LEGO Party took me completely by surprise. The party genre is already filled with gems, so it’s hard to build excitement about a new entry. But boy, did that change quickly once I got the controller in my hands.
It might just be the best Mario Party-style game ever made — and it’s being developed right here in Australia by SMG Studio, the team behind Moving Out.
Everything I experienced during my brief hands-on time was high quality and… Awesome.
The comparisons to Mario Party are unavoidable: interactive boards dice rolls, power-ups, coins (studs), and stars (gold bricks). But instead of feeling like a copy, it feels like a confident rival. It’s surprising no one has tried to challenge Nintendo in this space before, but SMG Studio has stepped up — and nailed it.
Minigames
There are 60 minigames to dive into, ranging from simple, kid-friendly challenges to tougher skill tests. In one, I used a grappling hook to swing across a cavern further than my opponents. Another had me in a Rocket League-inspired spaceship battle. I raced in a Ski Free (what a throwback) snowboarding challenge, guessed LEGO creations in a whirlwind of bricks, and even played mini golf with every player swinging at once. From what I tried, there wasn’t a single dud stud.
What stood out most was how inclusive the mini-games felt. Even if you’re knocked out early, you’re never truly sidelined — you can still help or sabotage other players.
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The board I played on felt well thought out and alive. We went six rounds on a pirate cove themed board. Along with the stereotypical Mario Party flair, there’s still a tonne of originality. Some spaces allow you to build to elements to the board, like a pirate cove or ship.
Voice Acted
Another standout was the voice acting. The game is set on a TV game show, with players battling it out for a trophy. SMG Studio says there’s over 13,000 lines of dialogue — it’s comedy gold.
From little lines to break up turn transitions, encouragement for those in last place and general banter between the hosts of the show. Some of the jokes are VERY dad joke coded, but I’m all here for it.
Customisable Outfits
LEGO Party is stacking up to be the full package. There are no microtransactions, no planned DLC, and all mini-games are available from the moment you boot up. The focus is purely on winning, unlocking new minifigs, and having fun. According to the developers, there are “a gazillion combinations” of outfits — their way of saying it’s practically endless. I chose to spice it up as the man in a chilli costume.
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Is there cross-play?
Cross-play is fully supported across Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, so no matter the console, you can play together. There’s also four-player couch co-op, which is how I first experienced the game with other local media in Melbourne.
LEGO Party is looking to create a truly authentic LEGO experience. Every element — down to the game’s logo — has been approved by LEGO itself. SMG Studio says they had to send a video of them creating their logo and testing its structure to get it approved by LEGO. If it can’t be built in real life, it won’t appear in the game.
So far, everything is awesome. But we’ll have to wait and see how the full game builds together.
LEGO Party launches on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch on September 30th.
