Stop the Bus is a fast-paced and highly addictive card game in which you’ll have to outsmart your opponents. Each player has only three cards, and the goal is to score as many points as possible with cards of the same suit. Will you take a chance on improving your hand, or will you stop the bus before the others catch up to you?
It’s easy to learn, but every game is different—because one wrong card or a poorly timed stop could cost you a life. The last player standing wins.
How to Play Stop the Bus
- Each player starts with 3 lives and receives 3 cards. In addition, there are 3 face-up cards in the center of the table.
- On your turn, you can swap one card, swap all three, pass, or stop the bus.
- Your score is the sum of the cards of the same suit: the Ace is worth 11, the face cards (J, Q, K) are worth 10, and the rest are worth their face value.
- If you reach 31 points, the round ends immediately and everyone else loses a life.
- If someone stops the bus, the others get one last turn to improve their hand.
- At the end of the round, whoever has the lowest score loses a life.
- The winner is the player who still has lives left after everyone else has been eliminated.
Tips and Tricks for Playing Stop the Bus Better
- Try to stick with cards of a single suit and prioritize aces and face cards.
- Pay attention to which cards your opponents take from the center: they’ll tell you which suit they’re looking for.
- Don’t stop with an average hand, because the others can still beat you.
- A trio of matching cards is worth 30.5 points—almost the maximum.
Who created this Stop the Bus game?
Catafractum developed this fun card game.