Games like Receiver and Cart Life have been praised for their accurate simulation of the real-world activities they mimic, but honestly, they’re small fry. If there’s a video game hell, I imagine it’s a lot like Penn & Teller’s unreleased (up until recently) SEGA CD “masterpiece” Desert Bus, a sisyphean nightmare of rolling yellow pixels where the only thing you grind is the road and your soul.
Desert Bus has you navigating eight hours in real-time along a straight length of road from Tuscon to Las Vegas with no passengers and a permanent list to the side that requires your constant attention. Complete this Herculean task of humdrumness and you will receive a single point and the option to drive back for an additional point. It was Penn & Teller’s response to the ludicrous statements being made by Janet Reno during the ’90s, who advocated video games teaching “real-life skills”.
And Desert Bus for Hope, an annual charity drive where participants play the game as long as people are willing to keep paying, is currently up to five days of continuous Desert Bus. Now in its sixth year, Desert Bus for Hope has a live stream where viewers can engage with the drivers and participate in the general buffoonery that occurs when you play the world’s dullest game. All the proceeds go to Child’s Play; the withered husks of the volunteers are buried in the Nevada desert to grow Desert Bus’ malevolent power.
You can go watch the last hours of the drive here, complete with in-game Bus Cam. Alternatively, experience the magic™ for yourself on both Android and iOS, with all sales likewise going to Child’s Play.
Source: Desert Bus for Hope