'Lego Bricktales' on mobile is the perfect commute companion

A surprisingly good-looking game, 'Lego Bricktales' is a great way of showing just how far phone and mobile gaming technology has come since the days of 'Flappy Bird'.

Note though, that this is a narrative-driven game rather than a huge open sandbox with an assortment of bricks to build whatever your heart desires. You’re essentially on a mission to help your eccentric inventor grandfather by helping people and collecting happiness crystals which get manifested into existence by their gratitude.

The story is fun, if a little simple, and all of the characters fit the world well. The story aspect is a vehicle to carry the building and problem-solving, but rather than feeling laboured or boring, it really does add to the game. In fact, without the cutesy characters and story, this game would probably just be remembered as a bridge-building simulator set in a Lego universe. Thankfully that’s not the case and instead, we’re left with a lovely little game to brighten up bus and train journeys.

The central mechanic of the game is using Lego to build your way past problems. A bridge is down? Build a new one. Someone is trapped up a mountain? Build a plane to fly up to them. But it’s not as simple as it might sound, as before the game accepts any of your solutions they must be tested. Your bridge must be stable, and your plane must be balanced, if not, you’ll have to go back and improve upon your design. There’s no limit to how many times you can try though, so if you don’t figure it out first try don’t worry.

You have a limited number of bricks for each challenge, and while they often don’t require you to use every brick to pass, it does mean you have different options and no two people will solve it in the same way.

There are a few other little surprises that elevate 'Lego Bricktales' over the status of your usual mobile games, especially the typical ones seen on YouTube. Small things like collectables, which are now a trope of most games, show that 'Lego Bricktales' has that little extra attention to detail. The ability to buy new outfits lets you customize your character and deepen your connection with them. There are also a few extra movement abilities like an Indiana Jones-style whip used for traversal, and a ground slam ability to clear new paths – often to secret areas. The only real issue is the somewhat clunky camera which can make navigating an area a bit more difficult than it needs to be. Under the circumstances, this is a forgivable blunder as it really doesn’t have much of an impact on the enjoyment of the game.

While it’s not 'Elden Ring' or 'Half-Life 2', it is a wonderful little game that isn’t trying to be something it’s not. The developers set out with a plan in mind and almost perfectly executed it, and playing a game which is so well made and enjoyable is such a pleasure, especially compared to the state many triple-A games are being released these days.