There are hundreds of LEGO sets out there, but any LEGO fan—even a dedicated one—will build a miniscule fraction of them. Display space is one reason. Price is another. And for the amount of money you spend, the final build had better reflect the expense and effort that went into it.
We went through all the current LEGO builds available, and we put together a "greatest hits" list. The LEGO designers set a high goal and over delivered in each of these instances.
Here are the Best LEGO sets in 2024—the models that look phenomenal and are equally fun to build.
We reviewed this one when it launched, and it's one of the most fun, accessible LEGO sets we've built all year. Everything about it is perfectly oversized and exaggerated, and its roundedness makes it a perfect combination of cute and intimidating. It's also one of the best Nintendo LEGO sets on the market.
This pirate galleon is not only brilliant looking—it is versatile, allowing you to rebuild it as a pirate inn or a treasure cove. The ship has movable sails with the Jolly Roger on them, as well as working cannons on its broadsides.
The NES console is an accurate replica—there's even a catch mechanism that allows you to insert a cartridge and push down. But the real highlight is the old school television, which is a small mechanical marvel by itself. You turn a crank, and an 8-bit Mario jumps and runs across the screen.
This is one of the only LEGO Technic builds that's not some sort of vehicle. Instead it is a little machine of our Earth, sun, and moon, and it turns on a crank. The Earth revolves around the sun. The moon revolves around the Earth. And it does so accurately, so that you can actually track the moon's phases as well as the month of the year.
An accurate rendition of the Seven Dwarfs' cottage from the 1937 animated film, this build contains all seven dwarfs, allowing you to recreate classic scenes. Plus, the inside of the cottage is fully furnished, with seven beds upstairs, seven chairs at the dining room table, and a chest of diamonds stowed in the attic. We built and photographed this set in early 2024, and can attest it's one of the best Disney LEGO sets available.
LEGO began catering to its adult demographic with its modular buildings; the company has released one building per year, starting with the Cafe Corner in 2007. This modular building, the Jazz Club, was released in 2023. It is the 18th building in the series, and it includes a club stage, a dressing room for the performers, a rooftop garden, and a pizzeria next door.
Ambitious to the extreme, as we can attest having built it, this scaled-down replica of the famed, doomed RMS Titanic is nearly 4-and-a-half feet long. You build in three parts—the fore, middle, and aft of the ship. And if you examine its interior, you can see the piston steam engine that attaches to the propeller, the famed grand staircase, and the ornate lounges that made Titanic the "ship of dreams."
This set is shaped like an arcade cabinet, and it comes with a tactile joystick and coin slot that glows red. But the best part about this build is its screen. Turn a crank, and a tiny Pac-Man and four ghosts run around a tiny map maze.
Big, colorful, and bold, this Optimus Prime set can actually transform from an Autobot into a more inconspicuous semi-truck. Both versions of the build look equally good, and the transformation process does not 'cheat'; you bend and contort the model like an '80s era toy, rather than taking it apart and reassembling it from scratch. It's an impressive feature.
This massive build of the Elves' ancestral home comes in three parts: an Elven tower that contains Bilbo's quarters, the bridge over the River Brunein, and the House of Elrond, including the council area where Frodo presented the one true ring. Everything, owing to its delicate structure, looks light and slightly unreal.
The build contains 15 Minifigures, including everyone in the Fellowship and every major character in Rivendell: Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Boromir, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gloin, Arwen, Elrond, Bilbo, and two elves. Check out our LEGO Rivendell review, as well as our interview with the designer.
There are some LEGO sets that are magnificent looking, but have a tedious build process. There are other LEGO sets that have a fun, engaging build process, but are merely presentable without being exceptional.
And then there are the preferable LEGO sets, like these, which manage to be both—engaging and fun with little instructional redundancy, and an end result that looks every bit the effort and care placed into it.
Kevin Wong is a contributing freelancer for IGN, specializing in LEGO. He's also been published in Complex, Engadget, Gamespot, Kotaku, and more. Follow him on Twitter at @kevinjameswong.
Continue reading...
We went through all the current LEGO builds available, and we put together a "greatest hits" list. The LEGO designers set a high goal and over delivered in each of these instances.
Here are the Best LEGO sets in 2024—the models that look phenomenal and are equally fun to build.
The Mighty Bowser
- Set: #71411
- Age Range: 7+
- Piece Count: 2807
- Dimensions: 12.5 in. (32 cm) high, 16 in. (41 cm) wide, 11 in. (28 cm) deep
- Price: $269.99
We reviewed this one when it launched, and it's one of the most fun, accessible LEGO sets we've built all year. Everything about it is perfectly oversized and exaggerated, and its roundedness makes it a perfect combination of cute and intimidating. It's also one of the best Nintendo LEGO sets on the market.
Pirate Ship
- Set: #31109
- Age Range: 9+
- Piece Count: 1264
- Dimensions: 14 in. (37cm) high, 18 in. (46cm) long, 7 in. (19cm) wide
- Price: $119.99
This pirate galleon is not only brilliant looking—it is versatile, allowing you to rebuild it as a pirate inn or a treasure cove. The ship has movable sails with the Jolly Roger on them, as well as working cannons on its broadsides.
