Builder’s Journey follows two LEGO characters, probably parent and child, throughout their lives. There are no words at all as you help these two overcome obstacles. It’s a surprisingly clear story despite the lack of text or even faces. It does take an unexpected turn, but that just made me even more invested.

Visuals

Builder’s Journey is made up of 3D dioramas made up of realistic looking LEGO bricks. It amazed me how it really looked like I was playing with a LEGO set but on my computer.

There are some subtle visual effects, most notably the light cycle. It looks really nice as it looks like the time of day is changing. There’s also some fog around the edges, making it look like they’re hiking high up in the clouds. Some levels even have moving water or bubbling mud. The natural landscapes are traded in for a more industrial one later in the game, but these levels are similarly simple yet detailed, with even more interesting lighting. This game is a visual treat.

Sound Effects + Music

The sound of LEGO bricks clicking together is so satisfying. I cannot explain why, but it is. It’s also very nostalgic.

The other sound effects are also nice. You can hear water rushing, mud bubbling, crickets chirping, machines beeping. It’s all very atmospheric. The sounds are well spaced, so they never get irritating, but appear often enough to keep the immersion.

I really liked the subtle background music in Builder’s Journey. It’s soft and soothing and suits the tone of the game perfectly. It’s mainly piano.

Gameplay + Controls

In Builder’s Journey you simply use LEGO bricks to solve a puzzle. You’re presented with a diorama of some kind of landscape with two LEGO people separated by some type of obstacle (gap, cliff, etc.) You’ll get a few LEGO bricks which you must use to move one character to meet the other, or some other task. There are likely multiple solutions to each puzzle, since you can pick up and move bricks at anytime to reuse them on the journey.

I did find the controls in Builder’s Journey a little wonky. They’re not awful, but they weren’t exactly intuitive, and I found myself doing the wrong thing constantly. You pick up a LEGO brick by clicking, clicking again rotates it, and holding a click places it. For whatever reason, I wanted to hold to pick it up and move it around, which is not necessary. Then I wanted to click again to drop, but that rotates. It was just weird, but that’s probably a me problem, not a game problem.

Replayability

I do think LEGO Builder’s Journey is very replayable. There is no set solution to any of the puzzles. You’re free to use the available LEGO bricks however you please, as long as you complete the task at hand. There’s also a Creative Mode where you can just build to your heart’s content.

Overall

I wound up enjoying LEGO Builder’s Journey more than I thought I would when I first started. Sure, the controls continued to be annoying at times, but the variety in puzzles and changing environments kept the game feeling fresh and interesting.

I enjoyed my time with this game a lot. My only real criticism is how the game controlled. I figured mouse would probably be the best way to control it, so I don't even know if it has controller support. But it's clear this was made with a mobile interface in mind. Placing bricks is so awkward sometimes, and spinning these wheels later in the game are such a pain to do.

But the game and its story are charming, and the game looked absolutely incredible. It was super detailed. If they find a way to make the controls better in a sequel, I'd play it for sure!

Fun short game, that has a very enjoyable story.

The game is a puzzle Lego builder that can be completed in about 2 hours on a casual playthrough.
For a Lego game, the graphics and sound design are great.
The controls are a bit clunky in the start, but after playing for a few minutes I got used to it.

It has a creative mode, which I haven't played. But judging from the creative mode trailer, it seems fun and might make the game more replayable. The story itself doesn't really have any replayability.

It might seem a bit boring, but I'm sure that most people will enjoy this short experience.
Recommended but not for the full price. If you can get it on sale it's a must have.

"The little brand people made me cry" - Some self-proclaimed Disney Adult, probably.

Glad I got this game for free; it's not worth my money. I thought we'd already perfected placing blocks on a grid, but the way this game controls says otherwise.

It's a bunch of slow puzzles with little room for actual puzzle-solving. Fine for a narrative game - and I can respect what they were going for in that department - but the story reads to me as a little up its own ass. Any bit of narrative was drowned out by the frustration of trying to place a block without picking it back up again anyways. I can't stress enough how godawful the controls are.