Last updated on January 3rd, 2026 at 10:55 am
Desert Bus – Simulation Game Review
Desert Bus is a Simulation/Entertainment/Racing game from Amateur Pixels, first launched in 14th November 2011.
It’s rated 4+ and currently has 56+ ratings on the App Store.
What Makes Desert Bus Stand Out
One man. One Bus. Three hundred and sixty miles of simulated post-apocalyptic desert, and the endless struggle between man and nature personified.
Desert Bus. The most realistic verisimilitude reality game ever created by man or beast or man-beast is here at last. So real in action, you’ll think you were really the driver of a bus crossing a Desert.
No way out, no way home but the long way – by tow truck. Desert Bus puts you, the player, to the ultimate test of endurance in this mind-numbing blowout experience. There is no other game quite like Desert Bus.
Originally conceived by Penn, Teller, and Eddie Gorodetsky, this game was made in support of the annual Desert Bus for Hope charity fundraiser for Child's Play, hosted by the crew from LoadingReadyRun.
This Simulation game offers engaging gameplay and regular updates for mobile players.
Player Feedback
As a newer release, Desert Bus is building its player community. Early feedback suggests .
Recent Updates & Development
Latest Update: 15th November 2015
Recent improvements include:
This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.
Updated for iOS 9
Download & Availability
Desert Bus is available through the official App Store for iOS devices.
Requirements: Requires iPhone 5s / iPad Air / iPad Air (Cellular) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina, Cellular) / iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus / iPad Air 2 / iPad Air 2 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 3 or later.
Compatible with iPhone and iPad devices.
Player Experience Highlights
Community Insight:
Desert Bus is so notoriously awful that its actually awesome. So glad this iconic game was ported to iOS. Pro Tip: hold your finger down on the left side on the screen to go. Took us longer than Id like to admit to figure that out.
Love it, friends will love it. Very fun racing.
How do we describe such an amazing game, words truly cant.
This game is awesome! Watch the amazing desert scenery go by as you hone your skills as a professional bus driver.
The old and wise Buddhists of ancient India have highlighted the four noble truths as follows: 1. This is pain: life involves suffering, in both obvious and subtle forms. 2. The origin of pain: The cause of suffering is craving and fundamental ignorance. 3. The cessation or pain: Suffering can be ended 4. The path: through meditation, developing wisdom and shedding the vices of reality, one can escape suffering and achieve nirvana. Desert Bus is the physical recreation of the path. Through the brutal shedding of all worldly pleasures, your voyage to the city of enlightenment – Las Vegas Nevada – will allow you to achieve Nirvana. The creators of Desert Bus masterfully remove all sources of joy from the world, placing the pilgrim in a virtual setting removed from all that might cloud judgement. By weaving the setting of the barren Arizona desert – a stray tumbleweed, an occasional sign post, a small pebble – with the incredible in game mechanics – a half broken bus, a windshield wiper that doesnt work, fifty seats sitting empty in the rear view mirror – the user cannot help but become entranced in the simple beauty that is desolation. It slowly becomes clear that it is not desert bus that is the simulation, but rather that reality is the simulation, and desert bus is quite literally the path to salvation. It is only through years of practice and dedication that one can hope to achieve to see the overpass sign that reads Las Vegas 100 Miles. Do not be tempted to sway from the path, lead astray by false vices such as food or desire to feel the love of others. These will only lead to suffering, and the long and painful stagnation of waiting for the tow truck. Instead focus the mind on the road ahead, even as day shifts to night and all that remains ahead are the two single beams coming from the buss low illumination headlights. Your mind will sway: just writing this review about the game we have the strong instinctual desire to abandon this message and rest our eyes. This acts only to test ones will, and must be fought with every ounce of energy that is not being diverted to keep the bus centered in the right hand lane. Once you can accomplish this, once you can follow the path with conviction and without self doubt, we promise that you will achieve what you sought out to seek – not merely the Welcome to Las Vegas! Marquee, but rather true enlightenment. We wish you the best of fortune on your path. Do not stop, avoid the shoulder, and you will achieve more than you could ever dream.
