Could we get a Lego sandbox?

[minas6907]

I just saw this title, looks super chill, very minimalist. How is it we don't have a piece by piece Lego sandbox type game? Watching Builders Journey makes me just want to build with (digital) pieces in a sandbox setting. Anything like this exist?

[Rodwin]

Did you try this one?
https://store.steampowered.com/app/332310/LEGO_Worlds/

[evil_arev]

Have you tried Bricklink's Stud.io ? It's more of a utility or CAD app, so it's not gamified, but you can build everything there. I had a lot of fun with it, while designing a custom Lego set.
https://www.bricklink.com/v3/studio/download.page

[minas6907]

Originally posted by evil_arev:

Have you tried Bricklink's Stud.io ? It's more of a utility or CAD app, so it's not gamified, but you can build everything there. I had a lot of fun with it, while designing a custom Lego set.
https://www.bricklink.com/v3/studio/download.page

Hmmmm this might be what I'm looking for. Seeing the trailer for Builders Journey made me just want to build Legos, but I dont think I'm going to be picking up any physical Lego sets any time soon. I'll check this out.

Originally posted by Rodwin:

Did you try this one?
https://store.steampowered.com/app/332310/LEGO_Worlds/

I have seen Lego Worlds, but it doesn't seem to be as popular as the other titles, I think I just dismissed it pretty quickly. For some reason I always thought it was an MMO, but I think I'm mistaken. Thanks for the suggestion

[NGCHunter2]

Given that Stud.io has been mentioned, I'd recommend Mecabricks myself. Quite a few more options, especially concerning rendering, and half as shady as Stud.io when it comes to stealing other people's ideas and work.

[c5]

I can definitely second the Bricklink Studio recommendation, it's great and you can even order your own designs in real lego by hooking up your Bricklink account

[NGCHunter2]

Originally posted by PigDan20:

Could you please clarify further on this last comment? I'm also interested in this type of software and I'm curious what you mean by stealing.

Stud.io had several instances of copying existing Mecabricks functions 1:1, up to a point where they adopted rendering techniques from a paid Mecabricks add-on while marketing them as their own. Given that Stud.io also uses parts of the LDraw database (legally, this time), which is slightly inconsistent on certain Technic pieces, I'd personally stick with Mecabricks, even if Stud.io has one or two features Mecabricks is still missing.

[nanaki yamabushi]

You do know that Bricklink Stud.io is now owned by Lego and that you can try and put up your creations, to become a limited set, that others can buy as a Lego set.

Or you can upload your creation to bricklink, with the instructions so others can buy the bricks (unless unavaible colors, custom colors and bricks are used) via bricklink.

[Primhose]

I'm just surprised there's a LEGO game that's not another reskin of LEGO Star Wars.

[commanderdj]

Originally posted by minas6907:

I just saw this title, looks super chill, very minimalist. How is it we don't have a piece by piece Lego sandbox type game? Watching Builders Journey makes me just want to build with (digital) pieces in a sandbox setting. Anything like this exist?

would be cool if you could make playable levels

[nigeldoyle3dkiwi]

I would also suggest Mecabricks.

[GMC79]

We need one exactly like this but with limited/unimited number brick sets to build whatever we want and mess about or real brick sets that you can buy that we can build in game.
Potential for dlc with lego set builds are insane for this. few bucks for this or multi set theme dlc sets etc.
Could be fun.

[NGCHunter2]

Originally posted by GMC79:

We need one exactly like this but with limited/unimited number brick sets to build whatever we want and mess about or real brick sets that you can buy that we can build in game.
Potential for dlc with lego set builds are insane for this. few bucks for this or multi set theme dlc sets etc.
Could be fun.

Think the main issue with that has been performance so far. Having hundreds or thousands of digital LEGO® parts on the screen at once is taxing, even if some tricks are implemented (like LDD not drawing faces when certain parts touch or using instancing for identical parts in the scene), and that's geometry-only. Good looking shaders or more realistic stuff like scratches, decoloring or imprints like part numbers or the LEGO® copyright (like Mecabricks is currently working on with normal maps) would be even more taxing.

The other issue would be connectivity. As LDD has proven, there are a lot more possible part connections out there than the program allows for, and the AFoL community comes up with dozen new ones of them every day, so unless the sandbox would ignore collission (as pretty much all advanced LEGO® building softwares do currently, like LDraw, Mecabricks or Stud.io), that'd be another huge complication.

And thirdly, part geometry. A lot of LEGO® parts follow certain angle and spacing rules, and some parts are used in unintended ways because their exact shape allows for it (e.g. the old flame elements being able to connect, with the smaller pegs on the side being able to connect into the flame shape), so very exact digital parts (probably based on scan data and then reworked with extensive remodeling) would have to be created - for every LEGO® part out there. It's costly AND time-consuming, and possibly has to be rewored a few times for some parts if errors are detected by the userbase.

But on terms of taxing polycounts: maybe with UE5 and the Nanite feature coming around that might change in the future, so that'd be great to have if TLG ever decides to go for it. Given that they discontinued LDD and didn't really push LEGO® Worlds either, I kinda doubt it, though.

[GMC79]

Yes would be certainly tough and hard for devs to do sets but definately doable and would be fantastic.

[VintenDio]

Originally posted by minas6907:

I just saw this title, looks super chill, very minimalist. How is it we don't have a piece by piece Lego sandbox type game? Watching Builders Journey makes me just want to build with (digital) pieces in a sandbox setting. Anything like this exist?

There is a 3D software made by lego called : Lego Digital Designer

[Samoth]

Originally posted by VintenDio:

Originally posted by minas6907:

I just saw this title, looks super chill, very minimalist. How is it we don't have a piece by piece Lego sandbox type game? Watching Builders Journey makes me just want to build with (digital) pieces in a sandbox setting. Anything like this exist?

There is a 3D software made by lego called : Lego Digital Designer

thanks will be looking at that along with the other suggestion well made from the other poster.
Thank you both! :) May your Lego always align!