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

• Presidents Drinking — Card shedding game with social drinking hierarchy
• Double Trouble Cards — Partner card matching game
• Rummy Drinking — Gin Rummy where point differences mean drinks
• Across the Bridge — Flip cards to cross the bridge without hitting face cards
• Kings Cup — The classic card game where each card has a rule - draw and drink!
• Hearts Drinking — Hearts card game with drinking penalties
• Blackjack Drinking — Blackjack where losing means drinking
• Pyramid Solitaire Drinking — Clear pyramid pairs totaling 13

From Our Blog

• Weekend Party Ideas for Non-Stop Fun — Hey there! So, you're thinking of throwing a party this weekend? Awesome choice. Weekends are prime time for gathering your friends, letting loose, and just having a blast. From old-school classics to...
• House Party Tips to Elevate Your Next Bash — Throwing a house party is both an art and a science. It's about creating the right vibe, having the right activities, and making sure your guests feel like they've stepped into an unforgettable experi...
• Game Spotlight: Unpacking Crowd Favorites for Your Next Party — If there's one thing that keeps a party buzzing, it's the right mix of drinking games. I've been hosting game nights for years, and nothing gets the crowd engaged quite like a well-chosen game. Whethe...

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