The business simulation genre seems to have been dominated by SimCity and Rollercoaster Tycoon for a while now, but the emergence of Two Point Hospital was a refreshing take on the formula with a hospital. It was a title that showed promise with its light-hearted tone and addictive gameplay, so when a follow-up set on a university campus was announced in Summer 2021, there was a lot of anticipation about how Two Point Campus would build upon what came before.
The shift in location does well to make Two Point Campus feel fresh to returning players, but will also likely entice new eyes to the franchise as a university is an institution that so many have experienced, be it a local community college, university, or the esteemed halls of the Ivy League. It's more clear than ever that if there is another game in the franchise it will look to move on once again, and there are intriguing places that it can use that would maintain the game's core mechanics while also offering a welcome change of pace.
Medieval Kingdom
In the same vein as titles like Yes, Your Grace and even Crusader Kings, a Two Point game set in a medieval world would be an exciting thought. Not only could it ride the wave of the popularity of the aforementioned games, but it could also bring something new by being set in a different time, using a unique art style, or offering gameplay that is familiar, yet innovative. Here, the player could assume the role of a Baron or King/Queen who has to make key decisions about what is to be built and how resources should be used.
Two Point could offer a more upbeat and comedic angle to a genre that has been dominated by intricate and often confusing gameplay, serious themes, and all-around unwelcoming mechanics. For all its immense quality, Crusader Kings and even other grand strategy games are so tough for newcomers to learn, so it's no surprise that plenty of players never make it past the first few hours.
Space Station
Science-fiction never seems to be a bad setting for strategy or business management games, as Civilization: Beyond Earth and Stellaris have proven. It allows for so much creative freedom as it's radically different from the world that players know, and so has the ability to make any tone, presentation, visuals, and storytelling feel natural.
Two Point would do well to take advantage of space with a game that has players operating, managing, and expanding a space station, implementing new projects, and allocating roles for its citizens to undertake while maintaining a comedic feel. As Fallout Shelter did for the nuclear apocalypse, Two Point could do for the space setting.
Sports Team
What fans see on the court/field/course is just a fraction of the work that goes into making any sports team a success. There are training grounds, backroom staff management, stadium developments, and contract negotiations to be tackled, and fans often don't see the majority of the work that goes into making every weekend possible. Two Point Campus' Fluffborough lays the groundwork for this perfectly.
Centering the next Two Point game around a sports team could add some continuity to the franchise, using Cheeseball as a stepping stone to creating a fictional team that players have to manage the day-to-day operations of. Two Point Sports Team or something to that effect could be a natural progression for the franchise as well as a seamless first foray into the sports games genre.
Two Point Campus is out now for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.