In Desert Bus, the player drives a bus along a straight road between Tucson, Arizona, and Las Vegas. There are no other vehicles, and the scenery consists only of dead trees and bushes. The player can open the doors at occasional bus stops, although no passengers will get on. At a top speed of 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) and a route length of 360 miles (580 km), one ride takes eight hours in real-time. The bus automatically veers to the right, requiring the player to regularly counteract, and the game cannot be paused. Completing a drive between the two cities grants the player one point and the option to turn around and travel the route in the other direction. When the player drives the bus off the road, it gets stuck in the sand, overheats, and must be towed back to the previous stop in real-time.