They say that dogs are humankind’s best friend. That rings true in several walks of life, and among the elderly, they can be a vital source of companionship. But as Sigmund Haugland‘s LEGO vignette proves, they’re just as useful in times of emergency! All it takes is a little ingenuity- and I’m not just talking about those forced perspective portraits. A defective stairlift is no match for a fishing pole and a doggy treat!
The long-awaited Hollow Knight spin-off, Silksong, is slated to finally come out later this year. (It’s really happening this time, right? Right?!) It’s been a long wait, but it has allowed LEGO builders such as DJ (GioiaLego) to hone their craft and bring the roguelite to life in brick form. This is one of the first locations you see in the game: Cornifer & Iselda’s map shop. It can be difficult to translate 2D designs into LEGO’s 3D nature, but this is a terrific execution! The parts choice for the Hollow Knight is perhaps most noteworthy; purists may not be keen on the dots added to the crash helmet, but there’s no escaping what a perfect choice the spike is for its nail weapon!
Silksong is coming any day now, honest – but until then, you can pass the time browsing our archives of other Hollow Knight builds.
There’s something hopelessly romantic about travelling through Mediterranean towns where medieval walls and ancient ruins mingle with modern life. Y.R. Bricks captures that contrast and charm with a slice of seaside life LEGO. The builder’s stonework is flawless, with a mix of profile bricks, SNOT and subtle offsets for a texture that looks like it’s endured for centuries without crumbling into rubble. The use of color is phenomenal, such as carrying the pink accent from the cherry blossom tree over to the flowers in pots and climbing vines.
As an extra challenge, the builder also fit in a cafe interior, which looks so specific and detailed, I feel like I’ve been there! Tips for any visiting American minifigs – coffee = espresso, asking for “half and half” will only get you confused looks, and why would you ask for your drink to go when you can grab a spot and savor it by the sea?
2025 is turning out to be a banner year for LEGO dragons, with sets like 31161 Medieval Dragon,
71847 Guardian Dragon, and 10375 Toothless, but our favorite dragons are the ones hatched up by brilliant builders like FS Leinad here. This MOC on a rock pulls big personality from surprisingly few parts. Folded wings and a curved neck made from simple arches and plates pair with Bionicle forearms. The scene-stealing NPU (nice parts usage) is the dragon’s face, brilliantly made from robot arms tucked inside an Atlantean squid warrior head piece. Excellent use of verticality makes this 12×12 vignette seem much larger than the footprint would suggest. The dragon has the knight on his back, but the big lizard looks more curious than murderous. I hope these two work things out without resorting to violence.
FS Leinad built this “Encounter” as an early entry into the 2025 Summer Joust, which runs through August 1.
No stranger to The Brothers Brick, Andrew Tate showcases this terrific LEGO build of an old-timey truck with a vignette that is the very picture of rural life. While I don’t believe this is meant to be any specific make or model, Andrew’s use of the 2×6 train windscreen element is an absolutely perfect choice for capturing the character of a truck of this vintage. For me, the whole scene is reminiscent of the nostalgic mid-century pre-war “when and where is this exactly?” idealized look of a Studio Ghibli film, and I’m really digging it. I’d love to get a behind the scenes look at a couple areas of this build, especially the supports of those beautifully spaced fence pickets, and those lovely wheel hubs.
This started as a quick contest entry. Just one little diorama for the LEGO Ideas “Picture Perfect Memories” challenge. I thought I’d build a single model—frame it up like a Polaroid, submit it, and move on with my life.
Instead, I made six.
And who among us hasn’t gotten carried away and spent the whole night building? For me, there was something satisfying about having small ideas in my head that I could actually finish. Each one took a couple of hours. Nothing sprawling. Just compact moments, built quickly and intentionally.
I like building small. It forces you to be economical, which I think can be more impressive than going big. It also lets you focus on what really matters—telling a story.
Each of these builds is based on something that happened in my life, or something close to it. They’re impressions. Memories, simplified and captured in plastic. And in sharing them, I hoped to set a kind of template—something other people might follow to build their own.
This public market style bike shop by adotnamedstud uses the metal gate element to attach shingles along different angles for a great weathered look. The addition of a small utility pole, a satellite dish, and rooftop foliage adds visual interest. I also like the compact tool drawer in front, made with modified tiles.
There are LEGO vignettes that tell a story, and then there are LEGO vignettes that put you in the room. darth_bjorn puts you in the room of Rothana Heavy Engineering. The clean reflective floor, the dark red leaves, the gray mixed in with the dark bluish-gray pieces, the large windows right out of Star Wars designs…that all pull you straight into this intense scene where an alliance is being struck. At this point, I’m probably required to sign the business deal being negotiated, but we’ll see how it plays out.
LEGO builder Monty Matte gave himself a challenge with some simple rules. On the left, he tickles our nostalgia bone with a layout straight out of a Classic Space set from the 1970’s. To the right, the same theme but using an array of modern parts and techniques. Each sits on a 16×16 plate while between them resides some sort of time portal linking the two worlds. Together, you have an interesting composition that highlights progression in LEGO history and offers what looks like some fun playability. The minifigure on the right appears to be an adult building an environment that reflects his childhood. This holds a sweet spot in the hearts of any grown-ass adult with a LEGO room- so basically, everyone in my contact list.
Now, my memory is not what it used to be. Heck, only last week I found a LEGO set I forgot that I stashed in the bathroom (don’t ask). And although I recall Yoda, Dagobah, and “I am your father” from The Empire Strikes Back, I’m not sure Grogu was there… But ABrickDreamer (whom you may recognize from our This Week in Bricks features) has recreated this scene from the movie, and there Grogu is, so I must be misremembering. How did no-one pick up on that at the time? He’s even called Baby Yoda! Come to think of it, wasn’t there a Mandalorian in that movie, too…?
When you look at this cute corner shop with a cherry tree in full blossom by JakobKaiserMOCs the attention to detail stands out, from the scattering of pink flower elements as fallen blossoms to the balcony on the second floor with a small bird perched on the railing. I think my favorite detail is the roof pattern, made using baseplates from the Dungeons and Dragons collectible minifigure series.
Jakob built this model live on camera, which you can go back and watch to learn about the techniques or find zen.
Steampunk fandom has been well represented in LEGO fan creations over the years, but it wasn’t until the latest line of Collectible Minifigs that the Victorian fantasy genre got its due with an official set. Builder Ciamosław Ciamek gives the Steampunk Inventor figure a fitting place to work his mechanical magic with this wonderful workshop where a “Hedgehog” Steambot Walker is under construction. The walker itself is a fun build, incorporating Bionicle spines, buildable character armor, and chunky mech legs over the traditional Steampunk colors of brass and wood. I also like the mix of visiting minifigs, here to appraise this autonomous steam-powered machine.
