A long bus ride can be boring. Whether the bus ride is 30 minutes or hours long, you have to find a way to entertain yourself during the journey. While we may all have our phones to entertain ourselves, nothing beats having fun with friends and family with a joint bus game. So, if you’re looking for some fun games to play on a bus, we’ve got you covered with these 20 games, including icebreaker games, silly games, and word/memory games to play while in transit.
ICEBREAKER GAMES TO PLAY ON A BUS
Let’s start off with some icebreaker games to play on a charter bus if you’re surrounded by people you don’t know.
1. WOULD YOU RATHER
If you want to have fun without thinking too much about organizing a game, throw out a good “Would you rather…” question. It’s a simple game: players simply take turns posing two options, and everyone has to pick one. This game can be a lot more difficult than it looks, especially if the two options are both equally terrible or equally amazing.
Here are some “Would you rather…” question examples:
- Would you rather have the bus stop at every single red light or never get off until the very last stop?
- Would you rather listen to the same song on repeat for the whole trip or sit in total silence?
But, of course, you can ask non-bus-related questions too, like:
- Would you rather have no taste or be colorblind?
- Would you rather give up salty or sweet foods?
- Would you rather always be stressed or sad?
2. TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
Another great icebreaker game to play on a bus is Two Truths and a Lie. In this game, each player shares three “facts” about themselves, two of which are true, and one that’s a complete lie. The others have to guess which is the lie.
For example, you could say: “I once ate an entire birthday cake by myself, I can juggle, and I’ve been skydiving.” Spoiler alert: In this case, the juggling was the lie.
3. NEVER HAVE I EVER
Another classic game to play is Never Have I Ever. While traditionally a drinking game, you can easily turn this into a game that even kids can play. Everyone starts with 10 fingers up. Each player takes turns saying something they’ve never done, starting with the phrase: “Never have I ever…”
For example:
- Never have I ever fallen asleep on a bus and missed my stop.
- Never have I ever regifted a gift.
- Never have I ever gotten stitches from an injury.
Anyone who has done it has to fess up by clapping and putting a finger down. It’s a hilarious way to swap travel stories and discover fun facts about your friends.
4. DESERT ISLAND
You’re probably already familiar with this road trip game. Pose the question: if you were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you bring?
Then, everyone goes around sharing their survival kit. Some people go practical (matches, a tent, a water filter), others go absurd (WiFi, Netflix, an endless supply of chips). You’ll really get to learn each other’s personalities with this one!
5. ASSUMPTIONS
Assumptions is another fun game that is technically a drinking game, but can be played by people of all ages. In this one, players take turns pointing at anybody on the bus and making a lighthearted assumption about them: what their favorite food might be, what kind of music they listen to, or what job they have. Then, they reveal the truth.
You’ll quickly realize how wrong (and funny) first impressions can be. Just make sure to keep it playful!
SILLY GAMES TO PLAY ON A BUS
What about some bus games that will have everyone giggling and laughing out loud in no time?
6. BUS KARAOKE
Who needs a karaoke machine when you’ve got a bus full of people? Pick a song, crank up the music, and start singing. Even better if there’s a microphone on the bus, but just belt it out if there isn’t! Bonus points if others join in for a group performance. Pitch Perfect, anyone?
7. ACCENTS GAME
This one’s guaranteed to get everyone giggling. Each player has to say a random phrase in a different accent. British, Australian, pirate, robot… anything you like. The worse the accent, the better. You can play it competitively (best accent wins) or just for fun.
8. TRUTH OR DARE
Did you know you can play Truth or Dare on a bus? Take turns asking, “Truth or dare?” If they pick truth, you get to ask any question. If they pick dare, give them a silly challenge that’s doable on the bus. Examples include:
- Speak in rhyme until the next stop.
- Wave dramatically out the window every time another bus passes.
- Sing a song out loud.
