Stillalive studios isn’t new to the simulator genre, as it’s the studio behind titles such as Bus Simulator 16, 18, and 21. So, it’s not surprising that the developers have upped their bus simulation game with the release of Bus Bound, which focuses on improving the city in which its set and making passenger feedback a priority.
Interview: Bionic Bay’s Juhana Myllys Talks Indies, Physics, And Kubrick
A great inside look at making an indie platformer in 2025.
I had the pleasure of reviewing Bus Bound, which was an ideal choice for me, as I love indie games, simulators, and the benefits of public transportation. Bus Bound gives you the relaxing experience of driving around a rather large city at different times of day and in various types of weather, which can make visibility a bit more challenging. As you gain approval from your passengers, you earn more funding. When you have more funding, you get to watch the surrounding city evolve and improve as traffic and pollution decrease.
Recently, I had the opportunity to ask some questions to Andrei Pandalescu, a stillalive studios game director, and Florian Friedrich, a game designer at stillalive studios. Their responses made me excited to see how Bus Bound will continue to improve, as it’s clear that the developers are looking toward the future.
Interview with Andrei Pandalescu and Florian Friedrich from stillalive studios
Q: As the developer diary video included, part of the goal when shifting from Bus Simulator to Bus Bound was to focus on the people and the city rather than keep the player as an eye in the sky. What kind of challenges came from implementing that shift?
Florian Friedrich: On the design side, we realized early that the feedback needs to come directly from the people. This means we need to be able to deal with many passengers boarding and unboarding the bus, which turned into a significant technical challenge. Additionally, it put us into a spot where making money felt at odds with the people-centric sentiment, so we took a shot at making a bus game where your company and the game world grow and change purely based on rider feedback. Then figuring out how the feedback should lead to district upgrades as the final reward wasn’t always obvious, so it took some trial and error.
Q: I already love public transportation and experienced how useful it is during my college years. Bus Bound is designed in a way that shows the positives of a well-funded public transportation system. Is that an intentional choice that was made with the hope of drawing more attention to the importance of such systems?
Andrei Pandalescu: Yes, indeed! We based a lot of the game’s concepts on impact studies related to public transit, as well as books and other sources that investigate “cities for the people”. So yea — to fully disclose the plans: Bus Bound is a platform for Big Bus to forward their shady agenda of cleaner air and sustainable city development.
Q: What would be the ideal real-world impact that you’d want to see from the experience of Bus Bound?
Andrei Pandalescu: I think it would be very cool if we can get some people thinking about how public transport could be beneficial, especially in very car-dependent communities that have minimal or newly-established systems.
Interview With Mikael Kasurinen, Control Resonant’s Creative Director Discusses Influences and RPG
Mikael Kasurinen shared a few Control Resonant’s gameplay influences and how Dylan will handle his role as protagonist.
Q: The reactions from passengers to your driving in real time is an interesting feature to explore, especially since you don’t always have passengers who are upset or pleased by the same events. What sort of challenges did you face when designing this dynamic system?
Andrei Pandalescu: That’s a very cool system based on what I think is a very cool central concept. Traditionally, you would have some system watching your moves and handing out punishments or rewards — via the HUD, most of the time. We thought about how we could make it feel more natural, and we came to the idea of the people actually giving feedback on your actions. For example, if you drive out of a stop and don’t use your signal on an empty road, there is no one to judge you on that in a real life setting. In some ways, it feels more true-to-life than an unforgiving “realistic” scoring system.
Q: Do you have a favorite complaint or compliment that you see from passengers? I got a laugh out of one referring to my handling of a speed bump as an unexpected (and unwanted) back adjustment.
Florian Friedrich: I think mine is a pretty rare one. When going against a one-way, eventually they might react with the complaint: “One-way road, zero-way sense.”
Andrei Pandalesu: I’m fond of “More honks than a goose” whenever you honk too much. There’s also one that says “Bus vs. Invisible barrier: 0-1.” which is supposed to be about the driver hitting an obstacle, but hilariously, during development, would sometimes trigger when we’d bump into a literally invisible blocker bug.
Q: While playing, I noticed that even though you sometimes hear EMS sirens on the road, you never get pulled over for breaking road laws. How did you decide what to include and what not to in order to balance realism and immersion with the peaceful experience that Bus Bound offers?
Andrei Pandalescu: A part of Bus Bound’s vision was to offer players a zen-like experience – easygoing and fun – so being pulled over and yanked from that reverie didn’t exactly fit the bill, but they do have a presence around the city, both in events you may encounter along your route or as you pass hospitals, fire stations, and the police HQ.
Q: Bus Bound is already massive, thanks to the size of its map. Can you share your plans about what’s next for the game in updates or DLC?
