Thank You Bus Driver Review (PC): Another Appreciation-Worthy Double Fine Game

Double Fine has gone back to being an independent developer, and while we don’t particularly know what the future holds for the studio, it is so great to see it still putting out creative games. With Thank You Bus Driver, we see a new take on the Crazy Taxi formula that is busy and charming, though rather repetitive. For a game made in a matter of weeks for $5, I found it very enjoyable.

How Fare is That?

In Thank You Bus Driver, you drive a bus to various stops and drop off riders. As you go, you are on a time limit, but depending on if your customers are happy when you get them to their destination, they will give you “Thank Yous,” which are your main goal for the game. They give you more time, unlock new events and filters, and gather enough of them that the town dubs you the best bus driver and builds a statue of you.

While driving around various routes and finding shortcuts to your stop can easily be compared to Crazy Taxi, there is a little more to your job. As you pick up passengers and complete more stops, new rules for them will be added to the bus. Things like no sleeping, no eating, no clipping your toenails. If any of the passengers break those rules, it will upset the other riders. To fix this, you turn around and, with a super stretchy arm, slap the violator or throw them out of the bus if they keep doing it.

Controlling your passengers is quite the task at times. You don’t have to stop the bus to do this, but obviously, if you aren’t looking at the road, you are leaving yourself vulnerable to crashing into a wall or maybe taking the wrong route and having to take extra time to slowly turn around. If you aren’t used to the layout of the town, looking at the map will also heavily obscure your sight. All of these situations add a new level of hecticness to your routes.

The Route Taken Too Much

While I enjoyed much of the craziness of Thank You Bus Driver, as well as the new challenges that come along with progression, this is very much a game where what you see is what you get. There is only one town you are driving customers around, so after you find the best routes and shortcuts, you’ll just use them constantly.

For a $5 game, though, I wasn’t expecting something that was particularly deep. Instead, I got a game that was pretty fun, with an art style that I really appreciated and found appealing.

Final Verdict

Thank You Bus Driver is another charming game from Double Fine. The studio wasted no time showing that it will continue to put out smaller games that are highly enjoyable and unique in the current gaming landscape. It’s a bit repetitive, but it has a charming art style and gameplay that demands you to be attentive to what’s both in front and behind you at all times. For how cheap it is, these are the kind of titles that should be appreciated in a time where prices are rising and everything feels rather samey.

Thank You Bus Driver was reviewed on PC with a code provided by Double Fine.

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