Oh, what a cute game! But I'm sure it won't have a soundtrack that will fill me with nostalgia and hit me right in the feels of- This starts playing... fuck.

After the emotional rollercoaster that was Inmost and being busy with college stuff, I figured it would be the perfect time to play something short and relaxing, and Builder's Journey seemed like exactly that! Plus, I was curious about this one, since the LEGO videogame realm has been monopolized by Traveller's Tales style of gameplay, which I don’t necessarily have a problem with, those are pretty fun games, especially in co-op, but I did have the itch for some variations in my LEGO, and BOY is it different.

The way the game presents itself is, and pardon me the outrageous vocabulary I'm about to employ, FUCKING ADORABLE. All the levels feel like little dioramas that could be replicated to perfection in real life, everything is constructed from LEGO pieces, even the characters are made from blocks instead of being the usual figurines. It all just has this homemade feeling that it goes really well with the vibe it's trying to achieve, and even better with the music. I made a joke about it at the start but yeah, it's criminally good, and it all just comes together to form this calm sensation that, even tho Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker did a very similar thing with its levels, I like how it’s done here a bit more honestly, it just fits so nicely with the LEGO aesthetic, it's... perfection.

All of these levels are built (no pun intended this time, I swear) around a puzzle, and I adore how the game keeps building (I SWEAR) on top of itself, slowly introducing new elements and ideas that just feel right at home with the world of LEGO, it never gets difficult or too complex, but I like that, it keeps thing simple and it’s just sweet to find the solutions to the problems the game poses, and they are all extremely creative. However, while placing the pieces feels satisfying and it makes the movement all the more rewarding, I sometimes found it hard to determine where to put a piece, or what even is a piece you can use in the first place. The few times I got stuck were because I just didn't notice something I needed because it blended into the background and not having a free camera it's truly a shame, the main shot of the level is usually all that you need but it would be nice to have the option for the sake of being able to distinguish everything more easily, especially in levels with less light or where more stuff is going off. I also didn't really like the last sections and types of puzzle the game throws at you, which it's a shame because as I said, all the new ideas are usually extremely innovative and fun, but even tho the final sections consist in you basically building and creating new pieces at yours heart content... I don't know, it felt too unclear and even a bit unsatisfying, and it just seemed like I was doing random stuff and I didn't feel smart or like I overcome a challenge when I beat one of those levels. Thankfully they are far from being the bulk of the game, but it's kinda sad that one of the last notes the game leaves on is not a good one...

But even more than that, what makes me even sadder is that the game didn’t quite go all the way in with its narrative. LEGO games have always been characterized by their irreverent humor, and that’s were Builder’s Journey differs the most when compared to its family. At first it feels like an extremely sweet and sincere story about a parent and their kid, travelling and exploring together, all without words yet so much is told, and I would lie if I said it kinda made me feel a bit emotional at the beginning, it all just was so happy and the music elevated it even more. And when you thought the game was going to take and even more interesting route with this concept, it sadly doesn’t deliver. I never expected it a profound story or anything like that, and the game never really changes in tone, but its sad to see that it sacrifices the messages and narrative it could have gone through in favor of a more average adventure that doesn’t even give full context to what was happening. I sometimes thought some things were product by the kid’s imagination, but … nope, it’s all real and while it doesn’t clash with the rest of the game, it just feels like excuses to have MORE puzzles in an already pretty short experience. I would have honestly preferred a story with less steaks in favor on something more personal like the beginning promised, but, oh well, the ending its pretty sweet.

That’s how I can sum up this game: sweet. A sweet little journey that could have been a little bit more if it tried, but it’s just adorable and really charming nonetheless. I really recommend it, mainly because of how different and creative it is, the only bad thing is that it made me want to spend money on LEGO, and GOD they are expensive holy shi-