One of the many games I've had the chance to check out at Summer Game Fest 2025 is LEGO Party!, a multiplayer experience from developer SMG Studio and publisher Fictions.
LEGO Party! is, as the name implies, heavily inspired by Nintendo's Mario Party games, but in a world entirely built out of the titular bricks. Four players (human or CPU-controlled) compete in a variety of minigames, racing to gather as many Golden Bricks as possible before the game ends.
That means being prepared for anything. One minute, you might be asked to carefully stack bricks on top of each other without losing any. The next, you'll be recklessly bouncing on a pogo stick across rapidly-cracking ice, trying to be the last one to take a freezing dip.
After choosing your character — you can select one of numerous pre-built minifigures, or carefully customize your own — you'll start competing in zany minigames like mentioned above. In-between minigames, players move across a game board set in a LEGO world.
Selecting a rapidly-scrolling number determines how far you move, but there's still an element of control, as you can time it carefully or earn power-ups that help you select how far you want to go with a bit more precision.
Games can be shorter or longer based on the number of rounds you select. The game I played ran for about 30 minutes, and I never saw a minigame repeat, and I'm told there's over 60 games to compete in.
Occasionally, players are split into two teams, and that's where LEGO Party! really shows an extra level of creativity. These games require more careful coordination in order to beat the opposing team, so you might have to work with your teammate that you were just competing against to control a tank, with each player in charge of one tread.
It's as hilarious as it sounds, and my demo group were all laughing throughout the experience.
Even though I had a comfortable lead for much of the game, fortunes can change shockingly quickly, as my Golden Bricks were stolen by other players who came from behind to turn out an astounding victory. I was left immediately wishing I could play again, which is the best thing I can say for any kind of family-focused party game.
While I asked the developers if there's any chance of future DLC expanding LEGO Party! with additional game boards, they noted that for now they're just focused on launch.
It's also worth noting that LEGO Party! features full cross-play, so a friend group can compete together online no matter what platform someone prefers.
Players who are thinking of grabbing LEGO Party! to liven up game nights with family and friends won't be waiting too much longer, as LEGO Party! is coming at some point this year.
LEGO Party! is slated to launch later in 2025 across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.
