Introduction to Stop the Bus – A Card Game
Imagine yourself in a cozy pub or gathered around a kitchen table with friends, and someone suggests playing Stop the Bus. It’s the kind of card game that’s quick to learn but keeps you hooked as soon as you start swapping cards and eyeing everyone else’s hands. You and your pals each get three cards, and the goal is simple: build the strongest suit total you can, aiming for 31 points (or as close as you can get) before someone “stops the bus” by knocking.
On your turn, you choose to draw either the top card from the deck or grab the visible discard, then toss one card away. It feels surprisingly strategic—do you chase that heart you need, or do you risk swapping because you’ve already got a solid set of diamonds? Once someone thinks they’ve got the edge, they knock instead of drawing, signaling everyone else has one last turn. At the reveal, the lowest scorer loses a life.
You usually start with three lives—sometimes you mark them as counters or pretend they’re passengers on your imaginary bus. Each time you end up with the smallest score, you lose a passenger. Keep riding until just one person still has any lives left, and voilà, they’re the champion who never missed their stop. It’s that simple, yet the pressure builds so quickly as the deck runs low and you watch your friends bluff or hesitate.
What makes Stop the Bus such a hit is how it blends luck, memory, and just enough bluffing to keep everyone laughing. It’s perfect for a quick break between longer games or when you just want a lighthearted challenge. Plus, because rounds fly by in minutes, nobody’s stuck sitting out for long, so the competition stays tight and the banter keeps flowing.