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 light-hearted puzzles, collectible-hunting, and laid-back exploration. They’re perfect for rainy days, low-stress hangouts, or simply reliving your childhood.
The hop-in/hop-out co-op system, paired with a huge roster of characters, simple controls, minimal (if any) combat, and great replay value, made these games accessible for everyone. And of course, the drive to collect all those golden bricks kept you coming back for more.
First Impressions: A New Generation Joins the Adventure
When I sat down to play LEGO Horizon Adventures (LHA), I had a wingman with me—my 7-year-old son. It was his first LEGO game and his first experience with the Horizon franchise. He hadn’t seen the original games, but we do have the Tallneck LEGO set proudly on display in our living room.
He was instantly hooked. In no time, I found myself pushed to the back seat, happily watching instead of playing. I got to see him have a blast, and soon his little brother joined in to “help” solve puzzles and take down bosses.
This setup actually gave me the chance to take notes and properly review the game, though I had to wait until after bedtime to replay sections and explore the game more deeply. Taking screenshots or admiring the scenery wasn’t allowed while we were “chasing down the Tallneck.” I was told, “No, Dad—we don’t have time to look at the background!”
About the Game: A New Team, A New Standard
While my son took over gameplay, I took notes. The reason we didn’t play co-op wasn’t because the game doesn’t support it—it does. We were playing on PC and only had one working controller. Once you have more than one controller and complete a short prologue, co-op becomes available.
LEGO Horizon Adventures is the first LEGO action-adventure game not developed by TT Games. It was created in-house by LEGO, in collaboration with Guerrilla Games (creators of Horizon Zero Dawn) and Studio Gobo. That collaboration shows in every pixel.
LHA shares a lot of gameplay and design DNA with its LEGO predecessors. You begin by playing as Aloy, the iconic protagonist from Horizon Zero Dawn. Over time, you unlock three other characters, each with unique voice acting and combat styles. The game used voice actors and not the mumbling sounds past LEGO games used. Aloy is voiced by Ashly Burch who voices Aloy in HZD.
The game is divided into four zones, each inspired by the biomes of HZD, and every single piece of scenery, including distant backdrops, is made entirely out of LEGO bricks. The only other games to feature fully LEGO-built worlds were The LEGO Movie games from 2014.
I found myself constantly pausing to admire the artistry and craftsmanship. The use of creative building techniques to mimic terrain and structures from the Horizon universe was stunning and helped blend the LEGO aesthetic with HZD’s visual identity.
A Step Up in Combat
Combat in LHA is noticeably more involved than in previous LEGO titles. Each level ends with a mini-boss battle or combat gauntlet. While earlier games were limited to basic attacks (aside from some wand magic in Harry Potter or blasters in Star Wars), LHA adds depth.
You can now scan enemies for weak points—a core feature in HZD—and add elemental modifiers to your weapons. Environmental gadgets and LEGO-style tools add a dose of humor and creativity, for example, jump boots that set enemies on fire or using a brick separator as a weapon.
The game also features difficulty settings—from a basic “Story Mode” with very light combat, all the way to a “Very Hard” setting for more intense challenges. I was concerned this added complexity might make it harder for my kids, but the flexible difficulty options made it enjoyable for all of us.
A Bright Future for LEGO Games
Lego Horizon Adventures feels like a new evolution for LEGO games. It maintains the charm of older titles while pushing the envelope just enough to stay fresh and exciting. There’s still a hub area—called Mother’s Heart village—that serves as your base between adventures, where you can also customize the environment.
Personally, I found that older LEGO games started to feel repetitive after a while, but LHA was a refreshing change. The new mechanics, visual polish, and engaging combat made it stand out. I don’t think every future LEGO game needs heavier combat, but this was a welcome step forward.
LEGO 77037 Aloy & Varl vs. Shell-Walker & Sawtooth
Of course, this wouldn’t be BrickNerd if we didn’t also talk about the bricks.
The tie-in set—77037 Aloy & Varl vs. Shell-Walker & Sawtooth—is an absolute win. For a licensed IP set with 768 pieces and two very well-detailed minifigures, $45 USD / $560 CAD is a great deal. For comparison, the 2022 Tallneck set was $90 USD / $110 CAD with 1,222 pieces—a fantastic value in its own right.
In-game Shell-walker
What stood out to me in this new set wasn’t just the part count, but the smart building techniques. Of course, the in-game models are built without constraints—they can use any part or color—but translating that to a physical set at a fair price requires balance. Thankfully, LEGO nailed it. Both the Sawtooth and Shell-Walker models are easily recognizable and closely resemble their in-game counterparts. A more comprehensive parts and technique review can be found over at our friends at Tips and Bricks on their Instagram.
Final Thoughts & Bonus Instructions
LEGO Horizon Adventures isn’t just a return to form—it’s a sign of growth. It respects what came before, experiments with what’s next, and opens the door to exciting new IPs and play styles. The collaboration with Guerrilla Games shows what’s possible when storytelling, art, and interactivity converge in the LEGO universe. And as a parent, watching my kids light up as they discovered this world made it even more meaningful.
Will we get more Horizon sets? I hope so. There’s definitely a strong fanbase for both LEGO and Horizon. And who knows… maybe a UCS Thunderjaw one day?
Oh, and if you’re itching to expand your in-game LEGO builds, here’s a bonus: instructions to build the training dummy from Mother's Heart Village that we reverse engineered to bring a bit of LEGO Horizon to your own desk.
So whether you’re revisiting the world of Horizon or stepping into it for the first time, LEGO Horizon Adventures proves there's still plenty of life—and laughter—left in the brick-built wilds.
DISCLAIMER: This game and set were provided to BrickNerd by LEGO. Any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
Have you played LEGO Horizon Adventures? Let us know in the comments below.
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