Nintendo Entertainment System
- Set: #71374
- Age Range: 18+
- Piece Count: 2646
- Dimensions: Television - 8 in. (22.5cm) high, 9” (23.5cm) wide, 6” (16cm) deep
- Price: $269.99
The NES console is an accurate replica—there's even a catch mechanism that allows you to insert a cartridge and push down. But the real highlight is the old school television, which is a small mechanical marvel by itself. You turn a crank, and an 8-bit Mario jumps and runs across the screen.
Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit
- Set: #42179
- Age Range: 10+
- Piece Count: 526
- Dimensions: 9 in. (24 cm) high, 12.5 in. (33 cm) long and 7 in. (18 cm) wide
- Price: $74.99
This is one of the only LEGO Technic builds that's not some sort of vehicle. Instead it is a little machine of our Earth, sun, and moon, and it turns on a crank. The Earth revolves around the sun. The moon revolves around the Earth. And it does so accurately, so that you can actually track the moon's phases as well as the month of the year.
Snow White Cottage
- Set: #43242
- Age Range: 18+
- Piece Count: 4837
- Dimensions: 8 in. (20 cm) high, 14 in. (35 cm) wide, 7.5 in. (20 cm) deep
- Price: $219.99
An accurate rendition of the Seven Dwarfs' cottage from the 1937 animated film, this build contains all seven dwarfs, allowing you to recreate classic scenes. Plus, the inside of the cottage is fully furnished, with seven beds upstairs, seven chairs at the dining room table, and a chest of diamonds stowed in the attic. We built and photographed this set in early 2024, and can attest it's one of the best Disney LEGO sets available.
Jazz Club
- Set: #10312
- Age Range: 18+
- Piece Count: 2899
- Dimensions: 11.5 in. (30 cm) high, 10 in. (25 cm) wide, 10 in. (26 cm) deep
- Price: $229.99
LEGO began catering to its adult demographic with its modular buildings; the company has released one building per year, starting with the Cafe Corner in 2007. This modular building, the Jazz Club, was released in 2023. It is the 18th building in the series, and it includes a club stage, a dressing room for the performers, a rooftop garden, and a pizzeria next door.
Titanic
- Set: #10294
- Age Range: 18+
- Piece Count: 9090
- Dimensions: 53 in. (135 cm) long, 17.5 in. (44 cm) high, 6 in. (16 cm) wide
- Price: $679.99
Ambitious to the extreme, as we can attest having built it, this scaled-down replica of the famed, doomed RMS Titanic is nearly 4-and-a-half feet long. You build in three parts—the fore, middle, and aft of the ship. And if you examine its interior, you can see the piston steam engine that attaches to the propeller, the famed grand staircase, and the ornate lounges that made Titanic the "ship of dreams."
PAC-MAN Arcade
- Set: #10323
- Age Range: 18+
- Piece Count: 2651
- Dimensions: 12.5 in. (32 cm) high, 10 in. (25 cm) wide, 7 in. (17 cm) deep
- Price: $269.99
This set is shaped like an arcade cabinet, and it comes with a tactile joystick and coin slot that glows red. But the best part about this build is its screen. Turn a crank, and a tiny Pac-Man and four ghosts run around a tiny map maze.
Optimus Prime
- Set: #10302
- Age Range: 18+
- Piece Count: 1508
- Dimensions: 13.5 in. (35 cm) tall
- Price: $179.99
Big, colorful, and bold, this Optimus Prime set can actually transform from an Autobot into a more inconspicuous semi-truck. Both versions of the build look equally good, and the transformation process does not 'cheat'; you bend and contort the model like an '80s era toy, rather than taking it apart and reassembling it from scratch. It's an impressive feature.
The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell
- Set: #10316
- Age Range: 18+
- Piece Count: 6167
- Dimensions: 15 in. (39 cm) high, 28.5 in. (72 cm) wide, 19.5 in. (50 cm) deep
- Price: $499.99
This massive build of the Elves' ancestral home comes in three parts: an Elven tower that contains Bilbo's quarters, the bridge over the River Brunein, and the House of Elrond, including the council area where Frodo presented the one true ring. Everything, owing to its delicate structure, looks light and slightly unreal.
The build contains 15 Minifigures, including everyone in the Fellowship and every major character in Rivendell: Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Boromir, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gloin, Arwen, Elrond, Bilbo, and two elves. Check out our LEGO Rivendell review, as well as our interview with the designer.
There are some LEGO sets that are magnificent looking, but have a tedious build process. There are other LEGO sets that have a fun, engaging build process, but are merely presentable without being exceptional.
And then there are the preferable LEGO sets, like these, which manage to be both—engaging and fun with little instructional redundancy, and an end result that looks every bit the effort and care placed into it.
Kevin Wong is a contributing freelancer for IGN, specializing in LEGO. He's also been published in Complex, Engadget, Gamespot, Kotaku, and more. Follow him on Twitter at @kevinjameswong.
Continue reading...