The Two Point franchise has a special place in my heart. Amidst the pandemic chaos of 2020, Two Point Hospital was a major comfort. One of my favourite and most-played games of 2022 was Two Point Campus. To say I had high expectations for Two Point Museum was underselling it slightly.
But, you know what? There really is no need to worry. After checking out the game at PAX Aus 2024, I’m more confident than ever that Two Point Museum will be a worthy followup to the other Two Point games, presenting a new twist on their classic formula.
Where in past games you ran a hospital and a university, Two Point Museum is exactly what you’d expect: here, you run a museum. That means curating a space, decorating its halls, creating compelling reasons to visit, and ensuring everyone who passes through your doors leaves satisfied. As for the main hook, that revolves around a new mechanic: expeditions.
In Two Point Museum, you’re not just building a museum. You’re also recruiting adventurers to travel around the globe and pick up artefacts to put on display – large dinosaur bones, fossils, and other historic pieces. On screen, your expeditions are reflected in tiny little beings hopping into a helicopter, disappearing off-screen, and then returning with loads of precious goods, which must be displayed in your museum with great care.
Read: When the world went wrong, Two Point Hospital was the perfect escape
Two Point Museum feels like it places more emphasis on the aesthetics of your creations, which is nice twist. Once you have your fossils and artefacts on display, it’s not enough to simply chuck them in a corner and hope your guests will enjoy the blank walls. You must place decorations around, and themed decorations wherever possible.
It’s all about the vibe. A skeleton might look good in your east wing, but you’ll need to set the mood for museum attendees. Place some plants around it. Add some torches and some sticks, and some bones nearby. And don’t forget to put an information board up, and possibly a seat for those visitors who want to sit and chill, to really absorb the knowledge.
While Two Point Hospital and Two Point Campus both allowed for decoration, and room score would be determined by how much you could pack in, Two Point Museum elevates the act of decoration with its focus on meaningful exhibits. You want your museum to look good, and for your visitors to come away with a high satisfaction.
This focus seems likely to make this sequel a more mindful, slower-paced game than its predecessors – and given the strict nature of Hospital and Campus, and the need to blitz through requirements to hit every goal in each stage, it should make for a refreshing change.
Museums not being tied to room type should also help to shake up the formula, as open spaces will require more creativity, and deeper thinking about each exhibit. There is, of course, some elements of room placement in that you’ll still have staff lounges, bathrooms, and other sequestered places – but you’ll need to spend more time maximising the potential of open space, and getting creative with a blank canvas.
PAX Aus 2024 featured just a small taste of what’s to come in Two Point Museum, but even that was enough to inspire a longing for more. As you’ll note in the headline – and I’m very proud of this pun – I am Indiana Jones-ing for more, and I can’t wait for the eventual release of this game.
As announced, Two Point Museum is set to launch on 4 March 2025. Stay tuned for more on this upcoming game.
