LEGO Builder's Journey

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,265 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
LEGO Builder's Journey Game Cover
Wait, this was an option for how LEGO games could work?
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"LEGO Builder's Journey" is a poetic puzzle game set in a LEGO brick world, featuring realistic graphics and a stunning soundtrack. Players are guided through a narrative of play, connections, and adventure, solving puzzles that sometimes require following instructions and other times encourage creativity. The game encourages experimentation and self-discovery, as players navigate challenges and celebrations throughout the journey.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,265 reviews
story327 positive mentions
replayability30 negative mentions
  • Beautiful graphics and stunning visuals, especially with ray tracing enabled.
  • Charming and heartwarming story told without dialogue, effectively conveying emotions.
  • Relaxing gameplay with simple yet engaging puzzles that encourage creativity.
  • Very short game, typically completed in under 2-3 hours, leading to concerns about value for money.
  • Controls can be frustrating and unintuitive, particularly with mouse and keyboard input.
  • Limited replayability and a lack of additional content or features after completing the story mode.
  • story750 mentions

    The story of "Lego Builder's Journey" is a heartfelt and minimalist narrative centered around a father-son relationship, conveyed entirely through visual storytelling without dialogue. While the game can be completed in approximately 1.5 to 3 hours, many players find its emotional depth and charming aesthetics to be surprisingly impactful, despite some criticism regarding its brevity and repetitive gameplay. Overall, it offers a unique experience that resonates with themes of creativity, imagination, and the importance of family, making it a delightful, albeit short, journey.

    • “The story is simple, yet it's still deep enough for you to grasp the message.”
    • “It manages to tell an interesting story without a single word mentioned.”
    • “The story, despite not having dialogues, feels pretty good.”
    • “The story is a bit lackluster, and the gameplay even more so.”
    • “The story tries to be deep and meaningful but falls flat as most levels are as tedious as the game's deliberate 'tedious as a form of story' levels.”
    • “The story mode is somewhat short for the price (around 2-ish hours), but the creative mode gives the game another hour of enjoyment and adds an element of replayability.”
  • graphics537 mentions

    The graphics of "Lego Builder's Journey" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visual fidelity, particularly when utilizing ray tracing, which enhances the realism of the Lego pieces and environments. However, many players noted that the game is graphically demanding, often requiring powerful hardware to run smoothly, leading to performance issues even on high-end systems. While the visuals are a highlight, some reviewers felt that the gameplay did not match the quality of the graphics, making the overall experience feel somewhat lacking despite the beautiful presentation.

    • “The graphics are immaculate, especially with RTX enabled, seeing the light reflect across the scratches and imperfections of the bricks like they would in the real world was nothing short of beautiful.”
    • “The visuals are stunning and stylized, and the music was charming and enjoyable.”
    • “The graphics are stunning, and the gameplay is literally for anyone to just pick up and play.”
    • “I expect a bright and cheerful aesthetic from LEGO, and what I got was a blurry, murky soup of visuals despite being on high quality.”
    • “Graphics are poorly optimized -- it chugs even on low settings, and my rig is decent.”
    • “The ray tracing implementation in this game comes with significant performance problems that defeat the purpose of playing it with graphics in mind.”
  • gameplay334 mentions

    The gameplay of "LEGO Builder's Journey" is characterized by its simple, intuitive mechanics that revolve around solving puzzles by placing LEGO bricks to guide characters through levels. While many players appreciate the relaxing atmosphere and engaging visuals, criticisms arise regarding the game's short length (approximately 2 hours) and repetitive nature, with some finding the controls clunky and the puzzles lacking depth. Overall, it offers a charming experience but may not justify its price for those seeking more substantial gameplay.

    • “The puzzles are very entertaining and the different mechanics work great.”
    • “The mechanics are intuitive and provide a satisfying challenge without becoming frustrating.”
    • “The gameplay is surprisingly diverse.”
    • “This was resolutely boring and completely failed to hook me with its rather clunky control scheme and very samey gameplay.”
    • “The story is a bit lackluster, and the gameplay even more so.”
    • “It's just a graphics demo, there's barely anything to do, the gameplay is as simple as it gets.”
  • music216 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and calming qualities, enhancing the overall atmosphere and experience. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, describing it as beautiful, relaxing, and well-suited to the game's visuals and narrative. However, some users express frustration over the lack of volume control options, which detracts from the otherwise enjoyable auditory experience.

    • “Beautiful story, amazing visuals, soothing music...it’s a perfect game.”
    • “The music is calming and you really just feel at peace when going through the game; sound design is amazing, as well as the visuals.”
    • “The music, story, and visuals came together to create something truly special.”
    • “You cannot even add a slider for music and sound???”
    • “The options menu is so minimalist, that I'm not sure why they even bothered having one, the music is literally blasting for me, and my only solution was to have it on, or off.”
    • “Tedious endless repeating basic music which is too loud and not adjustable.”
  • emotional162 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its heartwarming and touching narrative, which effectively conveys deep feelings without the use of dialogue. Players report experiencing genuine emotional connections to the characters, particularly in the portrayal of a father-son relationship, often leading to tears and nostalgia. The combination of beautiful visuals, relaxing gameplay, and a simple yet impactful story creates a memorable and wholesome experience that resonates with many players.

    • “The story has so much more emotional impact than you would initially assume.”
    • “The emotional beats are well-executed, evoking genuine feelings of connection and empathy.”
    • “This game tells a very simple and wholesome story that I enjoyed until the end.”
  • atmosphere87 mentions

    The atmosphere of "Lego Builder's Journey" is widely praised for its calming and immersive qualities, enhanced by exceptional graphics, lighting, and a soothing soundtrack. Players appreciate the game's ability to create a cozy, inviting environment that complements its puzzle-solving mechanics, making it a delightful experience for fans of atmospheric games. While some reviewers note the game's brevity and simplicity, the overall ambiance and aesthetic appeal are consistently highlighted as standout features.

