Sometimes, with all the licensed properties and amazing in-house themed models, it’s hard to remember that LEGO is also meant for those who would rather create their own things. That’s why I’m so fond of DOTS – it’s a call to the artistically inclined to get to building. We’ve shared several reviews of the DOTS Extra DOTS booster packs, but now LEGO is also offering a cost-effective way to quickly add 1040 pieces into your parts bin. DOTS 41935: Lots of Dots is available now from the LEGO Shop Online for US $19.99 | CAN $24.99 | UK £17.99. We bought a copy, so come along as we take a look at just what makes up “Lots of Dots”!
Unboxing the parts
The packaging for the set is very colorful, with a callout that there are “1000+” pieces in the upper right, and a part count of “1040” in the lower left. Thanks to the LEGO practice of “over filling”, the set actually contains closer to 1084 – as our copy had a spare of each of the 44 different elements. The age range is listed as “6+”, which matches the age range on most DOTS products.
The back of the box has a variety of images showing how this set can “Boost” the other models in the DOTS line. Its an interesting bit of balancing – LEGO had to make it clear that those other sets aren’t included, which may be why they went with a very large and obvious parts list on the left.
Inside the thumb-punch box are eleven part bags and two “inspiration” sheets.
The “inspiration sheets” have some great ideas for pattern designs, as well as a DOTS-based font along the bottom of the yellow insert.
The parts
As noted earlier, the box has the parts list printed on the back. There are 44 different elements included, with either 20 or 30 copies of each. Considering most models will only provide you with 3 or 4 of a given element, getting them in bulk is a must for larger designs.
There are 15 colors of 1×1 quarter-circle tile, all of which are fairly common. There are 13 colors of 1×1 square tile, the rarest of which is the vibrant coral shade, released in 7 sets so far. The 1×1-half circle tile claims another 7 slots, again with the vibrant coral being the rare color, with only 2 appearances. (Purple was a close second with only 4 appearances)
The remaining 9 elements are all 1×1 round tiles – the actual “DOTS” – with coral (4 sets), lavender (8 sets) and aqua (8 sets) being standouts. The real rarity, though, is the teal dot – previously only available in the ultimate parts pack of the 31203 World Map.
Each of the parts bags contains a mix of four elements. I have mixed feelings about this. Four parts is a small enough sample that sorting wasn’t too big of a hassle, and it’s probably for the best that LEGO didn’t add even more packaging to this kit. However, it was still a pain to have to sort out all 1084 parts, and grabbing just the colors/shapes that I needed for a project wasn’t possible. Worse still, LEGO didn’t make sure there were four unique colors in each bag. As you can see here, one bag had both the teal 1×1 rounds and squares, and the blue quarter- and half-circles. A real pain to make sure you’re not mixing up shapes in your final piles.
The sorted piles
In the below photos, each row is a single, sorted, parts bag. Since there are 20-30 of each part, the piles are all pretty uniform.
For my building and organization style, I ended up using minifigure-sized bags to organize the various parts for future use. (Aside from the ones I needed right away, anyway.)
Conclusion and recommendation
These days I’m pretty focused on creating mosaics in the LEGO Art style, so when I heard there was a “Lots of DOTS” pack on the way, I was pretty elated. That joy was tempered a bit in that there aren’t really all that many “DOTS” in this set – they make up less than 25% of the included elements. But the DOTS theme isn’t just about 1×1 round tile – it’s also about the other 1×1 detail elements, too. And this set certainly delivers there. 20-30 copies of each element is almost enough to satisfy my large-creation cravings, but should be plenty for more sane builders. And, considering the ~.02 cents US per-part price ratio, picking up a second or third copy shouldn’t break the bank. The color selection is really great, even if LEGO could have snuck in an exclusive color or two to really make this set special.
Overall, this is an excellent way to expand your DOTS collection. If you’re a detail-focused LEGO builder, a fan of the DOTS theme, or just like having a thousand tiny pieces ready to be lost in the carpet, this is the set for you.
LEGO DOTS 41935: Lots of Dots is available now from the LEGO Shop Online for US $19.99 | CAN $24.99 | UK £17.99. It is also available via third-party sellers on Amazon and eBay.
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