Two Point Campus Review

There are lots of management sims out there in the world. These can vary from managing prisons to theme parks, or even ferociously adorable cults, however, none quite stand out like Two Point Campus. A follow-up to 2018’s Two Point Hospital, Campus inhabits the same world, bringing its zany characters and whacky worldbuilding to the university setting and thoroughly sticking the landing in doing so.

At first glance, the aim of Two Point Campus is simple. Your goal is to build a university, filling it with all the necessary staff and equipment, before opening it to the public and shaping the minds of the next generation. Simple, right? Wrong. What makes Two Point Campus so engaging, the same way any management sim is engaging is that its systems run so much deeper than its surface goal. Yes, your aim is to create a class of graduating students, but don’t go fooling yourself into thinking that will be an easy task.

Each student has their own specific set of needs that require tending to during their college life, the outcome of which will determine whether they succeed, fail, or drop out of school altogether. The further you progress in the game, the more students you’ll find yourself with, and suddenly taking care of them all at a personal level becomes a much more Herculean task.

Luckily, each student falls into a particular category, each carrying its own positive and negative traits. Take the “Swot” for example. These are the straight-A students that are more than happy to crack on with their studies, leaving you to focus on other problems. What’s more, these students may carry the “Wise Words” trait, which allows them to boost the learning capabilities of other students. There are plenty of different traits that can either help or hinder your progress, from the Chef that hands out free food, to the Posho who may suddenly drop you a big tip. Curating a student body with some of the best traits will go a long way to making your campus life easier.

Student wellbeing is crucial to succeeding in this game, however, all roads lead back to money, and as ever, profit is the ultimate test of how well you’re running your school. Everything costs money, of course, building up a campus and employing staff, but there are plenty of ways you can squeeze money out of your students. For example, each room comes with a prestige level rating. The more attractive a room is, the happier students are staying there. Increasing your dormitories to the highest level will see students happy to pay through the roof for their rent. It’s a reminder that in these games, short-term investments yield long-term gains. Spend the time to really dig into all the mechanics on offer in Two Point Campus and that’s where you’ll really start to find enjoyment in the game.

Of course, because of its wealth of gameplay systems, there are times when Two Point Campus can begin to feel very overwhelming. Even in the opening level, when you’re being struck by a barrage of tutorials, it can be very difficult to take in all the information being thrown at you. These tutorials are as efficient as they could be, presenting all the information you need in a concise manner without being boring, but the sheer amount of information can drag things down. The further you progress in the game, the more features you’re struck with, so it’s lucky that Campus has a pause button to let you slow things down. I lost count of the number of times I used this feature. It’s so useful for just taking a beat and planning your next move. Each year in Two Point Campus lasts about 20 minutes, so things are constantly moving at pace. Using the pause button allows for some breathing room, and ensures the experience remains enjoyable.

You can’t talk about Two Point Campus and not discuss its whacky brand of humour. The level of detail present in the game is astounding. Zoom in close on your campus and you’ll be treated to a wealth of funny and sometimes cringe-inducing animations. Watch a student with the “Socially Awkward” trait and wince as their attempts to talk to someone crash and burn or peek your eye into the Scientography classroom to watch someone laser their head off. Similarly, the campus PA system is a treat to behold. Every few moments the voice will belt out something that’s bound to raise a chuckle, such as reminding students that she is “not their mother”. Two Point Campus is awash with clever writing, ingenious visual gags and a generally fun atmosphere that keeps you invested in your creations.

There’s so much to say about Two Point Campus that it’s hard to narrow down, but what’s easy to say is that this is a game well worth your time. The soundtrack is fun and energetic, the writing funny, and the visuals popping. Everything about Two Point Campus just screams fun, and whilst there’s a lot to get to grips with, put in the time and you’ll find it’s well worth it. With its humour, colour and excellent gameplay, Two Point Campus stands as one of the best management sims yet.