Ride the Bus - Drinking Game Rules & How to Play

Ride the Bus is a drinking game in the Card Games category for 2-8 players that takes about 20-30 min with a medium difficulty level.

Guess the cards right or drink your way through

Equipment Needed

• Deck of cards
• Drinks

Setup

Shuffle the deck and deal 4 cards face-down to each player in a row.

How to Play Ride the Bus

1. The game has three phases:
2. Phase 1 - Individual Guessing:
3. Red or Black? - Guess the color. Wrong = 1 drink.
4. Higher or Lower? - Guess if the next card is higher or lower. Wrong = 2 drinks.
5. Inside or Outside? - Guess if the card is between or outside your first two. Wrong = 3 drinks.
6. Guess the Suit - Hardest guess. Wrong = 4 drinks.
7. Phase 2 - The Pyramid:
8. Deal cards in a pyramid (5-4-3-2-1). Flip each card - if you have a matching value, give drinks equal to the row number.
9. Phase 3 - Ride the Bus:
10. The player with the most cards remaining has to ride the bus. Deal 4 cards - guess red/black, high/low, inside/outside, and suit. Miss any = start over!

Tips & Strategies

The pyramid phase is where alliances form and break. Don't save your best cards for the bus!

Variations

Some play where you must drink and restart the bus if you get any wrong. Others allow one mulligan.

Players: 2-8 | Duration: 20-30 min | Difficulty: medium

Related Drinking Games

• Pinochle Shots — Pinochle where points become drinks
• Give and Take — Match cards to either give or take drinks
• Card on Forehead — Hold cards on forehead and bet high
• Pyramid — Climb the pyramid of cards and give out drinks
• BS Drinking — Bluffing card game where getting caught means drinking
• Euchre Drinking — Midwest classic with drink stakes
• Spoons — Four of a kind grab spoons - loser drinks
• Up and Down the River — Match cards as dealer goes up and down

From Our Blog

• Weekend Party Ideas That Guarantee a Good Time — Who doesn’t love a good party, especially on the weekend? It’s the perfect time to gather your friends, let loose, and enjoy some much-needed downtime. Whether you're planning a low-key gathering or a...
• Weekend Party Ideas You’ll Love Anytime — So you’re thinking about throwing a killer weekend party, huh? Whether you’re looking to blow off some steam after a long week, celebrate something special, or just hang out with your favorite people,...
• Travel Games That Keep the Fun Flowing — Traveling is great, but let's face it, those long hours of waiting at the airport or sitting in the backseat can get pretty dull. That's where travel games come in. With a few nifty games in your back...

Browse more Card Games drinking games or see all drinking games.