We're in the final week of Skeleton Appreciation Month, so that means that all your games are getting dressed up for Halloween. The latest to don a pumpkin-headed costume is Two Point Hospital, the extremely British comedy healthcare management sim. Admittedly, it's re-using last year's costume—reprising the Spooky Mode event from 2018— but sweetening the deal by slashing gory chunks out of the price until the 28th.
Spooky Mode gives the game a seasonal makeover, with moodier lighting, swarms of bats added to some maps and a new ailment to cure: fright-headedness, a pumpkin-flavoured version of the admittedly more punny lightheadedness illness. There's also a new Halloween-themed soundtrack and a bunch of revamped (emphasis on vamp) decorative items to spook up your halls, as if hospitals weren't terrifying to be in already.
Two Point Hospital is a minor favourite around here. Doctor Fraser Brown was very impressed with the game at launch, and while I felt that it played it a little safe and too close to the Theme Hospital's design, free updates and paid expansions (adding Bigfoot, aliens and tropical plagues to the mix) have gone a long way to making it feel fresh again. As a fan of terrible puns, I must give credit to Two Point Studios for making the majority of illnesses utterly groan-worthy.
Because Valve wouldn't let them use 666 or 66.6, Two Point Hospital is only 66% discounted on Steam until October 28th, but that's still the cheapest its been. The main game costs £8.49/€11.89/$11.89, and the Healthy Collection (including all three expansions) is £21.15/€28.12/$28.12.
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