Two Point Studios began with a dream: to revive the classic business simulation gameplay genre for a new era, inspired by Bullfrog Productions’ classic 1997 game, Theme Hospital.
Like-minded developers formed a unit in Farnham, Surrey in the UK in 2016, and worked together to create the smash hit Two Point Hospital, a spiritual Theme Hospital successor which gathered a passionate audience and inspired an array of game spin-offs.
Ten years on from its establishment, Two Point Studios’ developers tell ScreenHub they never expected to get so far.
‘When the studio was founded, the goal was to make the kind of management games we loved playing and we had lots of experience in between us to create them,’ Joe Koeler, Chief Operating Officer, tells ScreenHub.
‘We felt there was a real appetite for that style of game, but initially we never assumed we’d still be here years later making multiple games. The fact that we’re still making games people enjoy in 2026 is something we’re very grateful for, and it motivates us to keep finding new ideas and experiences within the Two Point universe.’
Two Point Studios 10th anniversary – quick links
The magic of Two Point simulation
Since Two Point Hospital released, Two Point Studios has made a name for itself with its unique humour and its streamlined approach to management simulation.
Two Point Hospital, the first game set in the fictional Two Point County region, is all about helping sick patients but with very funny, light-hearted diseases.
You must build rooms and treatments for people suffering from Premature Mummification (they’re turning into mummies) or Lightheadnesses (their heads have turned into lightbulbs). Patients can also be afflicted by an 8-bit sickness that turns them pixellated. They can also develop a literal animal magnetism, while Jest Infection turns them into clowns.
While your management style is fairly realistic, in that you’ll be setting up a hospital, establishing rooms and managing treatment and diagnosis for an array of patients, the humour makes the job fun and rewarding.
Other games set in Two Point County share a similar approach.
In Two Point Campus, you manage a cohort of university students, determining their semester-based workload, and how they develop into robust, multi-skilled graduates. But the courses relate to clown work, the dark arts, internet history and ‘cheese-mongery’.
Two Point Museum, the newest game in the franchise, lets you create your own museums by finding artefacts and artworks of all kinds, then putting them up for display. While slightly different to its predecessors, in that the gameplay style is more focused on the decorative, it’s also buoyed along by outright silliness and joy.
For the Two Point Studios team, it’s maintaining this balance between rewarding gameplay and ridiculous humour that’s most compelling, and the reason why the the games have remained popular over the last decade.
‘I think we’ve found a nice balance between management, creativity and humour,’ Koeler says. ‘Players get the satisfaction of building and managing something, but they also get a world full of quirky characters and fun moments. We never want the games to feel like work – we want our games to feel lighthearted and charming.’
As Koeler says, it’s all about players being able to engage with deeper simulation mechanics if they choose, with the humour being encouragement for their journey.
Hitting the right notes at Two Point Studios
As for how the studio develops its signature brand of humour, that begins within the studio make-up itself. Ten years on, Two Point Studios is now well-established, and it has an array of successes under its belt, including awards. But that doesn’t mean the studio takes itself seriously in any capacity.
As Design Director Ben Huskins tells ScreenHub, ‘A lot of the humour comes from us not taking ourselves too seriously. That’s baked into our studio culture.’
‘Everyone on the team ends up injecting a little bit of that charm or humour into whatever they’re working on, whether it’s art, writing, audio, animations, design, every part of the game, really.’
Developing this tone over a number of years has allowed Two Point Studios to create an energetic, funny franchise, packed with silly easter eggs and opportunities for expansion. Two Point County has become its own character through the contributions of developers, imbued with a lively tone.
As Koeler says, ‘A lot of [our] inspiration comes from exploring the setting itself. The goal is always to make each game feel fresh, while still feeling unmistakably like a Two Point game.’
For Huskins, the flavour of Two Point County is what continues to excite him about development, and exploring new concepts and ideas within the management simulation genre.
‘With each game and DLC we explore more of that world, we expand on the roster of locations and characters, and we find new twists and directions to take it in,’ Husksins says. ‘So rather than it
feeling restrictive, it actually feels like the possibilities grow with each release. We’ve still got so many ideas for our little charming world, and I can’t wait to see some of them come to life!’
What’s next for Two Point Studios?
As Two Point Studios celebrates its 10th anniversary, it’s not only looking to the past and how it got here. It’s also looking to a more robust future, one where the stories of Two Point County can continue to be told.
With each new game iteration, there is a focus on fresh ideas within a similar framework: management games that are light-hearted and breezy, with a strong and rewarding gameplay loop.
For now, Two Point Studios hasn’t announced what’s next, beyond some ‘really exciting updates’ for Museum, but there are so many possibilities for a new standalone game.
Perhaps something in the way of a fully-fledged zoo simulator, following in the footsteps of the warmly received Zooseum DLC expansion for Two Point Museum? We could see some sort of shopping centre theme, or perhaps a dip into the ever-crowded theme park simulator genre. Maybe a hotel simulator? Or a new spin on holiday-making?
Whatever results, the Two Point Studios team appears keen for a long-term future, buoyed by its past successes, and the support of its loyal audience base.
‘We’ve got a lot more to explore, and I can’t wait to see where the next 10 years takes us,’ Huskins says.
After a strong showing over the last decade, the studio has certainly earned the confidence to boast about what comes next. The rest of us will have to keep an eye on future announcements as the next stop in the Two Point County tour is revealed.
