EXCLUSIVE: Two Point Museum’s Creative Vision – A Deep Dive with Design Director Ben Huskins and Senior Producer Jo Koehler

We had the opportunity to have an exclusive interview with Jo Koehler (Senior Producer) and Ben Huskins (Design Director) about Two Point Studios’ upcoming management simulation game, Two Point Museum. The latest addition to the Two Point series promises to be their most open-ended and creative management game yet, offering players unprecedented control over their museum’s design and operations, while maintaining the series’ signature charm and management depth.

Balancing History and Humor 

The team faced an interesting challenge in maintaining Two Point’s signature humor while creating an authentic museum experience. “We really tried to strike the right balance between capturing the charm and humor of the Two Point world while also including things people would expect to see in a museum,” explains Huskins. 

While the game features familiar museum elements like fossils and dinosaurs, they all come with the series’ characteristic twist. “We wanted a mix of elements that are somewhat grounded in reality and others that are more wild and whimsical. For example, we included fossils and dinosaur bones because those are the kinds of things people expect to see in a museum, and they help create that authentic museum feel right from the start. But, of course, we also wanted to add our own twist, like featuring made-up dinosaurs or fossils are very weird things.”

The variety in exhibits was also a key focus: “Each exhibit theme is designed to be visually distinct and bring brand new gameplay mechanics. Every time players encounter a new exhibit theme or even a subcategory, they have to think differently about how they run their museum.” 

The exhibits also interact with each other in unique ways. “Some exhibits even interact with others, allowing for interesting crossovers between themes. For example, in the science theme, players don’t just find ready-made exhibits—they gather materials to build scientific contraptions themselves. These contraptions then provide benefits within the museum, like watering botany exhibits or alerting players to criminals.”

Research and Development

The development team took their research seriously, including visits to London museums and consultations with museum professionals. “We even got a backstage tour of one of the London museums, which was incredibly interesting,” shares Koehler. 

These consultations provided valuable insights into the complexity of museum operations, as Huskins explains: “Those conversations gave us a sense of just how many different roles exist within real museums. You have staff who are front and center, giving tours and interacting with visitors, but there are also people working behind the scenes in labs, and others completely separate from the day-to-day operations, focusing on designing exhibition spaces.”

The team used these insights to create authentic yet engaging gameplay systems. “Of course, there was no way we could fully capture the depth of all those roles in the game. We took inspiration from reality and distilled it into simple, engaging game systems,” Huskins notes. Koehler adds that this research phase was crucial: “We were really excited to explore Two Point County in a completely new way. It gave us fresh insights into the Two Point universe, and this sense of exploration became a key pillar of the game.”

Innovation in Gameplay 

The game introduces several new features, most notably the expedition system, which underwent 15 iterations during development. “The very first version of expeditions was just clicking a button, watching a progress bar fill up, and then getting an exhibit,” Ben Huskins recalls. 

“Finding maps and fragments of maps was really exciting. And then, getting those points of interest on the maps, each with different exhibits, added a whole new layer. The way you explore the maps affects what you discover—one player might go south and find one thing, while another goes east and discovers something completely different.”

The expeditions integrate deeply with museum management: “We didn’t want the expedition system to feel like a completely separate, detached part of the game. We wanted it to be tightly integrated into the museum management itself,” Huskins emphasizes.

“When you send your teams on expeditions, the events they encounter can have significant effects—if they even come back at all. If they return injured, ill, or even cursed from a supernatural expedition to the netherworld, it impacts the jobs they’re doing in the museum.” Koehler adds: “We also added events later on because we thought they would make expeditions feel more meaningful, feeding back into the overall museum experience.”

Managing Cultural Differences 

The team works closely with Sega’s localization specialists to maintain their distinctly British humor across different languages. “Our humor is very British, and it doesn’t always translate directly, so we get a lot of questions,” Koehler explains. 

The process involves extensive collaboration: “We work closely with the Sega teams on translocalization, and they’re absolutely brilliant. They have language specialists who collaborate with us throughout the process. They often ask questions like, ‘What does this pun mean?’ or ‘Can you explain this joke for us?’ They then translate it in a way that resonates with the target language.”

The localization process often leads to creative solutions, as Ben Huskins notes: “Sometimes they come up with a different version of the joke.” Koehler elaborates on their quality assurance process: “We always make sure the humor resonates with players in each country or language. We do this through thorough testing, and we continuously monitor reviews and feedback after the game’s release to see if any tweaks or changes are needed.”

Creative Freedom and Modding 

For the first time in the series, Two Point Museum will launch with modding support. “This time, we’re launching with modding support right from release, which is a first for us. It’s a fairly basic version for now, allowing players to add items and wallpapers, but if the community really engages with it, we’d love to expand on that system,” Koehler explains. Huskins adds: “We added that to Campus after we introduced modding, and some members of the community really engaged with it—creating an incredible amount of content. So yeah, we feel like this is the right game for modding because it’s all about creating a really impressive space to showcase your amazing collections.”

The game offers extensive creative tools, with Ben Huskins noting: “Even with just the base game items, you can already create something that looks truly unique because you have so much control over the layout.” 

The team encourages experimentation, with Koehler adding: “I really encourage players to experiment with creative tools. I know that having so many creative options can feel a bit daunting at first—trying to make something look pretty can be intimidating. But honestly, I think it’s easier than it seems to make something look good, just play around with all the tools, even if it’s not normally your style.”

Future Plans and Strategic Depth 

The team is already preparing for post-launch support. “We’ll definitely be reading feedback and watching what players do. We think Two Point Museum will offer a much more unique experience than our previous games, which is something we’re really excited about,” Koehler shares. “We’re also looking forward to seeing what players ask for so we can hopefully bring in some exciting quality-of-life updates.”

The game offers unprecedented strategic possibilities, as Ben Huskins explains: “All those decisions about where to section off spaces, where to place partition walls, or how to arrange gift shops and key attractions, they all matter. Players can dive into the nuances of guest flow, deciding whether they want a controlled, linear path or a more open design.” The game also introduces new management tools: “You can tweak the prices of everything, set up zones for your staff, and even assign specific staff members to particular parts of the museum.”

Koehler highlights some unique gameplay elements: “Different exhibits attract different visitor archetypes, which adds another layer of strategy. I personally love the Yetis, so I always make a frozen section with the caveman encased in ice, which attracts them.”

“This game is a lot less linear than our previous titles, so there’s much more scope for trying out new approaches,” Ben Huskins concludes. “You have so much control—not just over where you explore and which exhibits you discover, but also in how you lay out your museum. We’re genuinely excited to see what everyone does with them!”

Two Point Museum will be launching on March 5, 2025, on PC, PlayStation® 5, and Microsoft® Xbox Series X|S with pre-orders now available on all platforms. 

Purchase the digital Explorer Edition to receive five days advanced access to the game starting today! (Feb. 28th) 

Pre-ordering Two Point Museum unlocks access to a spectacular Sonic-themed collection of items including Sonic and Shadow staff outfits, guest gift shop outfits and plushies for museum guests to purchase. Bonus museum customization options will also feature Sonic wallpaper, flooring and decorative statues. Watch the pre-order trailer here.

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