10 Greatest LEGO Video Games of All Time, Ranked
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The LEGO brand is largely known for its brick-built constructs, family-friendly movies, and incredible sets, but fans are also very aware of the company’s vast video game collection. Over the years, The LEGO Company has created some incredible partnerships, which have led to some of the greatest co-op titles of all time. The LEGO games are so beloved for their unique sense of humor, visual style, and debut gameplay mechanics, and TT Games, in particular, has become synonymous with the name. However, TT Games isn’t the only company to team up with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment or The LEGO Company to create a little bit of block madness. Because companies like 2K and Epic Games have also collaborated with the brand.
But when fans begin to discuss what the best LEGO game of all time actually is, there’s sure to be a lot of disagreements. This is a brand that’s so built on nostalgia, both for the video games themselves and for the stories they so often adapt and represent. Each player will have a specific memory of a LEGO game that they played while growing up, so a part of this assessment will have to be influenced by some of that widespread nostalgia. What’s more, some of the LEGO games in question achieved something that few others were able to, moving the series forward and allowing the franchise to further progress. Those titles also have to be recognized for their contributions and for the fact that they stand out among the crowd. So what’s the best LEGO game? Well, only time will tell, with a few more ready to be released in the coming years.
10 LEGO Worlds Opens the Sandbox
This Is a Great Brick-Building Experience
When players think about LEGO, they think about one thing: stacking bricks on top of one another to create incredible structures. Well, finally LEGO delivered on that vision with LEGO Worlds, a sandbox builder title that rivals the likes of Minecraft when it comes to providing the freedom to craft whatever a player may want. Produced by TT Games and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, LEGO Worlds is very different from the majority of the titles that came from that storied collaboration in that it leans into what LEGO is really like to build with, in the real world.
With new pieces to unlock, vehicles to use, a customizable character to design, a world to build, and even terrain to tailor to the player’s every whim, there really isn’t much more that LEGO Worlds could do. While it doesn’t tell a narrative in quite the same compelling way as many of its predecessors and successors, it does allow for world-sharing with a multiplayer option available. Nonetheless, the NPC quests are fun, and the creator content that has been released in the years since highlights the game’s most notable appeal.
Lego Worlds
Systems
- Released
- June 1, 2015
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Cartoon Violence, Game Experience May Change During Online Play
- Developer(s)
- Traveller’s Tales
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Bros. Interactive
9 LEGO 2K Drive Is a Recent Hit
The Title Takes the Brand Into the Racing Genre
2K Games isn’t particularly the first studio that players would associate with LEGO, but with developer Visual Concepts, the brand was given the opportunity to work within the LEGO franchise. The result was LEGO 2K Drive leaning heavily on the company’s sporting history and LEGO’s own vehicular products. In a world where Mario Kart, Disney Speedstorm, and Nickelodeon Kart Racers exist, it made complete sense to explore what a LEGO racing game might look like. And as expected, it’s absolutely hilarious.
Perhaps it isn’t totally comparable to some of its contemporaries, but it’s hard to ignore the impact that it has had on the wider LEGO franchise in showcasing how versatile the brand is within the gaming space. With positive reviews, a favorable audience opinion, and the kind of high-speed action that lends itself to constant replayability, LEGO 2K Drive has proven the naysayers wrong and delivered an entertaining spectacle. With an impressive open world to venture through, customizable cars, and a few surprises along the way, this is a game that seems to lean into the genre’s tropes and then keeps players guessing.
LEGO 2K Drive
Systems
- Released
- May 19, 2023
- ESRB
- E10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Visual Concepts
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
8 LEGO The Lord of the Rings Returns To Middle-earth
This Is One of LEGO’s Most Underrated Titles
It’s about time that a movie adaptation was brought into the mix, and LEGO The Lord of the Rings has to get a mention. While some adaptations like LEGO The Incredibles entirely miss the mark, and LEGO Jurassic World fails to make a major impact on players, LEGO Lord of the Rings is one of the rare occasions where players loved the title, and yet it’s still considered underrated. Perhaps that’s because LEGO The Hobbit split opinions a few years down the line, or maybe because the game wasn’t released during the current rebirth of Middle-earth, which the franchise is experiencing today.
