# Desert Bus — user reviews > 175 indexed App Store user reviews of Desert Bus by Amateur Pixels, rated 4.30/5 from 54 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/desert-bus/id470288016/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/desert-bus/id470288016.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 39 · 4★ 5 · 3★ 2 · 2★ 2 · 1★ 6 ## What do users think of Desert Bus? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 👍 Realistic driving experience - 🚀 Immersive gameplay - 💡 Innovative concept - 👍 True to the original game - 👍 Enjoyable for fans **Cons** - 🐛 Crashes and compatibility issues - 🕰️ Extremely long and monotonous gameplay - 🕹️ Confusing or unresponsive controls - 🙄 Deliberately boring and pointless **Commonly reported bugs** - Game crashes on launch or during play - Inability to steer or control the bus - Issues with iOS 9 and newer updates **Most requested features** - Add more gameplay elements and variety - Improve controls and responsiveness - Provide a pause/save function - Include more visual/audio stimuli ## Newest reviews (16 of 175) ### 2/5 — Broken *2025-03-29, version 1.05* :( ### 4/5 — DESERT BUS - A one game gag *2023-07-14, version 1.05* I played the full game with my sister, and it was very accurate to the original. However, there is no fly guts so I’ll have to take a star off, but otherwise the time changing mechanic works pretty well. Is the game worth it? Sort of. It gives you what you pay for, since there’s no ads, but then again it’s Desert Bus. You play it once and then never again. Either way, both ridiculously terrible and sort of great at the same time. Would not play again. ### 4/5 — Круто *2023-01-14* Игра очень крутая, очень хорошая атмосфѣра. Правда, ехать ну очень долго. Спасибо большоѣ разработчикамъ ### 3/5 — Please read this *2020-10-23, version 1.05* I’m just getting towed every time I play I read the reviews and there’s more well I think please respond and help! ### 3/5 — How do you change your driver’s name? *2020-09-08, version 1.05* This is a pretty mediocre game, but how do you change the driver’s name? Every time i tap on the unknown text, it just goes straight onto the gameplay. So, I just have to stay with “unknown”!?! F**K!!! ### 5/5 — Play *2019-12-13, version 1.05* This game is real deadly like ### 5/5 — Action-packed fun. *2019-11-16, version 1.05* This game is awesome! Watch the amazing desert scenery go by as you hone your skills as a professional bus driver. ### 5/5 — Ну *2019-08-14* Игра полностью копирует оригинал это порадовало.(Ехать 8 часов без остановочно,мммммм) ### 5/5 — A bus trip to the truth *2019-04-17, version 1.05* The old and wise Buddhists of ancient India have highlighted the four noble truths as follows: 1. This is pain: life involves suffering, in both obvious and subtle forms. 2. The origin of pain: The cause of suffering is craving and fundamental ignorance. 3. The cessation or pain: Suffering can be ended 4. The path: through meditation, developing wisdom and shedding the vices of reality, one can escape suffering and achieve nirvana. Desert Bus is the physical recreation of the path. Through the brutal shedding of all worldly pleasures, your voyage to the city of enlightenment - Las Vegas Nevada - will allow you to achieve Nirvana. The creators of Desert Bus masterfully remove all sources of joy from the world, placing the pilgrim in a virtual setting removed from all that might cloud judgement. By weaving the setting of the barren Arizona desert - a stray tumbleweed, an occasional sign post, a small pebble - with the incredible in game mechanics - a half broken bus, a windshield wiper that doesn’t work, fifty seats sitting empty in the rear view mirror - the user cannot help but become entranced in the simple beauty that is desolation. It slowly becomes clear that it is not desert bus that is the simulation, but rather that reality is the simulation, and desert bus is quite literally the path to salvation. It is only through years of practice and dedication that one can hope to achieve to see the overpass sign that reads “Las Vegas 100 Miles”. Do not be tempted to sway from the path, lead astray by false vices such as “food” or “desire to feel the love of others”. These will only lead to suffering, and the long and painful stagnation of waiting for the tow truck. Instead focus the mind on the road ahead, even as day shifts to night and all that remains ahead are the two single beams coming from the bus’s low illumination headlights. Your mind will sway: just writing this review about the game I have the strong instinctual desire to abandon this message and rest my eyes. This acts only to test one’s will, and must be fought with every ounce of energy that is not being diverted to keep the bus centered in the right hand lane. Once you can accomplish this, once you can follow the path with conviction and without self doubt, I promise that you will achieve what you sought out to seek - not merely the “Welcome to Las Vegas!” marquee, but rather true enlightenment. I wish you the best of fortune on your path. Do not stop, avoid the shoulder, and you will achieve more than you could ever dream. ### 5/5 — Truly a gaming masterpiece *2019-03-03, version 1.05* If I were to sum up this game in 2 words, I’d have to go with desert and bus. It’s innovative, well designed with lots of great features and things to do, and it never ceases to entertain. Got to 7:56:17 of the way through and then I fell asleep. I am currently waiting to be towed back to the beginning again so I can restart the immersive gaming experience of Desert Bus. As much as it makes me want to kill myself, I’m somehow still having fun. This game falls second on my top games of all time list, the first being The Raphael Parable, which is also a very innovative game of its own. But I digress. The only criticism I can say is there are too many water levels, and not enough power-ups in world 6. I rate this a solid 10/10.1 ### 5/5 — Amazing (edited) *2019-02-28, version 1.05* This game is great. It is just like the donation version when it came out on the old Nintendo systems. I have found