9. HEADS UP!
For this bus game, you’ll need someone with a phone that has this app downloaded. One player picks a category and places the phone on their forehead. Then, everyone else has to give clues. The guesser flips the phone forward towards the floor if they get an answer correct in order to move on to the next word. Flip it backwards towards the ceiling if you want to skip the word. Whoever guesses the most correctly wins.
10. BUS ORCHESTRA
You can turn your bus into a concert hall (sort of). Everyone picks a sound, whether that be clapping, snapping, humming, whistling, or even silly noises like “beep” or “meow.” One person acts as conductor, pointing to people to join in or drop out. Soon enough, you’ve got a rolling orchestra that’s so much fun.
WORD AND MEMORY GAMES TO PLAY ON A BUS
Word and memory games are some of the best games to play on a bus with your friends and family. So, get everyone’s attention, and play these super fun bus games.
11. 20 QUESTIONS
20 Questions is the ultimate guessing game that you can play literally anywhere. In this game, one person thinks of an object, animal, or person, and everyone else has 20 yes-or-no questions to figure it out. It’s a mix of logic and wild guessing, and you’ll be amazed at how often someone blurts out the answer with only two clues to go.
12. I SPY
One of the most popular bus games of all time is I Spy. This game is perfect for when you’re driving through long stretches of scenery or even stuck in traffic. One person secretly chooses something they can see and says, “I spy with my little eye something…” followed by a color, detail, or even the letter it starts with. The others then take turns guessing until someone gets it right. The person who gets it right is the next person to spy something.
13. CATEGORIES
Categories is a simple game that gets harder the longer it goes. Start by picking a category. Here are some category examples:
- Types of candy
- Sports
- TV shows
Once you’ve decided on the category, players take turns naming something in that category. If you hesitate too long, repeat an answer, or blank completely, you’re out! The last one standing wins. This game is a lot harder than you might think!
14. STORY CHAIN
If you want to exercise your creative juices on the bus ride, you should play this game. One person starts a story by saying one random sentence plucked from their imagination. Then, the next player adds to the story by saying another sentence. Continue building the story one sentence at a time. We 100% guarantee you’re going to end up with one wacky story that has so many twists and turns that it’s hard not to laugh.
15. RHYME TIME
As you might be able to guess from the name of the game, Rhyme Time involves some rhyming! To start, choose a simple word like:
- Bus
- Cat
- Dog
- Flat
Then, take turns naming a word that rhymes with the first word. This game might be easy at first, but it gets more difficult with each word. Get stuck or repeat? You’re out.
16. WORD ASSOCIATION
We love to play word association games on the bus, and, of course, we have to mention the classic word assocation game on this list! The first player starts with a random word of their choice. Then, the next player says the first word that pops into their head. Then, the third player says another word that relates to the second word. And so on. The chain keeps going until someone hesitates or repeats a word.
17. LICENSE PLATE GAME
The license plate game is a road trip classic you can easily play on a bus. To play, you need to watch out the windows for license plates. Now, you can play two ways:
- Spot as many different states, provinces, or regions as possible.
- Make words or phrases using the letters on the plates. For example, “BXR” becomes “Big Xylophone Rider.” Or “IRM” could become “MIRror” or “RoaMIng”
18. TONGUE TWISTERS
There’s no better place to practice tongue twisters than on a boring bus ride. Challenge each other to classic tongue twisters like “She sells seashells by the seashore.” Say it slowly, then speed it up. Keep going until someone messes up! Bonus points if you make up your own.
19. TRIVIA
Pick a trivia master (or take turns) and start asking questions. They can be general knowledge or bus-themed. While you can certainly ask trivia questions on the fly, it would be better if you could prep these questions and answers beforehand. Whoever answers the most questions correctly wins the game!
20. ALPHABET GAME
Keep your eyes peeled out the window. The goal is to spot words in alphabetical order: first an A word (Airport), then B (Billboard), then C (Cafe). You’ve got to find them in order, and it’s every person for themselves. Whoever reaches Z first wins! This game is sure to keep everyone entertained for hours.
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