Bus Simulator 27 guide: the settings to change before driving, the driving that pays, and the launch traps

Bus Simulator 27 is a generous game that explains its priorities badly. You climb in, pull away, get penalised without understanding why, and assume it was your fault.

This guide exists to save you the first three hours of guesswork. Our full review is here if you are still deciding whether to buy.

First: the settings to change immediately

Do not start your first mission without going through the options. Two settings decide your comfort.

Upscaling. Several players explicitly link their crashes to DLSS in the game's current state. If you are hard-closing after a few minutes, switch to TSR upscaling, regularly cited as stable and good-looking, and see whether it holds.

Traffic density and mirror quality. These are the two most expensive sliders. A player on a GTX 1650 laptop reports holding 27 to 32 frames per second on low while raising both of those, because they cost less than the rest. If you are hunting frames, lower everything else before sacrificing your mirrors, which you genuinely need in order to pull in.

And if you play with a wheel, know this straight away: in the current state, pressing any button on the wheel cuts the throttle. Until that is fixed, map your frequent controls, indicators, doors, ticket sales, to the keyboard or a separate box rather than to wheel buttons. It will stop you stalling halfway up a hill.

Choosing your mode

Three modes, three uses, and the choice matters.

Career is the right start for most people. You begin small, you unlock, and the progression gives a frame to the learning.

Story is more scripted and more directive, and it is also the mode where players report missions refusing to validate a route you actually finished. It is not systematic, but if you want to avoid launch frustration, this is not where to begin.

Sandbox gives you everything. It is perfect for learning a bus without pressure, trying an articulated one in a narrow street, or simply driving.

My advice: an hour of sandbox to tame the controls, then career.

What actually pays during a run

A successful run is not a fast run. It is a clean one.

Keep to the timetable without running early. Arriving ahead of schedule is not rewarded and often leaves you waiting at the stop. The right rhythm is the route's, not your impatience.

Open the right door at the right moment, let people off before letting people on, and do not forget the ramp when a passenger needs it. Those gestures are what the game watches, far more than your speed.

Brake early and gently. Passenger comfort counts, harsh braking costs you, and above all it stops the car behind kissing your bumper.

Use your indicators systematically, including when pulling away from a stop. It is scored, and it is a good habit when traffic is as unpredictable as it is in this build.

And handle onboard events. The game triggers situations inside the bus and on the road, and dealing with them is part of the job.

The real launch trap: traffic

This needs saying plainly, because it looks like a driving error when it rarely is one.

In the current state, computer-controlled vehicles run into you at stops, crash into each other and cut you off. The penalty system can punish you for an accident inflicted on you.

Three habits that limit the damage.

Pull in tightly at stops, as close to the kerb as you can, to reduce your exposed surface.

Anticipate pulling away by checking the mirror before closing the doors.

And do not try to drive fast. This game does not reward performance, and every unnecessary overtake is one more chance to be hit by an AI that did not see you.

Building a route that holds up

This is the game's most interesting part, and the one even its detractors enjoy.

Start short. A short route with many stops is more profitable and easier to keep than a long line crossing the whole city. You will validate your timetables faster and see your mistakes sooner.

Match the vehicle to the route. An articulated bus in a historic centre is a punishment, a rigid one on a saturated line will leave passengers on the pavement. The twenty districts of Alcaztelar and Mequina have neither the same streets nor the same clientele.

Drive the route yourself before assigning a driver. You will discover the impossible corners and the badly placed stops by driving it, not by looking at the map.

Then recruit. Once the route is validated, an employed driver runs it while you build another. That is where a career takes off.

And dress your buses. Liveries and advertising pay, and it is passive income people often forget to switch on.

The coaches, not to be missed

They are this entry's novelty and also the best place in the game.

The driving is nothing alike: long distances, higher speeds, fewer stops, a heavier vehicle to reposition. The Felicia Bay coast road was clearly drawn for this.

Two tips. Anticipate braking far earlier than in town, because mass does not forgive. And do at least one full intercity run before judging the game: several players who disliked it in the city changed their minds behind a coach.

What you should not forget to try

The game contains activities many players never discover.

The inspector role, which changes the loop completely: you no longer drive, you check.

Passenger mode, where you simply board a bus and watch the city go past. It is absurd and it is restful.

Exploring on foot. You can step out and walk Felicia Bay looking for points of interest and hidden collectibles. It is the best way to spot the places your future routes ought to serve.

Co-op and mods

Co-op takes up to four players with crossplay. Worth flagging before you organise an evening: players report server synchronisation problems in the current state. Test with two before inviting everybody.

On modding, everything goes through mod.io from inside the game. That is what kept previous entries alive for years, and it is where to look in a few months for the liveries and vehicles that are missing.

In short, the order to do it in

Set your upscaling and your controls. One hour of sandbox. Then career, with a short route you drive yourself before handing it over. Only then the coach on the coast road, which is the reward.

And keep in mind that this game is being repaired live: if something seems absurd, there is a reasonable chance it is not you.

Your most profitable routes, your worst districts? We trade layouts on the InsertCoins Discord.