Double Fine's first post-Xbox game is comedy bus sim Thank You Bus Driver

Double Fine announced Thank You Bus Driver, its first game since splitting from Xbox, as a comedy bus-driving simulation. The studio is releasing it under "Double Fine Action Labs," a new label for smaller projects it plans to put out while larger games are in development, part of an indie reboot that also includes an ongoing Amnesia Fortnight Game Jam Kickstarter.

The game casts players as a town's "reckless" bus driver juggling three priorities: no rulebreaking, staying on track, and staying on schedule. Players can slap rulebreakers, toss repeat offenders out the back door, and take shortcuts through corn fields, with happy riders providing "Thank Yous" that fuel extra time. It is listed as "coming soon" on Steam and available to pre-order on Steam and GOG.

The announcement follows Xbox's July restructuring, announced by CEO Asha Sharma, which affected about 3,200 roles and spun Double Fine back into independence while it kept its IP and back catalogue. Double Fine laid off roughly a quarter of its 90-person team during the transition, saying the cuts were needed to reach a sustainable size.