LEGO has released another great family-friendly game that is perfect for parties: Brick Like This!. This fast-paced building game involves teams racing to create different models under pressure, and the aim is to see if you can build faster, better, and smarter than the other teams. The Brick Like This! game rules are pretty straightforward, so let us walk you through the setup and play for your next game.
What’s included in the Brick Like This! box?
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48 LEGO bricks
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92 shape cards
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20 challenge cards
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1 sand timer (30 seconds)
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Rulebook
Create your teams
There should be two players in each team, and up to four teams can play at the same time. The two players must decide between them who will take which role: The Instructor or the Builder. The Instructor describes how to build the specific model using the shape cards, while the Builder physically builds the model based on the Instructor’s instructions.
It’s a good idea to pair together a child with an adult if you’re playing with kids. After each round, you will be able to swap roles, so you’ll get a chance to play both ways.
Small groups
For small groups of only two to three players, it’s best to play the kid-friendly variant, which we discuss below in more detail.
Odd numbers
Playing with five or seven players? One team can have three players, with one player acting as an observer in each round. Remember, you will swap roles each round, so you will only have to be an observer once or twice!
How to set up the Brick Like This! game
Step 1
Sort the shape cards into piles by the numbers you can see on the cards (5, 6, 7, 8). These numbers show the minimum number of bricks required and the points that you will earn if you build it correctly. Shuffle each pile and place them with the number side facing up.
Step 2
Place the LEGO bricks where everyone can reach them.
Step 3
Put the sand timer on the table, next to the game.
Step 4 (optional)
Add your challenge cards into the mix for extra chaos! More on the challenge cards later…
How to play LEGO Brick Like This!
The game is played in six rounds with all of the teams playing at the same time, and there will be three actions per round: choosing your shape cards, building the model, and scoring your points.
Choose shape cards
Each Instructor takes the top card from one of the shape card piles, but does not look at it yet - they may want to pick a five if they’re playing with a younger player to make things simpler. You’ll notice that the five cards have the outlines of the specific bricks to use, which can help younger players. If you want to give your team a real challenge, then try an eight! When you’re just starting on your first round, the oldest Instructor will pick their card first.
In the rounds after the first one, the team that was last to shout ‘Done!’ gets to pick their shape card first, with the other teams picking in a clockwise direction.
Remember to keep it a secret! Don’t show any other players, including your own team members.
Build the model
When the final Instructor has picked up their shape card, they will shout ‘Go!’. This will start the chaos! Instructors will describe their shape card to the Builder, who has to grab the right bricks and assemble the model as it’s explained to them.
The first team to shout ‘Done!’ will flip the sand timer to put some added pressure on the remaining teams to finish within 30 seconds. This team is not allowed to keep building, and also can’t review their model. When the timer is up, all the teams must stop building.
Score points
When everyone has finished or the timer has stopped, all teams will place their model on their shape card to check the accuracy of their model. If it matches perfectly, you can keep your shape card, and your team will have earned the number of points shown on the card (5, 6, 7, or 8). If it’s incorrect, then you will get no points, and place your card in the discard pile.
Pro tip - Keep your points hidden until the end!
How to win Brick Like This!
After six rounds, each team will count up their shape points (and their challenge points if you have been playing with challenge cards too). The winning team will be the one with the most accumulated points - and if there’s a tie, then the tied teams get to share the victory.
How to use the challenge cards
The challenge cards are perfect for adding in some wild twists, like:
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Building with your eyes closed
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The Instructor is not allowed to speak
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You can only use one hand
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Keeping a 1x2 brick balanced on your hand while building
You will pick out six cards for one game, and you will reveal one challenge card each round, which will apply to all teams! The six cards must be two ‘1 coin’ cards, three ‘2 coin’ cards, and one ‘3 coins’ card. Place them coin-side up next to the shape cards when you’re setting up the game.
Playing with the challenge cards
As mentioned above, you will reveal one challenge card in each round and this challenge will apply to all of the teams playing that round. If a team breaks the rule at any time, their Builder has to dismantle their model and restart.
Only the team that finishes first and shouts ‘Done!’ can claim the challenge points, and only if their model is correct. All of the remaining teams will still get to collect their shape points if their model is correct.
How to play the kid-friendly version (or with 2–3 players)
The kid-friendly version of Brick Like This! involves no competition, just a joint effort to beat the clock together. This means removing the sand timer from the game and instead setting up a 10-minute timer (perhaps on your phone). You will play as usual with the shape cards and bricks, and see if you can score as many points as possible by building as many models as possible in the 10-minute time limit. If you’re playing with three players, remember to rotate roles each round of models that you create.
Remember these house rules
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Only the Instructors can look at the Shape cards when they’re drawn.
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Shape cards have to stay secret until the end of each round.
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You are allowed to talk, but you can’t point at either the cards or the models.
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Only Builders are allowed to touch the LEGO bricks.
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Builders are only allowed to pick up the bricks that the Instructor says they can use!
Buy the Brick Like This! LEGO game today
You can buy the LEGO Brick Like This! game directly from the asmodee site, or you can visit your local board game store to find it in person.
If you loved this game and you’re keen to discover more LEGO games, then you will love Monkey Palace, our first jointly-crafted board game with LEGO. You can also find more family-friendly games and the Asmodee kids collection.
