Double Fine announces Thank You Bus Driver after Xbox split

Double Fine has announced its first game since splitting from Xbox Game Studios. The project is a bus driving simulator called Thank You Bus Driver, where players must slap passengers who break onboard rules while navigating a timed route.

The studio became independent a few months ago. Its first post-split project is a job simulation game focused on driving a bus from stop to stop. The core twist involves enforcing a set of arbitrary passenger rules through physical discipline.

Gameplay and core mechanics

Players drive a bus, picking up and dropping off passengers within a strict time limit indicated by a dashboard timer. The primary challenge comes from managing the passengers, who must follow rules such as no sleeping, no toenail clipping, and "no stinky." When a rule is broken, the driver must slap the offending passenger.

This creates a tense balancing act. The driver must frequently check a rearview mirror to monitor passenger behavior, then physically turn around to administer a slap. This action takes attention away from the road, risking a crash with oncoming traffic. The studio describes this dynamic as "goofy but charming tension." New rules can be added randomly during a run, requiring constant vigilance.

Progression and rewards

Successful performance is rewarded. The better a driver performs, the more "thank yous" they receive from passengers. These thank yous grant additional time to reach the next stop. Players can also earn dashboard trinkets and unlock different town variants to explore. The announcement promised "more!"but did not specify further details."No one puts Double Fine out of business except for me," Schafer stated. He added, "[Xbox CEO] Asha’s not going to shoot my dog. I’m going to shoot it. But I’m not going to shoot it because it’s going to do great. A lot of people want to walk the dog."

Thank You Bus Driver does not yet have a release date. It is available to wishlist on Steam.