment. It is developed on the Unreal Engine 4. It is the sixth in the Bus Simulator series, and is the direct sequel to Bus Simulator 18. The game has been released on 7 September 2021 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

›Story

For Bus Simulator 21, a fleet of 30 officially licensed buses by well-known, international manufacturers such as Alexander Dennis, BYD, Grande West, and Blue Bird will join the models by popular brands already included in the preceding installment (Mercedes-Benz, Setra, IVECO BUS, and more). For the first time, you will have the chance to master the challenges of daily traffic in the cockpit of double-decker and electric buses.

Get ready for the brand-new, impressive US map Angel Shores and a revamped version of the European Seaside Valley map from the previous game installment – including its map extension. The even greater open-world approach of Bus Simulator 21 means that you will get to experience the exciting daily life of a bus driver in two massive, freely explorable cities, including industrial and outlying districts, a vibrant Chinatown district, a promenade, the surrounding hilly countryside, and the business park. Different difficulty levels and play modes are also available for a wide range of player types.

In Bus Simulator 21, you will not only become a capable driver with countless miles on the road – you also have the option to use extended management elements. Creating detailed timetables, buying and selling buses, and planning efficient routes that take into account the daily number of passengers at peak hours – these and more varied tasks are available for you to enjoy.

Do you prefer getting up from behind the desk and taking steering your buses into your own hands? No problem! The auto-features of Bus Simulator 21 can take over your management duties and let pure bus drivers simply enjoy their time on the road.

Plus, the revised traffic and pedestrian AI, improved graphics, and a dynamic day-night cycle tightly linked to the peak hours system as well as different weather conditions ensure an even more immersive bus driving experience.

Play in either single-player or synced multiplayer mode, transport your passengers safely and promptly to their destinations and be rewarded for your timely and safe driving at the end of pay day.

Freely usable convenience features, such as quickly jumping to desired stops on the map (fast travel), fast forwarding time, and directly taking over the routes of your NPC buses, all complete the virtual bus driver package and guarantee even more fun behind the wheel!

Players say

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Bus Simulator 21 takes place in "Angel Shores", a new fictional modern city located in the United States which is based on the San Francisco Bay Area. The game features a coastline and districts like Chinatown. In addition to the California map, the game will have a revised "Seaside Valley" map from its predecessor Bus Simulator 18. Vehicle-wise, the game introduces a double-decker bus, such as the officially-licensed Alexander Dennis Enviro500, as well as electric buses to the series.

Further licensed bus brands include Blue Bird, BYD, Grande West, Iveco, MAN, Mercedes-Benz, Scania, Setra and Volvo. The game also offers a cooperative multiplayer mode. A career mode would be available following the Next Stop major update.

Development

Stillalive Studios and Astragon Entertainment will remain as the series developer and publisher respectively. The game was targeted for a 2021 release for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The release date was later confirmed on 7 September 2021.

Reception

Bus Simulator 21 received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
PlayStation 47 September 2021Worldwide
Xbox One7 September 2021Worldwide
Xbox Series X/S7 September 2021North America
Windows7 September 2021Worldwide
PlayStation 516 May 2023Worldwide

Editions and related releases

Included in
Bus Simulator 21: Next Stop - Gold EditionAstragon Bestseller Simulation Bundle
Downloadable content
Bus Simulator 21: MAN Bus PackBus Simulator 21: VDL Bus Pack
Expanded editions
Bus Simulator 21: Extended Edition
Built on it
Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop

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Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.