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Either way, LEGO Lord of the Rings is a really safe entry into Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games’ slate, with quality action, a gripping story to follow, and plenty of visual gags to appease those long-time LEGO fans. While it doesn’t break into any new territory, it is still a satisfying retelling of this story and one that visually makes the most of the technology during the time period. Ultimately, this is one that meets expectations and exceeds them with a couple of outstanding level designs, but doesn’t reach the heights of some of its brethren.
LEGO Lord of the Rings
- Released
- October 30, 2012
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief
- Developer(s)
- Traveller’s Tales, TT Games
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Bros. Interactive
- Engine
- NTT Engine
7 LEGO DC Super-Villains Puts the Focus On the Bad Guys
A Refreshing Change of Pace For the DC Series
Ever since the very first LEGO Batman video game was released, fans have been clamoring for more. In each sequel, there has been a deeper exploration of the DC Comics universe, with heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman, or villains like Lex Luthor and Reverse-Flash being added to the proceedings. But what’s the Justice League without its roster of rogues? Well, TT Games and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment finally opened up the darker side of the DC Universe with LEGO DC Super-Villains, a title that capitalized on characters like Harley Quinn at exactly the right time.
With a great team of antagonists to face in the form of the Crime Syndicate, who impersonate the Earth’s most famous heroes, it’s ironically up to the villains of this reality to take down the impostors. It’s high on humor and features some fantastic twists, which go to show just how special this studio is when it’s able to tell an original story. The location variation really allows the player to explore the DC Universe in detail, and this is arguably one of the most niche rosters of characters ever included in a game. The fact that players get to experience the story with their own custom villain is also a genius move that grounds them in the center of the action.
LEGO DC Super-Villains
Systems
- Released
- October 16, 2018
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Cartoon Violence
- Developer(s)
- Traveller’s Tales
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
6 Lego Batman: The Videogame Is Where Things Really Kicked Off
This Set the Tone For What’s To Come
LEGO Batman: The Videogame wasn’t the first ever LEGO title that TT Games and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment had worked on. It wasn’t even the first-ever LEGO video game in history. But somehow, it still represents a turning point for the franchise. The very first LEGO Star Wars game showed the potential of the property and shocked audiences. The LEGO Indiana Jones adaptation leaned further into the humor and scale of this adaptation style. But LEGO Batman: The Videogame finally unleashed what the studio was capable of, with original storytelling elements that pulled from a wide range of inspiration.
TT Games would continue to go back and forth in the coming years, sometimes telling original narratives and other times working on direct adaptations. But if it weren’t for LEGO Batman: The Videogame’s sheer success and popularity, the studio would never have been able to take further risks as it did in later years. Is LEGO Batman: The Videogame a better title than the LEGO Star Wars Saga? Well, its character design, puzzle-solving mechanics, co-op opportunities, and incredible score definitely help elevate it. The two titans will be compared regardless of either’s appeal, but in this instance, the Caped Crusader takes the cake, for its genuinely gripping narrative and massive scale.
Lego Batman: The Videogame
Systems
- Released
- September 23, 2008
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Cartoon Violence
- Developer(s)
- Traveller’s Tales
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Feral Interactive
- Engine
- Nu2
5 LEGO Harry Potter Collection Is a Definitive Experience
Before Hogwarts Legacy, This Was the Best Way To Explore the Wizarding World
It seems absurd to say that fans never got a quality Harry Potter video game before LEGO came along, but in some ways, that’s true. Because most of the video games from the series at that stage had been adaptations of the movies, which limited what players were able to do, closed down the world, and focused on level design rather than mass exploration. There are some exceptions to that rule, but the LEGO Harry Potter collection opened up the Wizarding World to heights not seen until Hogwarts Legacy, allowing players to really inhabit Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and most importantly, Hogwarts.
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There’s a unique array of characters to take on here, with everyone from the golden trio to Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, ready to leap into action. The levels are some of the most well-thought-out in the saga, with the developers figuring out clever ways to honor the movies while giving players slightly more entertaining moments to interact with. LEGO Harry Potter’s magical mechanics were elegantly put together, and there are so many background moments to observe that bring this world to life. It’s fair to say that the game might have been one of the most immersive of the LEGO series to date, and the most complete representation of the entire run of movies.
