We’ve still got a lot of love for the old school blocks, but LEGO games are a phenomenon in their own right. Check out the 10 best of all time.
LEGO is a cultural wonder, no matter which way you look at it. Perfectly designed to enhance creativity at all levels, the world has been entranced by LEGO for decades. LEGO games are a relatively recent development in the company’s history, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t made a seismic impact of their own.
Since emerging a couple of decades ago, LEGO games have been putting their own unique twist on parallel pop culture hits, as well as expanding the universe of its original characters. As such, they’ve captivated gamers of all ages and persuasions. Let’s dive into 10 of the very best LEGO video games of all time.
LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (2008)
By the time this title hit the shelves in 2008, the original Indiana Jones movie franchise was almost three decades old. And though there was a new Indy movie in cinemas at the time, the LEGO version of the OG series breathed new life into this famous tale. The one-liners, the action, the characters and sets of these classic films are just made for the LEGO treatment. And gamers loved it.
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, PC/Mac.
LEGO City Undercover (2013)
Though LEGO’s bread and butter is bringing existing franchises into the LEGO fold, they’re no slouches when cooking up original concepts for their games. A case in point is the excellent LEGO City Undercover. Incorporating open-world features, the adventures of undercover cop Chase McCain had players hooked from the beginning.
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, PC.
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (2014)
No other superhero has endeared themselves more to the LEGO audience than Batman. He’s a mainstay of the LEGO movies, and LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is a spectacular roll-call of the DC roster and beyond (more than 200 characters in fact). With LEGO’s always-meta take on humour, even Adam West gets a cameo in this game.
Platforms: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, PC/Mac, Nintendo 3DS, PS Vita, Android, iOS.
The LEGO Movie Videogame (2014)
Speaking of meta, the LEGO Movie even spawned its own game: aptly titled The LEGO Movie Videogame! Far from a cynical ploy to capitalise on the success of the film (ok, maybe just a little bit), it actually expands on the best moments of the movie, making the two stand alone as complimentary experiences. It even makes the most of that cursed earworm, Everything is Awesome.
Platforms: PC/Mac, Nintendo 3DS, Android.
LEGO Jurrasic World (2015)
LEGO even got prehistoric in their video game offerings, gorgeously recreating the Jurassic World movie and the original series of Jurassic Park films as enthralling game experiences. It’s brilliant to see the extra dimension of artistic imagination in this game — LEGO versions of the T-rex and Velociraptor scare you just as much as the movies did.
Platforms: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, PC/Mac, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Wii U, PS Vita, Android, iOS.
LEGO Lord of the Rings (2012)
One of the marvels of the LEGO games is how they can produce such individuality across a dizzying array of characters, all while maintaining its brand identity — namely, that everyone is made from the same plastic blocks. LEGO Lord of the Rings brings J.R.R. Tolkien’s world to vivid life and with it, sophisticated gameplay and open-world roaming.
Platforms: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, PC/Mac, Nintendo 3DS and DS, Nintendo Wii U, PS Vita, Android, iOS.
LEGO The Incredibles (2018)
In LEGO The Incredibles you can get the whole family involved. It’s definitely one of the more underrated games in the LEGO pantheon, as it also brings in a host of characters from other Pixar movies, including Woody from Toy Story, Merida from Brave and Lightning McQueen from Cars. And just like the movie, it’s a thrill a minute.
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC/Mac.
LEGO Harry Potter Collection (2016)
Taking on the Harry Potter world and transforming it into a playable video game is no easy task, but LEGO proved itself to be uniquely suited to the challenge. With a blend of trademark humour and cleverly adapted gameplay, the LEGO Harry Potter Collection hit where so many others had previously missed.
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch.
LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game (2005)
We have to go back a long way for this one, but this was the title the truly announced LEGO as a big player in the gaming scene. A massive hit on the PS2 — itself a massive console — the stars truly aligned for this game. With 59 playable characters, it was a harbinger of LEGO’s extensive game design capabilities. A classic among classics.
Platforms: Xbox, PS2, PC.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (2013)
The joining together of LEGO and Marvel: was it ever in doubt? The largest movie franchise of the last decade just had to be brought into the LEGO fold, and thankfully, it was a damn fine game to boot. The incomparable cast of memorable characters is there for you to play, plus, its expansive open-world is the biggest ever rendered in a LEGO game.
Platforms: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, PC/Mac, Nintendo 3DS and DS, Nintendo Wii U, PS Vita, Android, iOS.
