Museologist: Tidy Up the Museum! Review (PC)

Museologist: Tidy Up the Library! takes DinoBones—an alternate version of a game that prioritizes the act of cataloging fossils in a museum—and gives it a few extra talking points, mostly in the form of an exhibit, a medieval armory, or a devoted corner of ceremonial masks. That said, it comes packaged with a familiar skin that, like Tidy Up History or the other fifteen or so organizing sims that have collectively launched in the wake of Librarian’s rise to stardom, radiates all of the same basic qualities and hallmark elements of a predictable yet oddly satisfying chore core simulator.

When it comes to organizing sims, you have a moral obligation to bury your head in the work and remove yourself from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Museologist isn’t all that different, in that it hands you thousands of objects, hundreds of exhibits, and enough breathing room to gradually rebuild the skeletal infrastructure of a museum. It doesn’t tell you that you have a specific goal to accomplish, but rather, an all-encompassing purpose that spreads across the far corners of an all-in-one museum of historical art.

In a similar vein as your typical Librarian-inspired game, Museologist tasks you with wading through the nooks and crannies of a monolithic hall, locating the pieces of various exhibits, and gradually returning them to their rightful spot. However, unlike your cozy-oriented organizing sim, it does require you to work towards a particular benchmark. Rather than it having you work to the beat of your own drum at a snail-like pace, it hands you a rather critical role to perform: to ensure that the museum is clean enough to open to the general public. And that’s something that sets Museologist apart from its kin; speed, placement, and order are all important factors that influence the development and the outcome of your work.

The general idea of Museologist isn’t all that different from your average organizing job. Similarly, you can activate passive upgrades that allow you to complete your workload a bit quicker, and sure enough, you can tackle the exhibits in any order you see fit. Though, it all comes with a rather loaded question: can you make a pristine collection of historical artifacts? As you beat each room and fulfill your duties, you receive a score from the overheads that judge your performance and eye for detail. Again, speed and accuracy are both as equally important in this world, meaning, it isn’t as simple as rummaging through the clutter and piecing exhibits together, but completing the project in an orderly and efficient manner.

Of course, you do have a quality selection of helping hands to aid you with your work. For example, you can take full advantage of micro-drones to scour the rubble and collect the necessary pieces for your next exhibit, utilize a pair of smart glasses to help you find all of the relevant pieces, as well as automatically add whatever it is you’re holding to its rightful spot in the museum. And, to be honest, the latter is a huge boon in this case, as completing some of the exhibits can be a bit overwhelming.

Unfortunately, several of the aforementioned skills do become a little redundant as the game progresses, in that the museum has a lot of standalone swords, pole arms and maces that don’t belong to a broader group. To that end, it can feel a little complicated, given that you have thousands of swords that, for some reason, have no formal place in a shared cabinet. And, believe me when I say that there are hundreds of objects that have this same problem. It makes for a neat puzzle I’ll admit. But, it’s also a bit of a headache, especially when you’re trying to breeze through the process as efficiently as possible.

To counter its redundant upgrades, Museologist does host a great atmosphere that, once established, is just as delightful to unwind to as it is to get lost in. With some clean and non-intrusive UI, buttery smooth handling mechanics, and a striking setting that allows you to submerge in vastly different environments and historical elements, it all makes for a pleasant and satisfying experience. And that’s something that you tend to go looking for in a game like this: a chance to take a break from the world, and to enjoy the simple act of cataloging history.

While the scoring system does add a bit of weight to your shoulders, I wouldn’t say that it’s a stressful game. On the contrary, it’s a soothing experience that makes just as much of an effort to reward you as it does to keep you in the loop. It doesn’t strive to fill its world with too many objects, either — and that’s a good thing here. Where you would typically find a game that tries a little too hard to maximize your time with tens of thousands of objects, Museologist opts to keep it simple, with a little over five hundred exhibits, a neatly crafted collection, and a vibrant setting that’s easy to explore and rebuild.

The good thing about organizing sims is that, unlike your average RPG, you don’t need to be well-versed in the art of restoring the world in order to pick up the pieces and turn a lump of coal into a diamond. Museologist knows this all too well, as does it know that, in order to make an enjoyable experience, you just need a calming atmosphere, smooth controls, and just enough clutter to keep you busy for a dozen or so hours. As luck would have it, Museologist has all of these things, thus making it an easy choice for anyone who might be searching for a new spot to call home.

Verdict

Museologist: Tidy Up the Museum! takes the bones, the blades and the brilliancy of a historical archive to construct a thousand-piece puzzle that is, while still a familiar one at best, a genuine delight to spend a bit of time with. Although it does make several of its skills feel redundant as time progresses, it all makes for a laid-back organizing experience that will surely give fans of Librarian something to write home about.