Double Fine announced the humorous bus driver simulator Thank You Bus Driver
- Double Fine has announced the bus driver simulator 'Thank You Bus Driver'.
- The game will be available only on PC through Steam, GOG, Humble Store, and itch.io.
- The player manages the route, collects gratitude, and unlocks new areas of the city.
- This is the first release from Double Fine Action Labs after parting ways with Microsoft.
Double Fine Productions, known for its original projects, has announced the release of a new simulator game 'Thank You Bus Driver'. This is the first release under the Double Fine Action Labs brand after the company ended its long-term partnership with Microsoft.
According to the developers, the game is a 'small, chaotic' simulation where the player takes on the role of a city bus driver. The main goal is to deliver passengers to the next stop while adhering to constantly changing traffic rules.
During the course of the journey, the player will have to control the behavior of passengers, ensuring they do not disrupt order, and if necessary, 'revoke' their bus privileges by closing the back door. Meanwhile, the gratitude system turns the received 'applause' into extra time, new areas of the city, and decorative items for the bus.
The gameplay promises flexibility: to speed up the route, players can pull out a map at the most inconvenient moment, cut through a cornfield, or ignore pedestrians and oncoming traffic as long as the schedule is not disrupted. The developers emphasize that 'passengers will not mind' if the driver maintains punctuality.
The game will be available on PC through popular digital platforms – Steam, GOG, Humble Store, and itch.io. Currently, only the English language is supported, and the exact release date has not yet been announced.
The announcement of 'Thank You Bus Driver' took place during the State of Play presentation, where it was also announced that the puzzle-adventure Keeper will be ported to PlayStation 5. This indicates the expansion of Double Fine's portfolio after leaving the Microsoft ecosystem.
The market for bus simulators has long been saturated with numerous projects; however, most of them receive a weak response from players. According to analysts, Double Fine's fresh humorous approach may attract both genre fans and those looking for a light and unconventional game.
It is expected that after the release of 'Thank You Bus Driver', the studio will continue to work on larger projects, using its independent status to experiment with game mechanics and storylines that are not constrained by corporate boundaries.
Source: StopGame
