Licensed video games, otherwise known as games that are based on an existing intellectual property, have a historically bad rep in the industry. That's because most licensed games are made in a short period of time to coincide with the release of a new movie or show, as well as made on a far than below triple A budget. The trend was so infamous that licensed games on both PC and consoles have practically become extinct, with most IP owners choosing to make mobile games or apps for side content rather than a full-fledged game.
Still, every trend, good or bad, has its outliers, and one company in particular has consistently delivered quality titles based on popular brands. That company was Traveller's Tales Games, whose earlier work consisted of the excellent Toy Story and Toy Story 2 games as well as the rather underrated Mickey Mania. Their knack for capturing childlike wonder in the form of video games is probably exactly what led to them forming a partnership with LEGO that has turned out to be so successful, the company now known as TT Games has made almost exclusively LEGO games for the past seventeen years.
Whether you're feeling nostalgic and want to relive some old games or are a new fan who wants to find something fun for yourself or your family, here is every main TT Games LEGO game in chronological order and where you can play them. However, because there are just so many games in this series, were going to limit the list to the ones that are currently most available, so apologies to fans of Bionicle Heroes, LEGO Battles, LEGO Rock Band, LEGO Legends of Chima: Laval's Journey, LEGO Ninjago: Shadows of Ronin, and LEGO Dimensions.
To put it into basic terms, all the games below are ones that you can buy right now on Steam.
LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game (2005)
The game that started it all. Starting out with a franchise as prolific and renowned as Star Wars was the smartest move TT Games could have made, and it's hard to imagine that this was the game they would make that would be the template for almost every game they made after it.
Part of the appeal of LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game was that it emulated the concept of playing LEGOs, with a huge assortment of characters to pick from that could be played in any level after completion utilizing "free play" mode, which would become a staple feature in the series going forward.
Gameplay and graphics-wise, the game was extremely simplistic even for the PS2/Xbox era. It's easy as walking given the young target demographic, with the main difficulty coming from discovering the huge amount of collectibles within each level, much of which required returning to the level with a new character that had a specific ability, which created incredible replay value. The game's charm really shined through in the cutscenes that recreated the scenes from the films. They didn't have full voice acting, so the characters communicated through grunts and expressions, and the game's sense of humor is timeless and still holds up today.
With its huge financial success, a potential sequel following a certain boy on a certain moisture farm was practically guaranteed.
LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (2006)
A mere year after the release of the original, TT Games struck back with a sequel focusing on the classic original trilogy. It wound up being the perfect time to release it since the prequel trilogy's conclusion was still fresh in the public's mind.
LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy was a perfect successor in every way, very much taking an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach. The simple gameplay, entertaining collectible hunting, and the goofy sense of humor all remained intact. Pretty much the only major gameplay addition was the ability to create your own character, adding even more to the sandbox toy aesthetic.
It's a safe bet to say the original Star Wars trilogy was and still is far more popular than the prequel trilogy, and that's probably why the game greatly outperformed the original title. Those wanting to experience the games in their original condition are out of luck unless they managed to get a copy for one of the original systems, but don't worry. There is still a way to experience some of the best Star Wars games ever made
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (2007)
An amalgamation of the first two games, LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga is more than just a double feature package.
There is actually some new content here, such as a large variety of bonus levels that were either cut or changed for the updated version. Now all films from both the prequel and original trilogies are together for fans to enjoy, with all of them technically being on the same disc, granting the ability to fulfill fan fantasies like General Grievous on Hoth or Darth Vader on Geonosis
What makes this title significant is that it's the most common and accessible way to play the games. The two original versions aren't readily available so getting them all within one package deal plus the bonus content makes this the definitive way to play the games that started this dynasty.
LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (2008)
TT Games had obviously run out of Star Wars movies to "LEGOify," so they were now faced with the ultimate question: Can the formula they used for LEGO Star Wars be applied to other franchises? The answer was a resounding yes, but they still kept things close to the chest by adapting another Lucasfilm property.
LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures translates the original trilogy of, you guessed it, Indiana Jones. As far as what it does differently from LEGO Star Wars, honestly not much, but that's probably exactly what TT Games wanted. Their biggest hope with this game was to see if their LEGO games could survive beyond a galaxy far, far away, yet still faithfully replicate the style and aesthetic of the films they're based around.
LEGO Batman: The Video Game (2008)
Without even waiting a full year, another huge franchise was affected by TT Games's infectious charm, showing that even someone as down in the dumps as the Caped Crusader isn't immune to some lighthearted LEGO fun.
While yes this is obviously based on one of the most well-known fictional characters today, LEGO Batman: The Video Game differs from the Star Wars and Indiana Jones interpretations in the sense that it doesn't directly follow the Batman films (though there are a couple subtle nods to the Burton and Schumacher movies). This gave TT a bit more legroom to experiment a bit, inserting more original ideas and adding characters from the Batman mythos that aren't as well-known such as Clayface and Man-Bat.
LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues (2009)
2009 was a busy year for TT Games, and sadly many fans would say that their hectic schedule trickled into LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues, which is regarded by many as one of the weaker entries.
Like the original LEGO Star Wars, the game was made to coincide with the release of a new entry in the IP, this time being Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (which is another installment that fans of the series aren't too fond of). Not only does the Crystal Skull content feel stretched thin with fifteen levels, but TT also decided to remake levels from the previous films which also just felt like filler. Still, a LEGO game is still a LEGO game, and the game's expansive hub worlds are a welcome addition that would be expanded upon later.
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (2010)
TT Games came out swinging when it came to their next project, as LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 isn't just a strong LEGO game, it's possibly the best Harry Potter game ever.
Despite the obvious LEGO aesthetic, LEGO Harry Potter really does invest you into the Wizarding World of the magical films. The hub world is a Potter fan's dream, being able to roam around the halls of Hogwarts, even attending classes and learning new spells in between the more classic levels. Pretty much the only complaint anyone would have with the game is that you can't play Quidditch.
LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (2011)
The year 2011 was a huge year for TT Games, as they would go on to release three full-fledged games in a single year.
The first was another Star Wars game, this time being LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, based on the early episodes and seasons of the popular Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. It's another LEGO Star Wars adventure so that's probably enough to get people excited, but the game even pushes the envelope a bit with a simple, yet still decently fun RTS mode, where you can command units in strategy-based levels.
LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (2011)
The list of franchises Lego brought its charm to grew once again when TT Games formed their first collaboration with Disney to take on the high seas high jinks of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game takes players through the first four films, living out the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew of scallywags. Jack Sparrow is a significant piece here, as while the game still lacks full voice acting, Johnny Depp himself actually provided the grunts and yells for his trademark character within the game. The rest is what you'd expect from a LEGO game, though it's a shame it didn't try to create a more engaging hub world where the Caribbean had a bit more to discover.
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (2011)
TT Games completed their 2011 hat trick with LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, concluding the epic story of the boy who lived.
Players here not only get to rediscover Hogwarts once again but also get to delve deeper in the worlds outside the school, especially once reaching the Deathly Hallows sections. It's a faithful continuation of the last LEGO Harry Potter game, but it is a bit of a shame that there wasn't a combination game like LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga. There is a collection, but it's just the two separate games for a package deal rather than a new experience (the collection is also the most common way to find the two games).
LEGO Batman 2: DC Superheroes (2012)
Coming four years after the original LEGO Batman game, LEGO Batman 2: DC Superheroes marks the biggest shakeup to the LEGO game formula yet.
Most noticeably, the formerly mute LEGO minifigures are now fully voiced, moving away from exclusively using visual humor. The decision was polarizing at first to fans, as the lack of dialogue added to the charm of the games, but the feature has since been improved and welcomed in future games. Secondly, LEGO Batman 2 features Gotham City as a massive open world to explore. The linear, classic levels with their tricky collectibles are still there, but now an entirely new layer of exploration exists in the hub world of Gotham, chock-full of bonus characters and vehicles to find.