This game is great. It is just like the donation version when it came out on the old Nintendo systems. We have found on thing though. We dont know if it is supposed to be like that but we figured we should mention it just in case. Every time you completely close out the app it resets your time. Im ok with it because we found that al along as we dont close out the game Im good. Just wanted to mention. Other than that. This game needs 6 stars, not 5. We love that its the exact copy. Keep it up (even though there isnt much to keep up)|(edit from 2 days after:) still a great game. We have played it a ton and the furthest Ive gotten is one hour. We have 2 trips to Florida in June so thats 4 trips to LA and back so thats good. We have one idea for you Amateur Pixles. Can you make the smoke and mirrors games that are mentioned in desert bus (ex: Toll collector, bird watcher, etc) that would be awesome and worth the money.
A thrill ride from start to finish.
This game is a seamless blend of realism and action. This action packed game will keep you glued to the screen for what feels like hours.
Whenever someone asks "hey can we play a game on you phone?" we're quick to say, "we only have one game, so thats what you'll have to play". Desert bus is the best joke game on the app store. Your friends who are playing will ask "do we have to dodge oncoming traffic?" "No, the only thing you need to worry about is driving off the road." "Whats the point of the game?" "Well you have to drive from Tueson too Las Vegas in your bus going 45 mph." "How long will that take?" "Well seeing as how the game works in real time we would say about 8 hours or so.".
If you like long car trips, this game is for you. Just turn on the radio in the background and the game is sort of pleasing like those ambient sounds videos.
Worst Game on Sega CD! But, this App was worth it for Penn and Teller Fans and AVGN Fans.
We played the full game with our sister, and it was very accurate to the original. However, there is no fly guts so Ill have to take a star off, but otherwise the time changing mechanic works pretty well. Is the game worth it? Sort of. It gives you what you pay for, since theres no ads, but then again its Desert Bus. You play it once and then never again. Either way, both ridiculously terrible and sort of great at the same time. Would not play again.
We played this a few years ago and we never had a reason to play. But we recently had a long car trip and we found this again. It definitely helped. One thing though, half way through we found out you can't die. It would be great if that gets fixed.
We know we're mostly focused on social media, console and PC games…but this game is the best to play a joke. If someone asked us what games we have on our iPad Mini, we'll just say Desert Bus. We let them play the game and laugh too. Sadly, you can't change the in-game name. You have to constantly change your Game Center username. Still like it anyway.
This is a pretty mediocre game, but how do you change the drivers name? Every time we tap on the unknown text, it just goes straight onto the gameplay. So, we just have to stay with unknown!?! F**K.
Everyone here giving this terrible game any more than ONE STAR just doesn't understand; it's for the kids. Now, this awful game is the WORST non-offensive pile of crap c0de we've ever encountered in life, anywhere, ever. -1 stars Also: for those having trouble steering? This game uses tilt, so you must steer by tilting your device. And the instructions really should tell you that…but that's just one more reason this is the worst game ever.
This is the worst game ever. Reality is at least much more interesting like,following directions,going to gas stations,looking at stuff around you.this game is depressing because its worse than reality.at least when you make any type of game,you can have a little bit fun.this is awful. Its a fun joke,not a fun game.
We just got this after reading about Desert Bus in the New Yorker. The game starts to load but Im taken to another screen about Gamecenter and its new and improved experience or what not. There is nothing we can do to proceed to the actual game. We cant sign out of Game Center. We cant press cancel. We cant sign in or continue . We cant do anything. It says our iPhone 8 is compatible, but Im guessing its not.
On our ipod 4th generation the ios 9 update make us only see half of the screen.
This game is quite possibly the most realistic and addicting game you will ever have the privilege of playing. With photorealistic graphics and hyper-real steering – this game is a real blast.
Every parent should buy this for their kids before a long family car vacation. Very realistic of how boring driving can be. We really like how the horn works.
A very real experience this game is a culmination of months of hard work and determination as well as using next gen graphics sounds and realism.
