LEGO Fun to Build – 1995 (Sega Pico)
The very first LEGO game ever released on the Sega Pico, an educational game console for kids. Like many of the games on the system, it used the “Magic Pen” to have players draw on the screen and build various projects.
Lego Island – 1997 (PC)
LEGO Island was a huge step up for the series in video games, presenting players with a massive island to explore. You play as Pepper Roni, a pizza delivery boy who inadvertently has to help capture an escaped criminal known as the Brickster. The game is nonlinear and is played from a first-person perspective.
Lego Loco – 1998 (PC)
This title is a city-building game similar to something like Sim City, except it has a heavy focus on railway systems. Eventually you’ll have minifigures move in and live their daily lives in your city.
Lego Chess – 1998 (PC)
This title is exactly what it sounds like, a virtual chess game but with minifigures and bricks. The story mode lets you choose between a Pirate or Western theme, and each of the characters are animated in their actions.
Lego Creator – 1998 (PC)
The first in a long line of games, Creator was an open-ended sandbox game that let you create virtual LEGO areas with little restrictions. There was no kind of story mode or money system, so you were free to build to your heart’s content.
Legoland – 1999 (PC)
This simulation title is very similar to tycoon games, but instead has you building and keeping up your very own Legoland. Gameplay wise it was a bit more kid friendly thane most tycoon games, but still had a tone of options for rides, attractions, and sets.
Lego Friends – 1999 (PC)
Friends was a fairly simple point and click game that had you playing as a group of friends trying to become pop stars. Of course, the main goal here is to make music.
LEGO Racers – 1999 (PC, PS1, N64 Game Boy Color)
Racers was the brand’s take on the Kart Racer, and it worked pretty darn well. There were a number of characters and tracks from quite a few different themes, and crazy power-ups kept things interesting. It even featured a character creator for you to craft your very own racer.
Lego Rock Raiders – 1999 (PC, PS1)
Rock Raiders was an RTS title that has players building up a base across various missions, which usually have a goal of collecting Energy Crystals or LEGO Ore. There were other missions, however, that forced you to journey out into the underground and rescue lost Rock Raiders.
Lego My Style: Preschool – 2000 (PC)
My Style: Preschool is one of LEGO’s edutainment titles, geared for much younger audience in this case, of course. It features a number of learning and memory games for children.
Lego My Style: Kindergarten – 2000 (PC)
My Style: Kindergarten uses the same kind of style and gameplay that the previous game did, but this time it’s geared for a little older demographic.
Lego Alpha Team – 2000 (PC, GB Color)
Alpha Team was LEGO’s secret agent playset, and the game has you taking control of the leader of the squad, Agent Dash. You have to guide Dash through a series of harrowing puzzle levels, ensuring his safety while he tries to rescue the rest of his squad.
Lego Stunt Rally – 2000 (PC, GB Color)
Stunt Rally was the series’Â second racing title, except this time you saw things from a top-down isometric style. Steering happens automatically, although you are able to change your car’s speed, change lanes, and affect how it takes corners.
Lego Creator: Knights’ Kingdom – 2000 (PC)
The second entry in the Creator series opted for a theme, letting players construct their own Knights’ Kingdom sets. This time around, however, you use the kingdom you build to battle it out against the evil Cedric the Bull.
Lego Island 2: The Brickster’s Revenge – 2001 (PC, PS1, GB Advance, GB Color)
LEGO Island 2 switched things up by taking the view to third person. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as polished as the first, although it did have plenty of activities like delivering pizza, skateboarding, scuba diving, and jousting.
Lego Racers 2 – 2001 (PC, PS2, GB Advance)
Racers 2 gave the player a bit more freedom, letting them explore and talk to other characters in the world. It also featured the same character creator as the first game, adding in more bricks overall but fewer individual characters.
Lego Bionicle – 2001 (GB Advance)
The very first game based on the popular Bionicle series of toys, this title was a top down action-adventure game. It chronicles the journey of Takua as he seeks out the missing Toa Turaga and the Toa Stones.