on thing though. I don’t know if it is supposed to be like that but I figured I should mention it just in case. Every time you completely close out the app it resets your time. I’m ok with it because I found that al along as I don’t close out the game I’m good. Just wanted to mention. Other than that. This game needs 6 stars, not 5😂. I love that it’s the exact copy. Keep it up (even though there isn’t much to keep up😂😂😂)|(edit from 2 days after:) still a great game. I have played it a ton and the furthest I’ve gotten is one hour😂. I have 2 trips to Florida in June so that’s 4 trips to LA and back so that’s good. I have one idea for you Amateur Pixles. Can you make the smoke and mirrors games that are mentioned in desert bus (ex: Toll collector, bird watcher, etc) that would be awesome and worth the money. ### 5/5 — Неплохо *2019-02-10* Реализовано очень хорошо, если у тебя ночь то и в игре ночь, день - в игре тоже день, вечер в игре тоже вечер. Только сделайте таймер езды поменьше, не 7 часов как на компе, а хотя-бы 30 минут пожалуйста. ### 5/5 — Desert Bus *2018-08-16, version 1.05* A thrill ride from start to finish! ### 5/5 — Wonderfully realistic *2017-08-18, version 1.05* This game is a seamless blend of realism and action. This action packed game will keep you glued to the screen for what feels like hours. ### 5/5 — True to the original *2017-07-17, version 1.05* I had heard of the legend but never had a chance to play it. I am thus delighted that the game has been ported to the App Store, and judging by online videos of the original this appears to be a very accurate remake. Now you too can experience the unparalleled realism of cross-desert bus travel. Note: Please make sure you know what this game is before you decide to purchase it, Google it! ### 4/5 — Fun on trips. *2016-10-30, version 1.05* I played this a few years ago and I never had a reason to play. But I recently had a long car trip and I found this again. It definitely helped. One thing though, half way through I found out you can't die. It would be great if that gets fixed. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Worst game ever *2022-10-22, version 1.05* Everyone here giving this terrible game any more than ONE STAR just doesn't understand; it's for the kids. Now, this awful game is the WORST non-offensive pile of crap c0de I've ever encountered in life, anywhere, ever. -1 stars Also: for those having trouble steering? This game uses tilt, so you must steer by tilting your device. And the instructions really should tell you that...but that's just one more reason this is the worst game ever. ### 1/5 — Desert Bus. I just purchased it on my iPhone 13 and I can’t steer the bus. WHY???? *2022-03-13, version 1.05* Why can’t I steer the bus???? ### 1/5 — I want my money back. *2021-06-09, version 1.05* This is the worst game ever. Reality is at least much more interesting like,following directions,going to gas stations,looking at stuff around you.this game is depressing because it’s worse than reality.at least when you make any type of game,you can have a little bit fun.this is awful. It’s a fun joke,not a fun game. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work *2020-12-13, version 1.05* I just got this after reading about Desert Bus in the New Yorker. The game starts to load but I’m taken to another screen about Gamecenter and it’s new and improved experience or what not. There is nothing I can do to proceed to the actual game. I can’t sign out of Game Center. I can’t press cancel. I can’t sign in or continue . I can’t do anything. It says my iPhone 8 is compatible, but I’m guessing it’s not. ### 1/5 — New update only show half of the game on my screen *2015-12-09, version 1.05* On my ipod 4th generation the ios 9 update make me only see half of the screen ### 1/5 — Broken on iOS 9.0.2 *2015-10-19, version 1.0* Launches then crashes immediately, a fix would be nice, or a refund. ### 1/5 — iOS 9 I think messed up the game. *2015-10-13, version 1.0* The app won't open. I believe it might be the new iOS update (iOS 9) please TRY and fix the problem. Thank you. ### 1/5 — Do you really want to? *2015-01-18, version 1.0* Even though I'm giving this game a higher rating than it deserves (which would be no stars) it's bad. E.T. On the Atari 2600 had more gameplay. You drive for 8 real time hours with no pause. And don't crash, you'll regret it. This has to be one of the worst games ever made. ### 1/5 — It is very boring *2014-01-25, version 1.0* It took forever to download, and it is pointless. you sit there, and do nothing. What is the point of this game? ### 1/5 — Hmmm *2013-10-09, version 1.0* I think who ever made this app should get a job as a bus driver ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — 👍 *2025-07-24, version 1.05* 👍 ### 5/5 — четко *2023-11-14* 8 часов ездил, обосрался ### 5/5 — Just arrived home from a motorway trip *2021-04-15, version 1.05* Desert Bus has the whole driving experience captured perfectly. To be fair, my armchair is more comfortable than my car, so Desert Bus is a bit better than actually driving ### 5/5 — Good *2021-02-24* yes game is good ### 5/5 — Great port of an iconic game *2020-09-02, version 1.05* Desert Bus is so notoriously awful that it’s actually awesome. So glad this iconic game was ported to iOS. Pro Tip: hold your finger down on the left side on the screen to go. Took me longer than I’d like to admit to figure that out. ### 5/5 — Super! *2020-08-12* Управление нажатием на экран.. ГАЗ ТОРМОЗ Там кто-то писал как им управлять? Повороты акселерометром ### 5/5 — Very good game *2020-08-01* I love it. ### 5/5 — Absolutely thrilling game *2020-05-13, version 1.05* Love it, friends will love it. Very fun “racing”. ### 5/5 — The best game e v e r *2020-05-06, version 1.05* How do I describe such an amazing game, words truly can’t. ### 5/5 — Best Game Ever *2020-03-28, version 1.05* Endless replay-ability. It effectively puts you in the shoes of a bus driver and is the most action packed and exciting game that I have ever played. 10/10. Game of The Century --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-26.*