LEGO The Lord of the Rings (2012)
Not even a year had passed before TT began injecting the new ideas introduced into their next project, now being applied to the fantasy world of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.
LEGO The Lord of the Rings does include voice acting, but this time most of its dialogue is ripped straight out of the movies instead of new recordings, meaning you now get to see the "One doesn't simply walk into Mordor" line from Sean Bean in LEGO form just like Tolkien intended. Fans also loved being able to traverse around the absolutely massive open world of Middle-Earth, once again fulfilling the fantasies of a wealth of fantasy fans.
LEGO City: Undercover (2013)
A lot of fans seem to forget about LEGO City: Undercover, and that's probably because it started as an exclusive to the underperforming console, the Wii U. Those who have played it praise the game, calling it the Grand Theft Auto of LEGO games.
The first LEGO game in a while to focus on an existing LEGO brand instead of a movie or show, LEGO City: Undercover is a classic detective story following Chase McCain as he tries to stop the dastardly escaped convict, Rex Fury. It may sound generic, but the open-world shows that TT Games has only improved with the novel concept. It's also one of the funniest games they've made, with some witty jokes and fun pop-culture jabs.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (2013)
After the success of the LEGO Batman games, it was only a matter of time until a project focusing on DC Comics's biggest rival entered the fray, and so it did with LEGO Marvel Super Heroes.
With the Marvel dynasty created by the MCU showing no signs of slowing down any time soon, a game focusing on Earth's Mightiest Heroes made perfect sense. It's another case of a title not just being a great LEGO game, but also a great Marvel game, celebrating all facets of the Marvel universe including The Avengers, X-Men, Spider-Man, and The Fantastic Four. Even more obscure characters like Black Bolt and Howard the Duck are represented here, so there's really something for both casual fans and hardcore comic enthusiasts.
The LEGO Movie Video Game (2014)
Much like the smash-hit feature film that it's based on, The LEGO Movie Video Game very much feels like a celebration of LEGO as a whole.
While the game was certainly made to go along with the release of The LEGO Movie, TT Games clearly took a lot of effort to make the game feel consistent with the movie. Most of the previous games had the LEGO characters in photorealistic environments with occasional LEGO bricks sewn throughout. Here, almost every single environment looks like it was made entirely of LEGOs, and the characters move in a more restricted, stop-motion-like manner.
LEGO The Hobbit (2014)
The LEGO adaptation of The Lord of the Rings' prequel was an unexpected journey that didn't make it there and back again.
Strangely enough, instead of just waiting for The Hobbit trilogy to finish, TT Games adapted only the first two films. Granted most Tolkien fans agree that the trilogy was too long to begin with, the game just feels weirdly incomplete and doesn't do much to differentiate itself from the prior LEGO Tolkien game. Plus it seems very unlikely that a Battle of the Five Armies game will get made any time soon. A DLC for the third film was planned, but was unfortunately canceled, leaving the game to feel like an incomplete experience.
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (2014)
The third LEGO Batman game does exactly what the title promises, taking The Dark Knight on an intergalactic adventure.
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham also focuses far more on the wider DC universe rather than just Batman himself. Perhaps taking a page from Marvel Super Heroes, there is a huge variety of characters on display, ranging from well-known names to fan favorites from every facet of DC's history in comics, films, shows, and more.
LEGO Jurassic World (2015)
Much like the characters in the hit sci-fi films, TT Games probably noticed that there just weren't enough dinosaurs in their world.
Welcome to LEGO Jurassic World, the latest hit franchise to get the LEGO treatment. Unlike most of the other games, this installment pumps the breaks on the action-heavy focus a bit. Instead, there's a much wider focus on puzzles and problem-solving, which makes sense given that most of these beloved characters aren't really fighters (except the brick hungry dinos of course).
LEGO Marvel's Avengers (2016)
While far from a horrible game, LEGO Marvel's Avengers feels very much like a step-down from the last Marvel game.
