Games can provide inspiration for LEGO builders, although its often videogames rather than their more old-school cousin, the board game. Simon NH, however, has taken Settlers of Catan as his muse, and it has prompted a wonderful island scene, which ironically wouldn’t look out of place in a medieval real-time strategy game on PC! The landscaping grabs the initial attention, with a lovely colour gradient around the shoreline and excellent rockwork. But it’s the buildings which hold the eye, rewarding a closer look at some of the fabulous building techniques on display.

Don’t miss the use of (many) minifig hands as an effective straw roof on the monastery, and the smartly-built little cross on the spire…

And the Town Hall has a wonderful Nordic feel to it, with effective use of boat hulls in the roof, and brilliant wall texturing. Those columns at the front door — beautiful!

One last thing, Simon says (!) this scene contains every current LEGO colour. See if you can spot them all!