In 2021, LEGO released the bold and vibrant 40516 Everyone is Awesome set—a buildable display with rainbow minifigures in the colors of the gay pride and transgender flags to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. The minifigures were not only a boon to the AFOL community who wanted solid-color figs, but the set was an expression of hope and joy for a group of people who needed to hear it. The set unapologetically sent the message, “Whoever you are and however you identify, you are awesome and welcome in the LEGO community.” It marked a shift. Long seen as a champion of creativity and play, LEGO rarely took public stances on social issues. But with this set, the company visibly aligned itself with values of visibility, diversity, and acceptance. Fans responded with a flood of gratitude, emotion, and pride. I remember tearing up after purchasing the set on opening day, having to drive...

As a former NASA engineer who worked on ground processing for the International Space Station at Kennedy Space Center, I’ve had the rare privilege of seeing the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) in action—and even supported missions that rode atop it. This article is both a close look at the new 10360 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft from the AFOL perspective and a deep dive on the real vehicles it honors from an aerospace perspective. Bricks and Boosters Space is big. The machines that make space travel possible also tend to be on the large side. Sure, the Mercury, Gemini, and Vostok capsules that first carried humans away from Earth were fairly small—but the rockets that launched them were not. And those rockets required equally massive infrastructure to move them around. Large barges, ships, and railcars quickly played a role (and still do), but aircraft also became key players. NASA’s first aerial rocket mover...

A new month is upon us which means more competitive building! Are you ready? Here’s the latest bunch of LEGO contests and challenges from all around the AFOL community for May 2025 to help you find some inspiration and motivation to build! There’s nothing quite like a theme or a prompt to take you out of your comfort zone and give you something new to try. Besides, contests are the perfect place to interact with other contestants and judges and get to know your fellow builders. And if you’re like me, a deadline helps make sure you actually finish! We’ve listed them in order of deadline so you can plan your building time to the best advantage. Make sure to check the LEGO activity calendar for local challenges and events near you. Here at BrickNerd, some of our fondest memories, greatest building achievements, coolest trophies, and best friendships came from LEGO...

“The Conversation Piece” is a monthly BrickNerd series about creativity and building with LEGO authored by our friends over at the Builder Improvement Initiative (BII), a Discord-based community that helps LEGO builders of all levels get better at their craft through knowledge-sharing and constructive feedback. Have a question you'd like us to consider for a future article? You can submit it here. Enjoy! Using Color in LEGO Builds Anonymous asks: “How much of an impact does choosing the right colors make when building MOCs? How can we decide upon good color palettes when building?” When it comes to designing MOCs (My Own Creations), color is one factor which builders have substantial control over. LEGO’s repertoire of color options has expanded over the years to include hundreds of different shades and tones to provide endless combinations that builders can explore. We Love What You Build’s Periodic Table of the LEGO Colors provides...

Last month, we challenged you to bring to life your most iconic Star Wars creations for Imperial March. Today in honor of May the Fourth, we are excited to reveal those builders who went to a galaxy far, far away and returned with some epic prizes! We received 75 entries in total and were impressed by everyone’s imperial fortitude. To recap, Imperial March had three categories: Characters and Creatures, Ships and Vehicles and Rebuild the Galaxy. It took a while and a lot of deliberation, but we’ve finally selected who is the chosen one! One builder who entered all three categories and earned the greatest number of votes will be crowned our Grand MOC Builder. There were so many awesome builds. This contest was so hard to judge that we brought in an expert—Boone Langston, who helped start Imperial March in 2021 and who is a current LEGO designer. Boone and...

The LEGO Group has had many mascots and icons for its various in-house themes, video games, and other media that are still fondly remembered by fans of LEGO and referenced by the company today. The late 80s and 90s gave us Captain Redbeard from Pirates, Johnny Thunder from Adventurers, and Pepper Roni from LEGO Island. The 2000s gave us Tahu and the Toa Mata from Bionicle, and Jack Stone. (Clearly Jack Stone is the best.) Then came the late 2000s and 2010s when LEGO created a new wave of minifigure mascots for its myriad of in-house themes like Agents, and Ninjago—many characters that the LEGO Community is still in love with. And at that same time, my favorite LEGO original mascot came onto the scene: Chase McCain. Who is Chase McCain? Credit: LEGO City Undercover Wiki Chase McCain was the main character of LEGO City Undercover, released for the Wii U...

After years of experimenting with mobile formats, battle royales, and sandbox crossovers, LEGO is finally returning to its roots with LEGO Horizon Adventures. This brand-new release brings back the smash-and-collect gameplay that has defined LEGO's most beloved action-adventure titles over the past two decades—and introduces a new IP to the format for the very first time. Yes, this means it’s time to break bricks, collect golden trophies, unlock characters, and laugh your way through another LEGO quest. And this time, it’s set in the world of Horizon Zero Dawn (HZD). And stay tuned all the way to the end for some exclusive instructions from something in the game! A Familiar Formula With a Fresh Twist I’ve played nearly every LEGO game in this style, going all the way back to my PS2 days. (Wow… I’m getting old.) Whether solo or in co-op, these titles have always delivered a joyful blend of...

We don’t talk about new LEGO sets much at BrickNerd—there are a plethora of other great sites that do that. However to help us keep the quality up and ads down, we need your help. If you are going to purchase any new LEGO sets and want to help out BrickNerd simultaneously, we ask that you use our affiliate link for LEGO.com. It is a great way to support community-focused journalism without costing you more than you already spend on LEGO. You can support BrickNerd at the same time you get your new Star Wars logo, Chopper, Jango Fett helmet, Slave I, or more. Or you could pre-order some amazing Technic cars, cute Disney characters, a Fortnite mech, or even Mario himself! Even if you just get a keychain using our link, we appreciate the help. There are also a ton of deals in the Insiders center, double and quadruple points...

We’re not fooling around, April had no shortage of great LEGO content from around the globe! Here at BrickNerd, we may have fooled a few of you with our “In The Groove” article, learned how creativity took one builder to the Masterpiece Gallery in The LEGO House, and took a look at some tips for LEGO stop motion animation. We looked at finding inspiration for what to build next, using Pinterest for MOC inspiration, delved into influencers and authenticity, helped VLC celebrate 25 years, and while in Vancouver, also celebrated 10 years of BrickCan. We took a look at how some LEGO themes have evolved, the fascinating history of LEGO Minitalia, and some spaced-out optical illusions, and showed some fine examples of wheels and tires NPU (nice part usage). In fact, we’ve published so many interesting articles in April that we’ve included an interactive calendar of them at the bottom of...

Today’s guest post comes to us from Jesse Gros who shares how he found LEGO, collected hundreds of thousands of pieces, and built something amazing that sparked a personal creative resurgence. For years, I would come home after work and crack open a beer, or two… or three.  Some of this ritual was to help me relax and take the edge off at the end of the day. But not every day was a hard day. Not every day had an edge that needed to be smoothed. Underneath it all was this chronic feeling that I needed to be doing something more creative. I tried painting, woodwork, and creative writing… none of them satiated my pent-up creative energy.  One day, my daughter got her first LEGO set. Several minutes into helping her build Moana’s Ocean Voyage (41150), something happened… a simple, familiar joy filled my body. Memories of my childhood LEGO building...