Two Point Museum is without a doubt the strongest entry in Two Point Studios’ run of delightfully-silly management sims so far, and it’s one that I’ve been yearning to revisit ever since seeing out everything it had to offer at launch. While there has already been some new content added to the game between then and now, Arty Facts is my own first foray back, and it’s been an incredibly pleasant second visit.
It’s in the name, but yes, Arty Facts adds to Two Point Museum what has long been the biggest thing missing – art. Art and museums go together like novice painters and bowls of fruit, so it’s not surprising to see the two finally come together, and neither is it surprising that the team has taken the time and opportunity to really look at art through the Two Point lens. As a result this feels less like an add-on of new content and exhibits and more like a fundamentally evolved experience over the base game.
It’s not an entirely new game, mind, and so most of the management side of things that you’ll be used to is the same, from the upkeep of your museum – this time a nice little plot in the locale of Undee Docks – to the enrichment and monetisation of your guests. But what’s immediately different here is how exhibits work. Your exhibits here come more from creation than extraction, and so while Expeditions are still a thing, you’ll spend more of your effort in the new Studio room type. Here, your hired Experts can express themselves and create new works, which you can then display across your gallery.
These works of art are only loosely pre-set, and turn out differently based on the traits and emotions of the Expert that creates them, allowing you to curate a particular theme or mood by tasking the right artist with the right creative pursuit. And in turn, the way you arrange these exhibits and guide your guests through them will change how the public engages with and connects to the art. It’s an impressively elegant and nuanced bit of design for a Two Point game, but still retains the level of accessibility and sense of fun that’s expected.
Alongside these original works, you’ll go and scout a brand-new Expeditions map for goofy, Two Point facsimiles of famous artworks, and also erect interactive exhibits and performances to really wow your guests, nicely rounding out the scope of content that’s available to make your art museum your own. Although the DLC and its new goals aren’t overly challenging, there’s still a bit of spice to it – I’m especially fond of the fact that thieves can steal your art by swapping it out with hilariously ‘convincing’ fakes. My only real gripe is that you’ll still need to hit thresholds for displaying your pieces with decor and other bits, but my instinct for a special piece of art is to let it stand on its own, not clutter it with a bunch of distractions.
I’m genuinely very impressed with Arty Facts as an add-on for Two Point Museum that delivers more than a smattering of new exhibits and reskins to sell the idea of an art gallery, and instead takes the opportunity to consider what art is and how best to deliver it through the series’ lens. By honing in on the emotional value of art, in both creation and appreciation, it serves as a timely reminder of why original art made by actual artists is so crucial and fundamental to humanity. Also the game’s version of The Thinker is a statue of a guy on the toilet that spews gas right at your guests. It’s called The Stinker. Brief nailed, I reckon.
Reviewed on PS5 | Review code supplied by publisher
Great
- Some brilliant new ways to engage with the game and exhibits
- Procedural art creation makes for loads of entertaining results
- Classic Two Point humour shines through in famous exhibits
- Spotlights are a game-changer
Not great
- Decorating and arranging the art isn't always seamless