Lego Creator: Harry Potter – 2001 (PC)
The very first LEGO game based on a licensed property, Creator: Harry Potter let you play around in a virtual version of Hogwarts. You could even take control of characters, ride on broomsticks, and drive the Hogwarts Express.
Soccer Mania – 2002 (PC, PS2, GB Advance)
Soccer Mania let you choose your team from various different LEGO sets, and face off against other teams in a top-down match. There’s also powerups that spawn on the field randomly.
Island Xtreme Stunts – 2002 (PC, PS2, GB Advance)
Island Xtreme Stunts is actually the third game in the LEGO Island series, this time casting Pepper Roni as the stuntman in a brand new action movie. You once again have access to the entire island and can explore at your leisure. The mischievous Brickster even returns with big plans to screw up Pepper’s opportunity.
Drome Racers – 2002 (PC, PS2, GameCube, Xbox, GB Advance)
Drome Racers is yet another LEGO racing game, this time using the Construction sets as a basis. It has you play as Max Axel, a racer determined to prove he’s the best and win the coveted Drome Championship.
Bionicle: Matoran Adventures – 2002 (GB Advance)
The second Bionicle game was quite different from the first, as this time around it was a 2D platformer. The game was set during the Bohrok Wars, and let you play as all six of the main Matoran.
Lego Creator: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – 2002 (PC)
The second Harry Potter Creator expanded on the first game even more, adding on extra locations, items, and options. It also made it so that only a certain character could reach certain areas of the game.
Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension – 2002 (PC, PS2, GB Advance)
Galidor was a sci-fi Canadian/American TV series that started running in 2002, and received an official line of LEGO toys. It focuses on Nick Bluetooth, a 15 year old boy that has the power to turn his limbs into those of other species as well as mechanized devices. Galidor the game was a third-person action adventure title.
Bionicle: The Game – 2003 (PC, PS2, GameCube, Xbox, GB Advance)
The first Bionicle game on consoles released along side the animated film Bionicle: The Mask of Light. It featured most of the plotlines found in the movie, with the addition of a few more across its eight levels. The third-person action title had you taking control of a few different Toa as you battled your way through enemies. Unfortunately, the title wasn’t received all that well.
Lego Knights’ Kingdom – 2004 (GB Advance)
Knights’ Kingdom was a top-down action adventure game, based on the toy line of the same name. You controlled one of four knights making your way across nine levels, beating Shadow Knights and solving puzzles along the way. There was also a tournament arena mode where players could compete against each other in three games: hand-to-hand combat, jousting, and sword lightning combat.
Bionicle: Maze of Shadows – 2005 (GB Advance)
The next Bionicle game returned to form a little bit with a top down perspective, and was actually based on the book “Bionicle: Maze of Shadows.” Because of this, the title is actually accepted as semi-cannon for the series. It featured a mix of exploration, puzzle solving , and turn-based battles.
Lego Star Wars: The Video Game – 2005 (PC, GameCube, PS2, Xbox, GB Advance)
LEGO Star Wars was the title that changed everything for the series, and really defined the style that their licensed games would take from here on out. The game has you playing through the events of Star Wars Episode I-III in a simple hack-and-slash style. There’s a huge cast of characters to pick from, and LEGO Star Wars really told a hilarious slapstick version of the films.
Bionicle Heroes – 2006 (PC, PS2, GameCube, Xbox, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, GB Advance)
Bionicle Heroes was another new direction for the series, featuring an emphasis on third-person shooting this time around. It mostly featured heroes from the new Bionicle toy line in 2006, but also dropped in some characters and villains from across the series. Reception was mixed for the game, but it was mostly overshadowed by bigger releases in the series like the LEGO Star Wars games.
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy – 2006 (PC, GameCube, PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, GB Advance, DS, PSP)
LEGO Star Wars II continued the trend the first game set up, this time focusing on the original trilogy of films. It added on a ton of new characters and options, centering things around the hub world of the Mos Eisley Spaceport. The game was even more well regarded than its predecessor, and is especially well known for its adorable charm and sense of humor.
Lego Star Wars II Mobile – 2006 (Mobile)
While LEGO Star Wars II impressed and entertained players, the mobile version of the game didn’t hit quite so well. Unfortunately the technology of the time held it back in many ways — limited gameplay options, limited character selection, and it only included Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. It was a fun little distraction for a while, but couldn’t hold a candle to its console counterpart.
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga – 2007 (PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, DS, Mobile)
In 2008, LEGO bundled up their Star Wars games and released them in one single pack on modern systems. They were largely the same experiences, although there were a few tweaks or additions here and there. Still, it was an great pack with two pretty stellar games.
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures – 2008 (PC, PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, DS, PSP)
The second licensed series to receive the LEGO treatment, Indiana Jones followed the titular character through the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and The Last Crusade. Obviously the stories of the films were made much more comical to appeal to families, and a few new mechanics–like using Indie’s whip to swing–were introduced.
Lego Batman: The Videogame – 2008 (PC, PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, DS, PSP)
Batman is yet another licensed property that would turn into a successful series for LEGO, after all a feature film hits theaters soon. The difference here, however, is that Batman features a completely original story. It sees all of Batman’s most dangerous villains escape from Arkham Asylum, with the Caped Crusader and Robin having to take them all down again.
Lego Rock Band – 2009 (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, DS)
This is one licensed game that no one saw coming, but worked fairly well in execution. LEGO Rock Band incorporated elements of both series, as it held the core gameplay of Rock Band but allowed you to construct your band members, stage, and more out of bricks. The title featured 45 songs in total that had a family focus, and could even be exported to other Rock Band games.
Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues – 2009 (PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, DS, PSP)
Indiana Jones 2 is technically a sequel, although all four Indiana Jones movies are playable. The first three movies also contain brand new areas and puzzles, and aren’t just rehashes of the previous game. It did receive fairly mixed reviews, however, with the lack of an online mode being a particularly confusing decision.
Lego Battles – 2009 (DS)
Battles was an interesting little RTS game on the Nintendo DS. There’s a lengthy campaign featured in the game, and quite a few different playable armies like Knights, Astronauts, and Aliens. You use the DS touch screen to select units, move them, and construct buildings and units.
Lego Universe – 2010 (PC)
In 2010, LEGO decided to tackle the MMO genre with LEGO Universe, which unfortunately ended its service in 2012. You created your very own minifigure and traveled to various different themed worlds, each with different enemies and challenges. The goal of your journey was to protect the universe from and evil power known as the Maelstrom and its minions.
Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 – 2010 (PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, DS, PSP, Mobile)
LEGO once again returned to the Harry Potter franchise, this time following the story of the first four films in the same style as Star Wars or Indiana Jones. Magic played a big part in the game with controlling bricks, and once again it told a funny tongue-in-cheek version of the well known story. This game and the next would receive a re-release on Xbox One and PS4 in 2016.
Lego Battles: Ninjago – 2011 (DS)
This Ninjago title featured the same type of gameplay as the last LEGO Battles game, although it was on a bit of a smaller scale. You controlled five builders and seven heroes, with the ability to construct up to five buildings as well. The RTS gameplay was still enjoyable, but could have been a bit too laid back for experienced players.
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars – 2011 (PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, DS, 3DS, PSP)
LEGO Star Wars III featured characters and missions from the popular Clone Wars series, and it really amped things up for the series. Some sequences saw you taking part in absolutely massive battles, with nearly 100 characters on screen at once. It was also one of the fist titles to feature a co-op system where the screen adapted to player’s proximity to each other.
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game – 2011 (PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, DS, 3DS, PSP)
LEGO added another huge series to their repertoire when they adapted the swachbuckling Pirates of the Caribbean series. Suprisingly, it was also the first LEGO title based off of a Disney movie. It didn’t do much to change up the series’ gameplay formula, but managed to stay just as hilarious as the rest.
Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 – 2011 (PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, DS, 3DS, PSP, Vita)
Traveler’s Tales continued the story of Harry Potter with years 5-7, which ended up having nearly as much content as the previous game. Once again, the title didn’t do much to differentiate itself with gameplay, but luckily it was packed with content and options.
Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes – 2012 (PC, PS3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, DS, 3DS, Vita)
LEGO Batman 2 didn’t just tell a new Batman story, but featured a ton of characters from the Justice League as well. It once again featured an entirely original story that worked in a wide array of heroes and villains. Batman 2 also set two huge milestones for the video game franchise, as it was the first to featured voice acting and an explorable open world design.
Lego Lord of the Rings – 2012 (PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, DS, 3DS, Vita)
Just to finish off their list of the biggest series around, LEGO adapted the three Lord of the Rings films into a gaming experience. Each character in the title has specific skills that can be used to uncover new areas or solve puzzles, and the game is a little more combat heavy than others. Although it still contains the serious story of Lord of the Rings, Traveler’s Tales still found some smart ways to work in their trademark humor.
Lego Marvel Super Heroes – 2013 (PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
Balancing out the DC super heroes, the franchise brought in the Marvel side of things with a game featuring tons of heroes from across the franchise. It features an original story centered around Doctor Doom destroying Silver Surfer’s board and shattering it into Cosmic Bricks. One of the new features of the game were the addition of giant minifigures, like the Hulk.
Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril – 2013 (DS, 3DS, Vita, Mobile)
Universe in Peril is essentially the same game as LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, it’s just the handheld version of the game. Graphical power and the scale of the game are toned down just a tad.
Lego City Undercover – 2013 (Wii U)
LEGO City Undercover is a completely original property, and a comedic sandbox-style action game. You play as Chase McCain, an undercover cop who takes down various criminals across LEGO City. The game features the same kind of gameplay as past games, while adding in new elements like disguises and drivable vehicles. It’s a suprisingly fun game that’s incredibly self aware, and does its best to satirize action movies and cop stories.
Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins – 2013 (3DS)
The Chase Begins functions as a prequel to LEGO City Undercover, taking place when Chase McCain was a rookie cop. It has mostly the same gameplay although was marred by some technical issues like long load times, muddy graphics, and frame rate problems.
Lego Friends – 2013 (DS, 3DS, Mobile)
Unlike the first LEGO Friends on PC, this handheld iteration was more in line with the recent action-adventure titles of the series. You visit your cousin Olivia in Heartlake City, and end up helping the residents out with various tasks. Platforming is gone, but replaced with more puzzle and minigame elements.
Lego Legends of Chima Online – 2013 (PC, iOS)
For their second MMO outing, LEGO went with their Legend of Chima setting. Players were able to build and customize their kingdom within the world of Chima, interact with other players, explore the open world, find secret areas and more. It was specifically geared toward younger audiences, but unfortunately shut down in 2015 due to a lack of revenue.
Lego Legends of Chima: Laval’s Journey – 2013 (DS, 3DS, Vita)
Sticking with the same design of their licensed games, the series adapted that into their Legends of Chima line. There are 15 levels in the game with over 60 playable characters, who each have their own unique skillset. Every tribe featured in the Chima line was playable.
Lego Legend of Chima: Speedorz – 2013 (Mobile)
This little racing title was released through LEGO’s website and on mobile device. It was a kart racer centered on collecting brick studs and battling other animals.
Lego Minifigures Online – 2014 (PC, Mobile)
LEGO Minifigures took inspiration from not only other titles in the series, but also isometric RPGs like Diablo. You chose a party of four minifigures, which you could build from many different themes, and controlled them in battles from a top-down perspective. There a ton of different worlds and themes featured in the game, but unfortunately online services were shut down in 2016.
Lego Ninjago: Nindroids – 2014 (3DS, Vita)
Nindroids is actually a sequel to Battles: Ninjago, and takes place during the third season of the television series. You control a Spinjutsu master tasked with protecting the Ninjago City from the Overlord’s Nindroid army. It featured new characters from the series, and 30 levels that were a combination of puzzle solving and battling.
The Lego Movie Videogame – 2014 (PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, 3DS, Vita, Mobile)
The very first big-budget LEGO film received a tie-in game, and it follows the plot of the movie pretty exactly. For the very first time the environments featured in the game are completely made out of bricks, instead of being pre-rendered backgrounds. There were tones of characters to unlock separated out into two character types based on the movie, Regular Builders and Master Builders.
Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham – 2014 (PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, 3DS, Vita, Mobile)
The third entry in the Batman series really did take players beyond Gotham to new locations in the DC universe, including the Moon. Gameplay remained largely the same from the rest of the series, although the game was met with mixed reception due to conflicting gameplay system, terrible AI, and technical issues.
Lego The Hobbit – 2014 (PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, 3DS, Vita)
The follow-up to LEGO Lord of the Rings followed The Hobbit films, using the same style as other licensed games. The Dwarf company each had different skills, and you’d have to use each of their skills to advance through the game. Unlike Lord of the Rings, however, the game took place on a large open-world map. Because it was released before the film, a DLC pack was released containing levels for The Battle of the Five Armies.
Lego Star Wars: Microfighters – 2014 (Mobile)
This top-down shooter was basically a bullet hell game that used the LEGO Star Wars aesthetic. The difficulty, of course, wasn’t quite what a normal bullet hell game would be, since it’s made for younger audiences.
Lego Legends of Chima: Tribe Fighters – 2015 (Mobile)
Much like Microfighters, Chima: Tribe Fighters was top-down shooter that used the Chima set for its aesthetic. There were 12 characters and 4 environments featured int the mobile game.
Lego Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin – 2015 (3DS, Vita, Mobile)
This handheld game used the same third-person style most of the series had, putting you in control of each of the Ninjago ninjas. You could use each Ninja’s elemental power to solve puzzles, and certain sections required you to ride in vehicles. You could even ride a dragon to access more sections of the world.
Lego Jurassic World – 2015 (PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, 3DS, Vita, Mobile)
Jurassic World didn’t feature levels from just the new film, but also the other three Jurassic Park movies. Gameplay was fairly standard for a LEGO game, although there were over 100 characters to unlock. This included playable Dinosaurs, and you could even head to the Jurassic Park Visitor’s Center to make your own minifigures and hybrid Dinosaurs.
Lego Dimensions – 2015 (PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
LEGO Dimensions could be the most ambitious title released in the series. The toys-to-life game brought together worlds from various different properties like Lord of the Rings, The Simpsons, Ghostbusters, and more. It told an original story that had you hopping through all the different worlds, and of course buying new sets in real life would unlock additional characters and levels. There are still packs being released for Dimensions.
Lego Marvel’s Avengers – 2016 (PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, 3DS, Vita)
Avengers is the spiritual successor to the previous Marvel game, although this time it follows the story of many of the Marvel movies. New York City is the central hub for the game, although you do travel to various other locations like Asgard, Malibu, South Africa, the Hellicarrier, and more. The game also featured an absolutely massive list of over 200 characters, making it the largest roster in any LEGO game.
Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens – 2016 (PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, 3DS, Vita, Mobile)
This adaption of the Force Awakens featured not only content from the film, but also original levels briding the gap between Return of the Jedi and the new movie. It also featured over 200 playable characters, and a few new gameplay systems. Players could engage in “Blasters Battles” with enemies now, and multi-builds let you deconstruct objects and vehicles into something new on the fly.
Lego Worlds – 2017 (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch)
LEGO Worlds is the latest title in the series, hitting consoles and PC in March. It drops players in a massive open world, where they can construct anything they want out of brick. The game is very similar to Minecraft with its open-ended design, and player creation focus.
