Lego Worlds

Lore & Background

Lego Worlds was created as part of an initiative within The Lego Group to produce a sandbox game after the shutdown of Lego Universe and a failed collaboration with Minecraft, both in 2012. The game, codenamed 'sandbox,' was prototyped in secret and shown to executives alongside pitches from Microsoft and TT Games. It was designed with YouTube playthroughs in mind, and its pitch included a mock-up video styled as a traditional let's play. The game was teased in the back of a Lego set's construction manual before its formal announcement on 1 June 2015.

Reader's Guide

Lego Worlds represents a significant attempt by The Lego Group to enter the sandbox genre after the closure of Lego Universe and a failed Minecraft partnership. Its early access release on Steam allowed community feedback to shape continual improvements and additional content. The game received generally mixed reviews according to Metacritic, with scores ranging from 59/100 (Nintendo Switch) to 71/100 (PC). It was nominated for 'Family Game' at the 14th British Academy Games Awards. Three paid downloadable content packs were released—Classic Space Pack, Monsters Pack, and Agents Pack (PlayStation 4 exclusive)—along with two free Showcase Collection Packs. Two expansions, Survivor and Wildlife Park Pack, were canceled. A mobile version codenamed Project Lego X was in development but quietly canceled. The game's legacy includes influencing later Lego sandbox titles such as Lego Fortnite.

Did You Know?

• A beta version of Lego Worlds was released on 1 June 2015 on Steam Early Access.
• The game was teased in the back of a Lego set's construction manual before its official announcement.
• Two expansions, Survivor and Wildlife Park Pack, were canceled and never released.
• A mobile version codenamed Project Lego X was in development but quietly canceled.