[Ad- gifted product] We play a board game every other week at our local Geek Retreat, as a way to unwind after a busy Monday back to school. This time, we tried out Brick Like This! which is all about quickly talking and building with LEGO. It’s a quick action party game that does feel like a lot of fun, though it can be tricky for younger ones, so you might want to consider playing with your teens and tweens!
The game concept is simple. There is a pile of LEGOs in the middle of the table, along with some cards that have numbers on them. Cards with higher numbers are worth more points, however, they are more challenging to build. The number shows the total number of bricks that need to be used, and the higher count cards do not even have an outline of each brick, making them more challenging to communicate. In teams of two, one is the builder and one is the speaker. The speaker gets to see the card, then starts to describe them to the builder. The speaker cannot point! They can say colors of the LEGO, shapes of the LEGO, etc.
A timer is flipped, which only allows one minute, then the game starts with teams frantically trying to get their partner to understand and build up the LEGO creation. Once the timer has run out or a team has finished their creation, the building phase ends. Everyone then sees if the builds look like the card, and points are awarded. We played with Amelia who is 14 and Robin who is 9, with the game’s ratings being 7 and above. Robin had a lot of trouble with Brick Like This! She couldn’t build or describe, so found it very frustrating. Amelia, Dann and I on the other hand had a fun time playing, so it’s one of those games that really depend on the people playing it. After a while, we did realize that Robin was both thinking and building from the top of the card, instead of starting with the base, but even with that knowledge she still struggled.
We all didn’t listen to the timer, instead playing until one team finished the card. The timer felt too short to complete any card, let alone some of the more challenging ones. There is an entire challenge mode, which included building with one hand or with your eyes closed, which feels really intense! I do feel like Brick Like This! would be perfect for adults and teenagers, as it does feel like a fantastic concept which has been well designed.