LEGO Party! review

I was a bit hesitant when LEGO Party! was announced earlier this year. Essentially a Mario Party clone, but with LEGO bricks, I expected something rather ho-hum. After all, LEGO games in recent years have been a bit hit and miss: while some have been great, like last month’s LEGO Voyagers, others have left me bitterly disappointed, like LEGO Brawls. I needn’t have worried, though: LEGO Party! is an absolute joy to play, and — sorry, Mario — I might even prefer it to its influences.

I should have known not to worry, really. LEGO Party! has been developed by SMG Studio, the team behind the rather excellent Moving Out and its sequel. Filled with the fun-loving spirit that The LEGO Group is known for, SMG has done a fantastic job of capturing just why we all love those plastic little bricks so much. From start to finish, this game is a joy, not only to play but also to behold, thanks to wonderfully quirky animations, loveable presenters and absolutely gorgeous visuals.

If you have played Mario Party or another also-ran, you’ll have an idea of what to expect: as you make your way around a game board, you’ll engage in minigames, opportunities to gain studs and gold bricks, as well as chances to steal them from your opponents.

There are four game boards to choose from, with each one geared towards games of different lengths. The sea-themed game board is designed for shorter games, lasting 45-60 minutes. The Ninjago and space-themed boards are mid-sized, designed for games lasting around 60-75 minutes, and the largest board, with a theme park theme, can last around 90 minutes.

Whichever board you choose, though, you’ll find a beautifully designed level that looks like it’s been built entirely out of real LEGO bricks. Each board has its own quirks and events: for example, the sea-themed board has a giant Kraken that can throw you to a random square, while the space board has a giant alien that will eventually attack. Beyond that, there are LEGO models you can build that add more features to a board, and random squares that make an event happen.

Related: The Best Lego Games on Nintendo Switch

Just moving around a game board is fun enough, with gameplay that always keeps you on your toes: you never know when you’re going to get the opportunity to grab a golden brick, and equally, you never know when an opponent might steal one from you. But I think it’s the minigames that really make LEGO Party! stand out. In short, there’s an absolutely stellar collection here, some of which are making me wish LEGO would expand them into full games of their own.

There’s a huge range, and no two minigames in one playthrough of LEGO Party! will ever be the same. One round you might be skiing down a mountain, and another, you might be serving up burgers to aliens. There’s also a Trials-style minigame, where you’ll be dirtbiking over a series of hills and undulations, and another where you’ll be running around, trailing paint and trying to cover as much of the playing field with your given colour. Or how about a golfing game where you’re trying to dribble a giant ball into its hole, or a rhythm game where you have to move in the right direction in time with the beat?

There are more than 60 minigames altogether, and while I haven’t quite played them all yet, I’m yet to discover a dud. Some games last longer than others, and others are more challenging — but that’s all part of the fun. LEGO Party! is, of course, a multiplayer-focused game, but there is a mode that will let you enjoy some of the minigames by yourself. The dirtbike minigame, for example, can be played as a challenge, allowing you to set your best score. It’s just a shame there’s no global leaderboard to compete against.

Perhaps my main issue with LEGO Party! — which is an issue other games in this genre share — is that you’re forced to play with CPU characters. You can’t start a game with less than four players, so any empty spaces will be filled up by CPU. I can’t see any reason why you couldn’t enjoy a game with two or three players, so it’s a shame you have to put up with computer-controller opponents if you don’t have four players. It’s not the end of the world, of course, but merely an annoyance.

Still, it’s about the only issue I can levy at LEGO Party!, so it must be doing something right. A joyous celebration of LEGO and a game that really does give Mario Party a run for its money, it’s safe to say this is my new go-to party game when I have friends and family over. If you love LEGO, and if you love fun, competitive games you can play with your loved ones, you absolutely won’t regret picking this one up.

This review of LEGO Party! is based on the PS5 version of the game, with a code provided by the publisher. It’s available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC.