Ride the Bus Drinking Game Rules: Complete Party Guide

April 9, 2025

Looking for a chaotic, boozy card game to spice up your next pregame or house party? "Ride the Bus" is the answer. It’s fast, unpredictable, and perfect for groups of 2 or more. All you need is a deck of cards, some drinks, and a willingness to embrace the madness.

Let’s break down the rules so you can start riding.

⚠️ Warning! Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health. Please drink responsibly.

🎴 What You’ll Need

• A standard 52-card deck
• 2+ players
• Drinks (duh)

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🍻 Part 1: The Four Question Rounds

Each player gets four cards, one at a time, by answering a question each round. Mess up? Drink.

1. Red or Black?

The dealer asks: "Red or black?"

• Guess right: you’re safe.
• Guess wrong: take a drink.

2. Higher or Lower?

Will your next card be higher or lower than your first?

• Get it wrong: drink.

Same value? Dealer reshuffles and you go again.

3. In Between or Outside?

Is your third card’s value between the first two, or outside that range?

• Correct? Nice.
• Wrong? You guessed it—drink.

Tip: Aces are high, and doubles (e.g. 5 and 5) = automatic outside.

4. Guess the Suit

Pick a suit (hearts, diamonds, spades, clubs).

• If you nail it: give out 5 sips.
• If you miss: take a sip.

🃏 Part 2: The Pyramid

Now comes the fun part—revenge and chaos.

How It Works:

1. Lay out cards face-down in a pyramid:

   • Bottom row: 5 cards
   • Then 4, 3, 2... up to 1 card at the top

2. Flip one card at a time, starting from the bottom row.

3. If you have a matching card in your hand, throw it down and assign drinks:

   • Row 1 (bottom): give 1 sip
   • Row 2: give 2 sips
   • … all the way to 5 sips at the top

You can split sips between players. Or go full savage and target one person.

🚍 Part 3: Ride the Bus

Now someone’s gotta suffer. The player with the most cards left in hand at the end of the pyramid rides the bus.

The Ride:

1. Dealer lays out a fresh row of 10 face-down cards.
2. You guess “red or black” for each one.
3. Every time you guess wrong, drink and start the whole row over.

Yes, it’s brutal. Yes, it’s hilarious (for everyone else).

💡 Pro Tips

• Don’t play this on an empty stomach.
• Bonus house rule: if two people tie for “most cards left” they both ride the bus.

Final Thoughts

"Ride the Bus" is the kind of drinking game that starts out chill… and ends in chaos. It’s perfect for pregames, afterparties, or any night that needs a little extra spice. Easy to set up, impossible to predict, and guaranteed to get people talking (or slurring).

So grab your cards, pour some drinks, and buckle up. You’re about to ride the bus.