Blocks 103

It’s a great time to be a LEGO fan, with impressive, adult-orientated models arriving so often that no-one can reasonably be expected to fi nd time to build them all. As great as those detailed display pieces are though, what made fans of most of us is the LEGO playfulness – and there are two new projects arriving that are stuffed with it.

LEGO DREAMZzz is delving into the world we enter as we sleep, introducing the fantastical concept of dream crafting, a not-so-subtle proxy for creative building.

In this month’s exclusive feature, you’ll learn how the design team developed this upcoming theme from scratch to have a strong story that encourages ditching the instructions in favour of originality. The concept art is absolutely beautiful and there are pages and pages of it to enjoy.

Developers at 2K have been getting to grips with the LEGO System for the first time in LEGO 2K Drive, the new video game that sees you roaming its open worlds in a vehicle rather than on-foot. Fast-paced racing and exploration are the core components, but as in other LEGO games they are surrounded by silliness.

Elsewhere, academics are taking things a little more seriously, using LEGO bricks in their research and as teaching tools. This month you’ll also fi nd out how Godtfred Kirk Christiansen and Axel Thomsen went with some unorthodox techniques to get LEGO sets into Germany for the first time, kickstarting the company’s global expansion.

Enjoy this month’s issue – and be sure to practice your dream crafting.