    • “The game offers cute 3D visuals, atmospheric sound design, and satisfying puzzles alongside nostalgic LEGO styling and play.”
    • “Each level features a different, atmospherically well-realized setting.”
    • “The beautiful graphics, relaxing atmosphere, creative puzzle solving, and a heartwarming story to tie everything together make this game truly magical.”
    • “However, if you know what you're in for, something more like a movie than a game, with no voice acting, text, minimal mechanics and narrative and an abundance of relaxing atmosphere, then I don't think you'll be surprised.”
    • “The atmosphere is a bit too dark for kids, the puzzles are a bit too light for adults.”
    • “Funny little puzzle game, very wholesome atmosphere but extremely short.”
  • replayability76 mentions

    The game is criticized for its extremely short playtime, averaging around 2 hours, and a lack of replayability, with many reviewers noting that once the puzzles are solved, there is little incentive to revisit the game. While some mention a creative mode that could potentially add replay value, it is generally seen as limited and not enough to enhance the overall experience. Overall, players recommend waiting for a sale due to the high price relative to the minimal content and replay options.

    • “While the story is very short, it has some replayability in that some levels have multiple ways to solve, per the nature of the bricks.”
    • “Creative mode adds some replayability, although it doesn't let you select the pieces you want to work with.”
    • “Despite the short playtime that I got out of the game, I think that the amount of replayability here is very high, and after getting the game yesterday, I already find myself starting another playthrough.”
    • “It's laughably short and without any replay value.”
    • “The replayability is non-existent since it's a single player puzzle game.”
    • “This game is only 2 hours long and doesn't really have any replayability, so please wait for a price you are comfortable with.”
  • optimization64 mentions

    The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players reporting significant performance issues even on high-end systems. Frame rates often drop below acceptable levels, particularly in graphically intensive areas, and the implementation of ray tracing exacerbates these problems. While the visuals are praised, the overall experience is marred by stuttering, lag, and inconsistent performance, leading many to recommend waiting for patches or improvements before playing.

    • “The game runs smoothly with no noticeable lag or frame rate drops.”
    • “It's worth noting that the game is designed with versatility in mind, as it accommodates lower-end systems while also recommending RTX cards for optimal performance.”
    • “The performance definitely took a massive hit with ultra settings, but luckily the game supports DLSS.”
    • “Graphics are poorly optimized -- it chugs even on low settings, and my rig is decent.”
    • “The ray tracing implementation in this game comes with significant performance problems that defeat the purpose of playing it with graphics in mind.”
    • “It's just a shame that the RTX support is half-baked optimization-wise and hangs regularly even on a NVIDIA 3080 Ti.”
  • grinding31 mentions

    The reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is overwhelmingly tedious and repetitive, with many players finding the puzzles frustrating and lacking in challenge. While the visuals and storytelling are appreciated, the gameplay suffers from slow character movement and poorly designed mechanics that detract from the overall experience. Many users suggest that the game is only worth playing at a significant discount due to its grindy nature and lack of engaging content.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Grindy (60 - 100 hours).”
    • “It makes what should be a relaxing, calm experience into something far more tedious and sluggish.”
    • “The length of this game is one of the reasons that you've probably seen negative reviews, and alone this wouldn't be an issue if the gameplay were more than a tedious click and drag mechanic with a wonky camera.”
    • “But the levels are tedious and repetitive, and snapping bricks together using a mouse is nowhere near as snappy as it could be to the point that it can get frustrating.”
  • stability18 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting significant bugs, frequent freezes, and crashes, particularly when using the DX12 version. Others experienced minor glitches that did not severely impact gameplay, but long loading times and performance issues, such as high CPU usage and overheating graphics cards, were common concerns. Overall, while some players found the game relatively bug-free, many highlighted persistent stability issues that detracted from the experience.

    • “The game runs smoothly without any bugs.”
    • “I haven't encountered any stability issues during my gameplay.”
    • “The performance is consistently reliable, making for a seamless experience.”
    • “I can honestly not recommend the game because of the buggy nature.”
    • “Just a black screen with the game logo on it, and when you click, it silently opens a buggy-looking menu where all the options are crammed so tightly together it looks like the interface is broken.”
    • “There are consistent, reproducible, and intrusive seconds-long hangs/freezes throughout the entire game.”
  • humor11 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as quirky and imaginative, with some players finding it funny and wholesome, while others feel it lacks the traditional LEGO comedic charm. The game is noted for its weirdness, which can be amusing, but some reviewers found it underwhelming and not as engaging as previous LEGO titles. Overall, the humor is hit-or-miss, appealing to those who appreciate its unique style but disappointing for fans expecting classic LEGO humor.

    • “Funny and imaginative story.”
    • “Funny little puzzle game, very wholesome atmosphere but extremely short.”
    • “Funny concept.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is highly praised for its exceptional execution, with users noting that the character designs and narrative progression surpass expectations, enhancing the overall experience.

    • “The way the character development is set up exceeds expectations.”
    • “My favorite childhood toy has been rendered in incredibly faithful 3D, and the puzzles and character designs are to be cherished.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization of the game has been criticized as a cash grab by LEGO, suggesting that it prioritizes profit over player experience, particularly given the company's existing financial resources.

    • “Calling this a LEGO game is a cash grab by LEGO.”
    • “If nothing comes from this, it could be a major cash grab from companies that already have plenty of capital.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

77% average critic score

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Play time

3hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
2-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 63 analyzed playthroughs

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