Andrei Pandalescu: We’ve found that improving and changing the city’s districts definitely contributes to that perception, with so much “map” hidden behind the upgrade system. As for DLCs, without getting into too much detail, I would say it would be a shame to leave that whole big map unexplored, and it won’t be long until we can talk more about what exactly is coming next.
Q: Even from inside the bus, you can see that the city is detailed. Which detail is your favorite? Are there hidden details that you added for fun?
Andrei Pandalescu: The nature of bus driving work is that it gets repetitive, because you’ll sometimes need to service the same line over and over. When you get to tune out of the navigation and the station servicing, you do tend to look out the window, so we wanted to make sure there’s a lot to look at. We have these micro-stories all over the place, which combine into the district and city’s overall vibe, as well as several Easter eggs, which I won’t spoil too much. What I can tell you is that there’s a haunted house in the city, which was a surprise for me too, when I first stumbled upon it. There’s also an interesting club entrance under a certain bridge in the music district, which has a great vibe. Go out and explore it!
Q: Games change a lot as they go through the development period. What sort of decisions did you have to make during development that you feel most impacted the launch version of Bus Bound? Were there any particular features or other pieces of content that you had to cut that you wish you had been able to include? If so, how do you think that content would have impacted the launch version?
Florian Friedrich: At the beginning, we started out by asking ourselves “Does this feature belong in the game?” about many legacy features we would put in a simulator like this. It was tough to realize that some didn’t quite fit the vision of the new approach we wanted to try. For example, walking around the game world. These types of decisions really put our discipline as designers to the test, but it also allowed us to focus on what specifically matters to this game, such as the driving experience and people-centric progression.
Q: Are there plans to create more cities, possibly connecting them with longer routes for players who want an option between the standard driving and free roam?
Florian Friedrich: We definitely plan to expand our game world one way or another, but what exactly that will look like we can’t elaborate on too much at the moment.
Q: Looking at the evolution of stillalive studios’ games, do you think that there will be a simulator from the team in the future that features the longer routes driven by options like Greyhound? It could be a unique addition to the genre that shows a different type of long haul than what you see in American/Euro Truck Simulator.
Florian Friedrich: I think I can speak for the studio when I say it’s definitely something we would consider an interesting game and opportunity. We’ve certainly explored ways to put different spins to our driving experiences, but we don’t have any specifics to share on what may be ahead just yet.
Step Behind the Wheel for a Relaxing Experience
Bus Bound is now available on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. If you’re a fan of simulators, then it’s worth checking out for a relaxing experience with plenty of charm and a touch of humor with some of the feedback you can receive from your passengers. I love that the team at stillalive studios plans to continue expanding the world of Bus Bound, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Interview: Witchfire Creator Talks Major Content Update, What’s Next, & The Future Of AI In Games
This dark-fantasy RPG shooter has sold over 500,000 copies. Here’s an in-depth interview with Witchfire Creator, Adrian Chmielarz.
-
- Developer(s)
- stillalive studios
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Number of Players
- Single-player
From the creators of Bus Simulator 21 and Bus Simulator 18 comes Bus Bound, an all-new driving-focused experience set in the evolving city of Emberville. Take the wheel of licensed American buses and turn everyday routes into a journey of urban transformation.
A City Full of Life – Explore Emberville: a fully simulated, densely inhabited fictional town alive with traffic systems, a dynamic day/night cycle, and multiple weather conditions. From bustling intersections to quiet neighborhoods, every area has its own rhythm, and your route helps shape its future.
Drive American Icons – Get behind the wheel of true-to-life buses from top American manufacturers, including the New Flyer Xcelsior 40ft CNG and the Blue Bird Sigma. With a growing lineup of over a dozen vehicles at launch, you’ll always have the right bus for the job.
Shape the City – You’re not just driving, you’re improving public life. Upgrade stops, unlock new routes, earn passive perks, and see each district evolve into a more vibrant, pedestrian-friendly space.
Multiplayer on the Move – Band together with up to 3 other players! Split off to tackle multiple simultaneous routes and cooperate to contribute to your host’s goal to improve and elevate Emberville.
Customize Your Fleet – Run by run, generate good-will with your riders to unlock new buses, visual styles and upgrades. Whether you prefer a relaxing driving experience or want to master and optimize every detail of your runs–sit behind the wheel and make your trip your own.
-
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- Genre(s)
- Simulation, Driving, Sandbox, Casual
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- Security Camera Installation – indoor/outdoor IP CCTV systems & video analytics
- Access Control Installation – key card, fob, biometric & cloud‑based door entry
- Business Security Systems – integrated alarms, surveillance & access control
- Structured Cabling Services – voice, data & fiber infrastructure for new or existing builds
- Video Monitoring Services – 24/7 remote surveillance and analytics monitoring
Author: 360 Technology Group
