The best video game Lego sets

Lego has long catered to cinephiles, particularly those with a penchant for lightsabers and X-Wings, but it’s only in the last few years that the world’s best known toy company has started really paying attention to video games. And if you’re a Lego-loving gamer in 2023, you really are spoiled for choice.

From intricate adult builds aimed at those who cut their teeth playing Pong in arcades, to kid-oriented brick-built recreations of the Mushroom Kingdom, there’s something to tempt gamers of all ages (and budgets), and we only expect that range to expand. For now, though, here are the best video game-themed Lego sets you can currently buy, with the ranking order to be determined by you lot.

Best video game Lego sets

The Sega vs. Nintendo feud that dominated the ‘90s might be slightly less intense these days, but if you’re a Lego fan with an allegiance to the former, you can let everyone know with this Sonic the Hedgehog set. The included Blue Blur minifig can be positioned anywhere on this brick-built recreation of Green Hill Zone, the most recognisable Sonic level of them all, complete with a bridge loop, a lever-activated spring, and several golden rings. Dr. Eggman is buildable too, as well as his Eggmobile. A must-have for all the Mega Drive heads.

Chances are your real-life NES is either gathering dust in the attic somewhere, or was flogged in a car boot sale years ago, but thanks to Lego, you can display a perfect replica in your living room and let everyone know your retro credentials. This incredible set comes in two parts: you’ve got the legendary console itself, with its unmistakable two-tone grey colourway and boxy design, complete with a life-sized controller that plugs into a port on the front; and a 1980s-style TV on which you recreate the opening level of Super Mario Bros., which actually scrolls as you move Mario with the buildable handle. Amazing stuff.

When it’s closed up, this tribute to the most iconic 3D platformer of them all isn’t as interesting to look at as some of the other sets in this list. Flip it open, though, and you’ll find four wonderfully detailed miniature builds, each based on a level from the N64 game. Princess Peach’s Castle naturally sits at the heart of it all, but you’ll also build Bob-omb Battlefield, Cool, Cool Mountain and Lethal Lava Land, as well as hidden sections that hide underneath. We also really like the tiny eyeless Mario microfigure that you can place anywhere you like on the finished article.

There are now countless extension sets that make up the Lego Mario line, including the new Donkey Kong one mentioned elsewhere in this list. But if you have a youngster who wants to start their own collection, the Adventures with Mario Starter course is where to begin. It comes with an interactive Lego Mario figure that can be moved about on a suitably gamified re-buildable course, with enemies to overcome and seven action bricks that trigger different reactions from the plumber. A nifty app includes step-by-step building guides.

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Matt Tate is a freelance journalist and contributor at for Shortlist. Formerly Stuff Magazine’s news editor and based in the UK, he’s been writing about consumer tech for around eight years, with a particular focus on gaming.

For his sins, Matt is a huge Tottenham Hotspur fan and unfortunately spends a lot of his time scanning his published work for Spurs-related digs that may have been slyly inserted by editors. Otherwise, he’s often buying Lego sets he can no longer accommodate and trying to perfect his carbonara recipe. He can be found tweeting (mostly about football and video games) at @MattWTate.