The game's general concept is fairly interesting, supposedly following the MCU films rather than just the comics in general. The result is a game that feels similar to LEGO Marvel Super Heroes but lacks the huge amount of variety and characters from that installment. Had the game gone a bit further with the MCU angle, it probably would have been far more interesting.
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2016)
Much like LEGO The Hobbit, LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens feels like it was made out of a lack of patience for just letting a trilogy finish first.
Since it only follows one movie, the campaign here is one of the shortest of any LEGO game, but to be fair there are a good amount of side levels that detail what some characters were up to during, before, and after some of the film's events. Almost the entire cast also returns to bring their voice talents to their iconic roles, including Harrison Ford himself as everyone's favorite scruffy-looking nerf-herder.
LEGO Worlds (2017)
Probably sick and tired of having their brand compared to one of the most popular games on the planet, LEGO Worlds is absolutely LEGO's answer to Minecraft.
In a lot of ways, it's the most creative and open game TT Games has ever made, with a huge and vast procedurally generated world with numerous biomes, all of which can be destroyed, built, and edited in several ways. The game faced some criticism for the clunky controls, but there are still tons of collectibles to collect and characters to unlock that still make it feel like a LEGO game.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game (2017)
The LEGO Batman Movie probably didn't get its own game because it would have created confusion amongst the already existing LEGO Batman trilogy. The long-running LEGO Ninjago brand is a whole other story, being far too popular at LEGO to not be capitalized on through a game.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game was one of the more forgettable LEGO films, and as such, this is one of the more forgettable LEGO games. It has a decent and fluid combat system and has a bit more content than expected, but it's one of the few TT Games where the movie tie-in feels far too prevalent.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 (2017)
The proper LEGO Marvel sequel beat the MCU itself by a couple of years by tapping into the unlimited potential of the multiverse.
In its interesting story and concept of the worlds of the multiverse being combined by the sinister Kang the Conqueror, there is a ton of room for familiar Spider-Verse stars like Spider-Gwen and Spider-Man 2099 as well as wholly unique ideas like the Venom/Carnage hybrid, Carnom. The open-world is also fascinating, being a combination of different universes instead of just a normal-looking New York City.
LEGO The Incredibles (2018)
In what could wind up being the first of many collaborations with Pixar, LEGO The Incredibles sees the Parr family fighting crime in LEGO form.
Though it gets off to a weird start by starting with Incredibles 2 instead of the original, the game really does encapsulate the satirical charm of these beloved movies. There are also a large variety of non-Incredibles Pixar characters who make cameo appearances as playable characters, perhaps fueling hope that we might get a LEGO Toy Story game someday.
LEGO DC Super Villains (2018)
For what was the first time since the original LEGO Batman, LEGO DC Super Villains shows things from the perspective of the DC Comics rogues gallery.
Although it's not just Batman villains this time, with some of the Justice League's greatest foes like Lex Luthor, Darkseid, Gorilla Grodd having significant roles in the wacky plot. If you'd rather play as the good guys, however, don't worry. The usual suspects can still be unlocked in an expansive selection of characters.
The LEGO Movie 2 Video Game (2019)
You get exactly what you expect with The LEGO Movie 2 Video Game.
It's nice to see the similar aesthetic from the other LEGO Movie game applied to the sequel with virtually everything being made of LEGO bricks, and the inclusion of the LEGO Friends line as playable characters was a nice touch. Unfortunately, this was a point in the franchise where it was clear that innovation needed to occur...
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (2022)
Traveller's Tales's latest may very well be their greatest, returning to the franchise that started their journey with LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.
For the first time ever since 2005, TT Games broke their streak of releasing at least one game a year to fulfill their ambitious vision for Skywalker Saga. With the reactions and reviews so far, the wait was well worth it. All nine movies, dozens of planets to explore, and hundreds of characters, this is the amalgamation of nearly two decades of game design. With new gameplay and visuals that have injected new life into the brand, fans surely cannot wait to see what TT Games does next.