$24.99Is Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop worth it?
Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop is worth it if…
- you like calm driving games where the hardest part is staying on schedule
- you want to build routes and timetables, or skip all that and just drive
- you enjoy a slow, methodical sim to unwind with after a loud day
- you want a family-friendly game to play with a friend in co-op
Screenshots
A fleet of 30 real buses, from double-deckers to electrics
The lineup spans well-known manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz, MAN, Scania, Volvo, Setra, IVECO BUS and Blue Bird, and it is the biggest fleet the series has had. For the first time in the series you can also take the wheel of a double-decker or an electric bus. Each one drives differently, and the little rituals of the job are all there: opening the doors at a stop, folding out the ramp for a passenger in a wheelchair, selling tickets on board. You pull up to the curb, watch people file in, and pull away on time. It is a quiet satisfaction that never quite wears off.
Two open-world cities to learn by heart
Angel Shores is a new North American map, and Seaside Valley returns from the previous game, reworked and including its map extension. Both are big, lively open worlds built for exploring from behind a very tall windshield: traffic to read, crossings to watch, districts to learn until you could drive them half asleep. The tone is colorful and friendly rather than grim, which suits a game where your biggest worry is a red light.
Run the company, or let the game run it for you
There is a real management layer here if you want it: drawing up detailed timetables, planning efficient routes, buying and selling buses, visiting dealers on the map. If you would rather never see a spreadsheet, the auto-features take over the management duties and leave you with pure driving. Different difficulty levels and play modes cover everyone from casual passengers to route-obsessed schedulers. The Next Stop update added a career mode that combines the sandbox with the campaign's economy, so building a company and driving its buses are one long game instead of two separate ones.
Share the driver's seat with a friend
Co-op multiplayer lets you and a friend run a network together: one plans the routes, the other drives them, or you each take a line and see whose passengers arrive happier. Sessions are easy to set up and low-pressure, built around joining up, picking a bus and getting on with the day's work. There is no rush and no punishing failure, just two people quietly moving a city's population around and getting rewarded at the end of each day for safe, punctual driving. It is a pleasant way to spend an evening with someone who also finds traffic lights soothing.
What should you know before buying?
Can you play it solo?
Yes. Single-player is the core of the game, and the co-op mode is entirely optional. The auto-features can handle the management side for you, so a solo player who only wants to drive buses never has to touch a timetable, while someone who enjoys the business side can build a whole company alone.
Is it hard to learn?
No. The game is easy to pick up and has different difficulty levels and play modes for a wide range of players. The basics are simple: drive, stop at the stop, open the doors, let people on. The depth comes later, in route planning and company management, and only if you choose to go there.
What do you actually do on a route?
More than pressing one pedal. You follow your timetable through live traffic, stop accurately at bus stops, open and close the doors, extend the ramp for passengers who need it, and sell tickets on board. At the end of each day you are rewarded for safe and timely driving, so careful work pays off.
Does it support a steering wheel?
Yes. The game supports popular steering wheels and gamepads, plus Tobii Eye Tracking and TrackIR. A wheel makes the big, slow buses feel properly weighty, though a gamepad or keyboard works fine if that is what you have.
Are there any rough edges?
A few. Bugs come up often enough in the game that they can get annoying, and the traffic and pedestrian AI sometimes does odd things, like stepping into the road when you least want it. Most runs go smoothly, but it helps to come in expecting a sim with some quirks rather than a flawless machine.
