Two Point Museum Switch 2 Review

The Two Point series of titles have always been a great simulation title for those looking to dive into the genre. Its easy to understand systems and great onboarding make for a fun experience, and that trend continues with Two Point Museum.

Initially released early this year for the PS5, Xbox Series, and PC, Two Point Museum now heads to the Nintendo Switch 2, offering management on the go for players who like to be on the move. This seems to be a match made in heaven for this type of game, but is sadly marred by some issues and puzzling lack of features that would have been a no brainer for the Switch 2 version.

Open For Business

Two Point Museum makes simulation games approachable with a smooth, engaging tutorial that eases newcomers into management mechanics. You begin with a prehistoric museum featuring fossils and dinosaur bones, then expand into themed museums, each with quirky twists. Progress earns you stars, unlocking tougher challenges and in-game currency (Kibosh) for customization. You aim is to gain as much Buzz as possible, as this is the metric that allows for growth and expansion, and ultimately allowing for progress throughout the game.

Unlike Two Point Campus or Hospital, gameplay in Two Point Museum revolves around exhibits rather than rooms, giving players freedom to design creatively or focus on efficiency. Where items and decorations are simply available from before, the game implements a twist with Expeditions.

Expeditions shine as a standout feature, letting players uncover new exhibits by letting museum staff go on trips that would yield rewards, like a random exhibit. There are several obtainable exhibits at any given expedition location, and since you’ll get one at random, you’ll need to run multiple expeditions to uncover all rewards.

In some expeditions, you’ll obtain one part (out of three) of an exhibition, and repeat runs will allow you to obtain the other parts, improving the overall quality of your item and buzz obtained. These exhibits can then be enhanced with displays, decorations, and monetized via shops, restaurants, and donation boxes, fueling the gameplay loop of receiving money to use in improving your museum, employing more staff, and unlocking newer items, and much more.

Difficulty spikes can surprise players in Two Point Museum, as complex systems later in the game will demand attention. Staff management is key among these, and starting with four roles (specialist, assistant, janitor, security), employees evolve into advanced positions like mechanics or managers through specialized training sessions. More specialized and highly trained staff will require a higher salary, so balancing these is another thing to think about on top of everything else.

Campaign challenges escalate with star levels. Playing safe yields steady profits but less buzz, while riskier strategies bring greater rewards. In the later portions of the game, Two Point Museum will throw twists at you like trouble from vandals, thieves, and unruly guests to keep management dynamic.

Switch 2 Gameplay and Performance

Two Point Museum for the Switch 2 is a no brainer, especially when previous entries like Two Point Campus and others have already been on the Switch. With the new hardware in mind, you would think that the game would utilize it to its fullest, especially the mouse control feature on the Joycons, but sadly, Two Point Museum does not have this feature available.

Controlling the game is simple enough, but browing through sub-menus might make it a bit tricky with the use of the L and R buttons, so it would have been nice to use the Joycons as a mouse to replicate the feel of the PC version. This is such a big missed opportunity for this version of the game, especially since it is also missing touchscreen controls as well.

As for performance, Two Point Museum runs at 30fps on the Switch 2. For a game such as this one, not having a 60fps option is forgiveable, but sadly, the game does not hold a steady 30fps especially in later museums where crowds and exhibits become plentiful. It does feel like these can be addressed in future updates, and while none of these are actual dealbreakers, they certainly drag down the overall experience.

Verdict: Wait for it…

Two Point Museum on the Nintendo Switch 2 is another fantastic addition to the growing lineup of Two Point titles for the system. This entry adds new experiences and features as you work your way to becoming the best curator you can be, and there’s enough depth and systems to engage with to scratch that management simulation itch.

That said, the Switch 2 version misses a few opportunities to make it stand out, especially with the lack of mouse and touchscreen controls, which would have been no-brainer additions. The Switch 2 version also suffers a bit from performance issues, but we’re confident that it can be solved with a few updates here and there in the future.

*Two Point Museum was reviewed on a Switch 2 with a review code provided by the publisher.