Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 65 | 5 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 81% | 75 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 68 | 5 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 77% | 72 | 27 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 77 reviews sampled · 67 total reviews in window · weighted 31.6 up / 9.6 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (17)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 70
“Transporting your passengers as bus driver is absorbing experience. But There should be more city buses and areas. ”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The goal is to be as precise as possible; tell people to turn their loud headphone music down and clean up the <i>Jormy</i> <b>Starbucks</b> coffee cups left by the game's myriad twins, triplets, quintuplets, septuplets… yeah, there's not a lot of NPC/AI variety -- Seaside Valley development cutbacks and all.”
read full review ↗ - 30
“Bus Simulator 18 is a buggy, disappointing mess with only its driving mechanics serving as a mild saving grace.”
read full review ↗ - 67
“A motivating and visually appealing bus game for beginners, which will make hardcore simulation fans gasp.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“I feel Bus Simulator 18 caters well to both Simulation fans and casual gamers well, whether you’re looking to play a game that gives you the feel of driving a real bus, or you’re just looking for a relaxing time killer you’d do well with Bus Simulator 18, The new map expansion looks great and I look forward to future updates and seeing how far they can take the map. I feel the game thoroughly deserves the Thumb Culture Gold Award!”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Other motorized job simulation games of its ilk are about the journey, and in Bus Simulator 18‘s case, this is purely about the destination. As such, I found myself burning out quickly, even with new districts of the city unlocked for me to expand into. There’s a lot of small details that make up for the game’s other deficiencies. Ultimately, the repetition of Bus Simulator 18‘s actions is what holds me back from enjoying it more, as I’ve seen everything that’s available in the first several hours. Bus Simulator 18 is no doubt enjoyable, and will vary person to person, but I’m very excited to see what happens to this game in terms of updates, DLC, and eventual future releases.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Bus Simulator 18 has made a lot of strides to improve upon 2016's entry. The map is bigger, with room for more cities to be added, but performance needs a bit more work in terms of stability. Everything looks amazing, but without steady performance, it can stave quite a few people off. Nonetheless, simulation fans could consider Bus Simulator 18 an adequate simulation fix that doesn't ask too much past the initial purchase.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Thanks to authenticity of its physics engine, appealing visuals, and fairly glitchless drivers’ AI, Bus Simulator 18 pretty much achieves what it was supposed to: relaxation through casual driving. [08/2018, p.73]”
- 65
“Bus Simulator 18, at its core, is a good simulator game with a whole lot of soul. It brings a lot of playability options to the table, whether you want to just drive a bus or manage the whole company. The driving is complex enough to keep the player involved, and the economic systems provide a respite for players tired of being behind the wheel. However, the game is hurt by some frustrating bugs and sub-par traffic systems.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Bus Simulator 18 is easily one of the best "sims" I've played in a while. By taking what makes games like Euro Truck and Farm Simulator so popular and applying it to the core ideas of ownership and operating a city-wide bus system, Stillalive has made a really admirable game. It's got a lot of depth, soul, and heart poured into it, even if it's rough around the edges in the way of bugs and polish issues. Recommended for the driving sim fans out there, but maybe wait for a demo to try it before you buy it.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Bus Simulator 18 is not a game changer and to be honest, it's not the most rewarding experience I've ever had in front of my PC. Still, it has solid driving mechanics, some detailed buses, and a gameplay loop that is strangely relaxing. A lack of content, multiplayer bugs, and a boring campaign keep me from recommending the game to all. Bus aficionados and sim game enthusiast will find lots to like in this package. It is possible that the Steam Workshop will be able to breathe life into the game in the future, but without the content available now, the asking price is a little steep. 6/10 drug addicts passed out in the back seats”
read full review ↗ - 60
“If you’re already a fan of vehicle simulation games, you’ll likely still get a kick out of this one, despite its flaws.”
read full review ↗
SECTOR.sk
AusGamers
Screen Rant
Thumb Culture
Saving Content
The Outerhaven Productions
CD-Action
Gaming Nexus
GameSpace
Shacknews
Twinfinite…and 5 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Update #15 available for download!Jul 7, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Update #14 available now!May 14, 2020
- Hotfix for Modding Map issuesMar 16, 2020
- Update #11 now available for download on Steam!Nov 12, 2019
- Update #10 incl. new features available now!Sep 11, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix - July 24, 2019Jul 24, 2019
- Update #9 incl. Multiplayer Rights Management available now!Jul 18, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Update #8 including new features available now!Jun 24, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix – May 24, 2019May 24, 2019
- Official map extension & Update #7 now available!May 22, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- MAN Interior DLC available now!Mar 19, 2019significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix – February 07, 2019Feb 7, 2019
- Update #6 – Sandbox Mode, Free Roaming and Skins on WindowsDec 17, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Mercedes-Benz Citaro interior DLC now available!Nov 14, 2018
- Update #5: Modding Kit - Map Building ExpansionNov 13, 2018
- Bus Simulator 18: Update #4 available now!Oct 16, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Bus Simulator 18: Update #2 available now!Jul 17, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Bus Simulator 18: Update #1 Now Available!Jun 25, 2018significant · resets scoring window