This is one of those games that looks easy at first but is difficult to master. It's the most exciting game we've ever played! You'll be hooked for hours. Love it.
We hope that how ever plays this game will find it fun by.
Our only quibble is that there should be an arcade mode for faster play – e.g. At around the 5-hour mark, how about a road-rage encounter with someone wanting to pass? Get the right wheels in the midpoint of the shoulder, good to go. Fail, you're cut off, stopped, and the guy boards your bus and punches you out. Find and use the pistol in the glove box, get raped in prison and lose all point(s). Just a thought.
This game is easily the most addictive and immersive application in existence. Often times we prefer our life as "Jocko" the bus driver than our actual life. We can only hope that a sequel is released maybe from L.A. To New York? Anyways we demand you to purchase this game, it is a must have. It has changed our life in more ways than we could ever explain, we're a better person because of it.
Never have we played a game that offers days of fun yet no repetitive game mechanics. The dialogue is superb, and the characters are unique and brilliant. Desert Bus is the Citizen Kane of our generation.
We're going through the same thing Dan has PROCRASTINATORS UNITE.
Once you pass the three hour marker, cars start coming from the other direction.
Great game it's a good time waster but It would be great for a tutorial and it would also be nice to have a pause botton.
People all over the news And internet are calling this the worst game of all time! How could they.
This game was realistic and we could drive for 7 hours and 59 minutes on E while our engine is running hot. On another note flawless game would pay 10 dollars to have this game not installed on our phone.
The adrenaline rush we felt at the 4:17 mark was like nothing we've ever experienced before. Bravo.
Yes! We never ever took our time to write a review. But for this game we just had to give it 5 stars. It has given us hours upon hours if enjoyment. Best $ ever spent hands down.
Sometimes, there are no words. For just 99 cents, we have found our new favorite activity for the foreseeable future. This app is pure gaming heroin, once you've started, you're hooked. We'd write more, but it's distracting us from playing Desert Bus. Buy the app.
Very close to virtual reality gaming.
Don't let the negative reviews fool you! This game has a history. It is for charity, and it's politically motivated as well. Pony up the buck! You are helping sick kids, taking an interest in video game politics, and what the heck, enjoying a game of stamina, endurance, and commitment.
One warning for anyone seriously attempting this: you stall out if your speed drops to 0, regardless of whether you've gone off-road or not. We wanted to see if we could open the door at a bus stop. We could not. Instead, the blinking red light came for our soul.
This is one of the most entertaining games we have ever played! Even a bit challenging at times. The graphics are incredible.
It's worth 0.99 cent it's so realistic.
Not since the 1977 Clint Eastwood classic "The Gauntlet" has the confluence of Arizona and a motor coach been so absolutely thrilling! Be part of the action! Are you up to the challenge? Get in the driver's seat and find out! So realistic, you'll get hemorrhoids.
Being a truck-driver by trade, we love driving, and we love long trips. Now when we're home, we can drive from our couch and ignore our family even more!!! HOORAY.
Be prepared to be blown away by the next best game of all time! Have you ever dreamed to be a bus driver, well now you can. With these next-gen graphics, it really feels that you are driving a real bus. With the top speed of 45 it make the 360 mile drive fly by.
Move over Angry Birds, because the next addictive iOS game is here. We can't put it down.
The the people giving negative reviews: you are insane. Read the app description before you buy something. This app is a charity thing for kids.
We don't know if people are being sarcastic the game is kinda boring but go charity.
If you want to know how to play you have to hold down the screen.
It's like we're really driving a bus.
Now we can all join in the Desert Bus For Hope fun.
The greatest thing about this game is that the bus's top speed is 45mph.
User feedback from Apple App Store
App Details
- Version: 1.05
- Size: 3.63 MB
- iOS: 6.0 or later
- Languages: EN
- Content Advisory:
- Developer: Amateur Pixels
Last updated: 15th November 2015 | Genre: Simulation, Entertainment | Developer: Amateur Pixels