Today, the LEGO Group and Asmodee announced their first jointly-crafted board game, Monkey Palace. The game will be officially unveiled to retailers and industry partners at the Nuremberg Toy Fair and will be available for purchase from October 3rd at Spiel Essen, the world’s largest board game convention, and from select leading retailers around the world.
Asmodee is an entertainment leader specializing in board games, committed to bringing people together through great games and amazing stories. Thanks to its global and passionate workforce of over 2,500 people, players around the world enjoy one of the largest board game IP catalogs with CATAN, Ticket to Ride, Dobble/Spot it!, Exploding Kittens, and 365 more across a variety of physical and digital platforms. Headquartered in France (Boulogne-Billancourt), Asmodee operates across Europe, North America, South America and Asia.
Monkey Palace was created by game designers, David Gordon and Tin Aung Myaing, and provides family fun for all ages. It is a jungle-themed game of light strategy tailored for two to four players, incorporating both collaborative and competitive elements.
Players must strategically work together to construct the Monkey Palace while competing for the highest brick income and points, all under the watchful gaze of the Monkey. The palace gradually takes form, resulting in an impressive construction using LEGO elements that players can proudly display at home. The iconic LEGO System in Play means that each time the board game is played, the building experience and final construction are totally unique and different.
Birgitte Bülow, industry veteran and leading the LEGO board game creation team at Asmodee, said: “We’re thrilled to take all LEGO and board game fans on this gaming journey, combining the LEGO Group’s timeless creativity with our passion and expertise in board games. Utilizing the endless possibilities of LEGO bricks was pivotal in designing this game. We believe Monkey Palace offers an extraordinary gameplay experience, blending competition and collaboration for board game enthusiasts worldwide.”
Jaume Fabregat, Board Games Lead, LEGO Publishing, said, “At the LEGO Group, we’re committed to inspiring the builders of tomorrow, which is why we’re so delighted to reveal Monkey Palace in collaboration with Asmodee. The game challenges kids and adults alike to use LEGO elements to build, unbuild and rebuild their palaces, creating a fun play experience where no two games are the same. This latest collaboration allows us to bring even more creative and innovative ways to play.”
This collaboration was the result of extensive research and development undertaken by both companies, with the shared goal of creating new social experiences in play that transcend generations. Together, the LEGO Group and Asmodee aim to discover innovative ways to combine the beloved LEGO System in Play with the socially interactive nature of board games, delivering new and unique play experiences for families and LEGO fans.
What do you think? How do you like the idea of a LEGO board game? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below!
Wow. Okay. I thought LEGO games didn’t do that well. They were great for parts tough.
I believe the old games didn’t do as well because they were too simplistic. If they make them more challenging and complex.
Hmmm. So rather than a gameboard built from Lego, as with previous Lego games, this is a game where building the Lego is part of gameplay. Reminds me of the old Mouse Trap game where you assemble a Rube Goldberg machine.
With Asmodee involved, I hope it has more “meat” than the previous games, but being aimed at all ages and with the examples listed, I don’t find it likely. Hopefully it’s more fun, at least.
I have much more hope for this game than the previous glut of games LEGO released.
For one, it doesn’t seem rushed.
Also, they are partnering with a company rather than individual designers. This means the board game company who’s job it is to market games brings a whole other level of experience to the equation.
I doubt it will more crazy complex, but it will definitely be a leap above the older games.
Given where they plan to debut this game, it’ll be to a rather critical audiance when it comes to board games. So it will need some seriously better game mechanics for it to hold up.
As a huge board game fan, I feel pretty good about this one.
It might be interesting, it might work. I give it the benefit of a doubt.