Two Point Campus Impressions: Who knew school could be this much fun?

As kids, I can imagine that some of us must have looked around at our schools and thought, "I think I could do a better job of running it than the grown-ups.". Well, now you can actually try your hand at doing so with Two Point Campus, the upcoming "graduate" from the team over at Two Point Studios.

Although this pseudo-city-building simulator is scheduled for release in about two months on 9 August, we managed to secure a short hands-on session earlier this month, and it has proven to be quite endearing, to say the least. Much like its predecessor in Two Point Hospital, TPC's cartoonish aesthetics conceal an impressively dynamic and complex game underneath, one that is surprisingly simple to pick up and enjoy even if you haven't dabbled in the genre before.

Putting the "class" in classroom

In a word, TPC is about one thing, and one thing only: schools. Since my review of Two Point Hospital way back in 2020, I've always found it interesting how the developers are able to take an aspect of society that most people might otherwise ignore and make it interesting. After all, you don't exactly wake up one morning with an earnest desire to build and manage a school, much less the university campuses that you'll be handling in this game.

On paper, your task appears to be a simple one - you'll have to develop a thriving university campus and manage it efficiently with the funds you have and earn from the enrolment. Of course, this includes constructing the campus itself, taking care of the students and staff, and even offering new modules for application, among various other odds and ends.

Sounds easy enough, but being able to do all of that simultaneously, while still keeping yourself in the green and fulfilling the myriad expectations of the population in that district is where things get tricky. 

And make no mistake, I absolutely love it for that. The game starts off slow and steady as most other city-builders do, but the tempo quickly ramps up once you hit the third or fourth level. At that point, you'll have to deal with students from other campuses stirring up trouble in yours, unhappy teachers asking for higher pay, students petitioning for more advanced facilities, and so on and so forth. TPC challenges you to work faster, smarter, and more resourcefully at every turn with whatever finances and manpower you have on hand, which I will admit seems draining...at least at first glance. 

Have fun, not fuss

Here's where the game starts to diverge from most other titles in the genre. Essentially, it always remembers that above all, you're here to embrace the experience, not the stress. Despite the constant stream of challenges that are being hurled at you, the pacing somehow never feels impossible to keep up with, and to help smooth things out, the interface is probably one of, if not the most intuitive I've seen in any city builder to date.

It takes very little effort to navigate, and all of the most important functions are laid out at your fingertips for easy access. I've been turned off other simulation games in the past simply because I got tired of digging through menu after menu searching for the right tool, and thankfully, I didn't have to worry about that here.

However, what is perhaps more important is that TPC isn't shy about retaining all of its childish silliness throughout the game. You'll have Gastronomy classes where students create gigantic foods, supervise jousting tournaments (with full medieval armor!), and even oversee a Hogwarts-esque wizard school, among numerous other quirky additions. 

All in all, I think the one secret to success (at least, based on this preview) that Two Point Campus will share with Two Point Hospital is its near-absurd amount of charm. It has loads and loads of it, and things are never dull with that adorably-sarcastic radio DJ keeping you company too. Admittedly, it might not be as flashy as your run-of-the-mill AAA title these days, but both the aesthetics and gameplay can definitely put up a good fight once you get into the groove. With that in mind, I'm seriously considering getting this in August for a full-fledged review, so stay tuned!

For more information on the game, or if you'd like to pre-order it on PC, check out the official Steam page. Platform-wise, Two Point Campus will also be releasing for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and the Nintendo Switch.

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