No, you won’t hear the sound of sneakers squeaking on a gymnasium floor or the satisfying bounce sound of one of those heavy rubber balls slamming into your opponent’s face. In Mark Erickson‘s version of the game, all you’ll hear is the plunk of bowstrings, arrows whizzing past your head, and cheers from the blood-thirsty cheers. Sounds like fun… I guess.

I love that Mark included loose “arrows” scattered across the ground and stuck in the walls of his LEGO scene. They give this simple little scene a sense of mayhem and chaos.

“Dwarven Trade in Dale” by soccorsnyderi is a brilliant little snapshot of life from J.R.R. Tolkein’s fictional city. It was inspired by the architecture of Dale from The Hobbit, as well as a rendition of Venice by fellow builders Jonas Kramm and The Brick Vader. Everything about this entry for the Traveling Salesman category of the Colossal Castle Contest is captivating. A Lord surveys the goings on from the guarded manor house while a parrot rests on a finely detailed roof, and dwarven weapon-smiths hawk their goods to eager customers in this busy little corner of Middle Earth. There is so much going for it, I can’t decide what I like the most, the angled building, the beautifully textured walls, the sloping street or the upside down roof.

The building techniques used demonstrate not only the versatility of LEGO bricks, but the builder’s clever creative techniques and attention to detail. The three buildings each have completely different designs, but clearly still belong on the same street. Did I mention they all have full interiors too?

To quote the creator himself: “The dwarves of Erebor sell many of their fine wares in Dale before continuing on their sales circuit to Mirkwood. Their skill in smithing and quarrying fine gems is well known.”