LEGO Harry Potter Collection
- Released
- October 18, 2016
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
4 LEGO Universe Online Is a Forgotten, Flawed Masterpiece
LEGO Hasn’t Attempted Anything Like This Since
There will be a specific section of fans who hold really fond memories for LEGO Universe, which was unlike anything LEGO has ever created. The title was developed by NetDevil using the Gamebryo game engine, and served as an MMORPG that was aimed at younger players. This was the era of Club Penguin and ToonTown, with LEGO wading into the action with a title that exuded creativity. This was a game that had its flaws, didn’t always look polished, and experienced its fair share of bugs. But the concept alone has to be celebrated, and there’s a lot of nostalgia attached to the property.
LEGO Universe featured an original story, where players made their way into a LEGO world that celebrated that company’s past, present, and future with sets and Minifigures from across the decades. Players chose different factions to join, where they would complete trials and quests, contributing to their reputation. Players could compete with one another, meet a variety of interesting NPCs, customize their character, and fight against the chaotic dark energy, taking away all the creativity. It’s a shame that LEGO Universe couldn’t fully establish itself, because the title was a wild ride full of imagination and unique franchise potential.
3 LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 Is Better Than the Original
While the First Title Stood Out, the Sequel Excels In Other Areas
There’s going to be a little more controversy here, as many would suggest that TT Games and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s take on LEGO Marvel Superheroes was unmatched. It provided open-world access to the Marvel Universe, featured an impressive roster of characters, and a fun original narrative. While that sets the stage, this list is going to argue that LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2 is actually better. For starters, Kang the Conqueror is a perfect villain for the format, who brings together different regions from across the Marvel Universe, crashing them together from time and space.
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From Arthurian Legend to 2099, and the Western era, players get to explore these often-unseen locations and learn more about the heroes that lived there. The range of mini-puzzles, challenges, and side quests outside the main challenges also makes this one of the greatest games for post-campaign content in the history of the LEGO series. Plus, the wider-ranging mechanics associated with the roster of characters should also be complemented. With Ms. Marvel’s stretching abilities contrasted to Hulk’s brute strength, Spider-Man’s web-slinging, and Captain America’s shield-throwing, it’s impressive how all of this is brought together succinctly.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2
Systems
- Released
- November 14, 2017
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Cartoon Violence
- Developer(s)
- TT Games, Traveller’s Tales
- Publisher(s)
- TT Games
2 LEGO Dimensions Took Major Risks
This Did Everything It Could With the LEGO Brand
Another title that split opinion, in many ways, LEGO Dimensions from TT Games and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, represented the end goal for the company. Because this was a title that allowed various franchises to come together and crossover, in levels that represented a wider range of properties. From The Lord of the Rings and Scooby-Doo, to random properties like Doctor Who, Back To The Future, and The Wizard of Oz, this was a real celebration of modern entertainment and a chance to see what would happen when beloved characters interacted with one another.
The one thing holding LEGO Dimensions back was its accessibility, with the game hampered by real-world elements, requiring players to purchase a starter set and various Minifigures to bring those characters into the title. If the game worked with standard DLC, perhaps there would have been a long-term audience to find, but it always felt as if there were limitations placed on the game. Nonetheless, this is one of the most exciting titles that LEGO has ever produced, and an example of the franchise fulfilling its full potential when it comes to property usage. There will probably never be anything else like this.
Lego Dimensions
- Released
- September 27, 2015
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- TT Games, Traveller’s Tales
- Publisher(s)
- TT Games
1 LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Is the Pinnacle
Despite Criticism, No Other Title Gets Close To the Scale & Ambition
Some might say LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is simply too big, with an open world too vast. Others might say it doesn’t compare to the original Star Wars games that helped to kick off TT Games’ era of dominance. But LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga not only pays homage to what came before, but steps into new territory with a revolutionary set of mechanics, and an open world that players can simply get lost in for hours. This is immersion at its finest and the pinnacle of everything LEGO games are able to achieve.
It’s almost difficult to imagine how LEGO may follow up this release, considering the Star Wars franchise can lend itself to this format of game just so well. The side missions and post-campaign content are superb. The vehicular control is the best there’s ever been in the LEGO series. And the use of voice acting and clips from the movies themselves helped to secure LEGO’s modern approach to audio design and dialogue. The title also benefits from current-gen consoles, showing what LEGO is like with current technology. All in, it’s hard to surpass the massive impact the game had as soon as it was released.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Systems
- Released
- April 5, 2022
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief
- Developer(s)
- Traveller’s Tales
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Bros. Interactive
