LEGO Builder's Journey

Lego Builder's Journey is a wonderful game from Light Brick Studio that captures the feel of playing with Lego. The feel, story, visuals, and sound are all excellent. However, the game is really short for its price and the controls can be a bit finicky.

From its unmatched beauty to its heartwarming tale, Lego Builder’s Journey is an experience unlike any puzzle game before it. It’s a game that lets you reconnect with your imagination.

The LEGO branding on LEGO Builder’s Journey is simultaneously its greatest asset, and highest hurdle. The LEGO bricks themselves are the perfect tool to tell this story, and factor in heavily to its themes of play versus work. However, the name LEGO also runs the risk of obscuring this quietly beautiful adventure, simply due to the type of game we’d generally associate with the brand. This is a wonderful game that is likely to hit a little deeper than you expect. If this represents a future direction for how LEGO treats their games, LEGO Builder’s Journey is a sign of very good things to come.

If you're a fan of LEGO but you're tired of the usual slapstick smashy gameplay, or if you like simple puzzle games, LEGO Builder's Journey is a hidden gem that might be exactly the game you're looking for on a rainy day. [Issue #54 – September 2021, p. 22]

LEGO Builder’s Journey wants to remind you of what it was like to play with LEGO as a kid, and it never lets you forget that. In fact, coupled with the tinkly piano soundtrack, at times it all starts to feel calculated and treacly, as they try their hardest to pull on your heartstrings. While I get why they’d want to do that, in its own way it feels as calculated as any of those licensed games. But I’m probably being far too cynical about LEGO Builder’s Journey. In fact, I’d say this: if you want a LEGO game that’s actually about LEGO, rather than about using LEGO to see something else, then LEGO Builder’s Journey is exactly the kind of game you need to play.

LEGO Builder’s Journey is a comfortable yet original experience that separates itself from many currently available titles. Fans of the brand will be enamored by the presentation and how the gameplay captures the tactility of the toys. Unfortunately, puzzles are restrained, lacking the variety and imagination that permeates the brand. Although mechanics develop throughout, each segment is simple and lacks challenge. The awe-inspiring soundtrack and gorgeous visuals create an alluring level of polish. However, there isn’t a lot of content in this toy box.

The diorama puzzles are easy on the eyes and show off creative ideas, but with a playtime of close to 2 hours this journey is extremely short lived.

Builder’s Journey is an impressively put together experience for the most part, but is probably only worth investing in at full price for true Lego die-hards.

As a LEGO fan, I appreciate LEGO Builder’s Journey for trying something different. You don’t need to be a fan of LEGO to enjoy it though; it’s a rewarding puzzler in its own right, with just a few frustrations marring its admittedly short running time. Its challenging puzzles and fiddly controls make it something more suited to older players, but those of all ages will find delight in its colourful and downright charming visuals. If nothing else, it makes me keen to see what Light Brick Studio develops in the future. Like being presented with a bag of actual LEGO bricks, there are many opportunities to be explored by a bunch of open-minded creatives.

Throughout LEGO Builder's Journey, we found that the aim of the game was to make you feel like a kid — whether or not you are one. Getting back in touch with the pre-manual-following version of yourself is a delight, and having the story be about a parent and a child connecting through child's play is as touching as it is smart. Despite occasional misfires and what can feel like padding, this is a LEGO game which plays with the fundamental philosophy of creativity far more than the average LEGO-branded title, and we hope this is an indication of new games to come.

Lego Builder's Journey presents a challenging and attractive puzzler that you'll keep coming back to although you won't be at it long as it'll be over well before you'd hope it would be. Plus, it lacks replay value and hints to help with the more unintuitive puzzles.