TBB’s Best and worst LEGO sets of 2024 [Feature]
Here at The Brothers Brick, we review many sets each year, and with over 500 official LEGO sets released in 2024 across every theme, there were certainly a lot of great sets that caught our eye, as well as a few that left us scratching our collective heads wondering what they were thinking. As we reach the end of another year of LEGO it’s time to look back over some of the best, and some of the worst (in our opinion) sets from LEGO to release in 2024. Be sure to let us know in the comments if you have any other nominations for best or worst LEGO sets from this last year.
The worst sets of 2024
LEGO Despicable Me 4 75582 Brick-Built Gru and Minions
When the wave of sets promoting the fourth installment of the Despicable Me franchise was announced, most of the sets were standard play sets with a decent combination of play features and exclusive minifigures, including many minions. The odd one out was the brick-built Gru and minions. While a pretty good value at only 7 cents per part, the large-scale Gru surrounded by bulky minions on a rotating base felt strange.
LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings 10333 Barad-Dûr
Last year’s LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings 10316 Rivendell set a very high bar for LotR display sets, and fans were eagerly awaiting this year’s entry. The lofty tower of Sauron turned out to be a bit underwhelming for many fans who found the interior scenes both awkward and uncharacteristically comical. From the display side, what amounted to a large pile of rocks with a black spire stuck on top failed to measure up to Rivendell for many of our team, and the LEGO community at large.
LEGO Technic 42174 Emirates Team New Zealand AC75 Yacht
The overall construction of this racing yacht was great but with so much of the build relegated to the large sponsor-heavy sail, it felt a bit flat. Add to that the fact that it only had a single simple Technic function to raise and lower the outriggers on either side and the low price per part value and that sinks this one.
LEGO Icons Botanical Collection 10329 Tiny Plants
The botanical theme knocked out some truly amazing sets in 2024, introducing many parts in new and colorful varieties, as well as some very interesting building techniques. The tiny plants set, however, focused heavily on three different styles of small terra-cotta pots while leaving some of the plants to wither on the vine. One plus was a very good price-per-part ratio.
LEGO Marvel 76281 X-Men X-Jet
While LEGO did release a pretty decent (if not a bit small) X-Men mansion this last year, the first X-Men set of the year disappointed fans with a very high price per part (nearly 25 cents). Four minifigure account for some of that cost. There was nothing special about the build, with only a few parts in a new color. This set definitely suffered from the Marvel tax (or more precisely, the licensed IP tax).
The best sets of 2024
LEGO 80112 Auspicious Dragon
In recent years, LEGO has released some amazing Lunar New Year festival sets… with bright colors, plenty of printed elements, and fun cultural scenes suitable for all ages and skills of LEGO builders. The auspicious dragon is an amazing set for the price. The pentagonal tiles printed with dragon scales, the colorful cloud elements, and the base with both rockwork and water made this a very fun build.
LEGO Jurassic World 76964 Dinosaur Fossils: T-Rex Skull
LEGO Jurassic World has released wave after wave of awesome playsets over the years, full of cool vehicles, and cooler dinosaurs. This year they tried something different with this set, which had both a detailed T-Rex skull with moving jaw, and a fossilized T-Rex footprint with a bit of landscape added to the stand. And coming in January, LEGO is releasing another set in the same style. This set has wide appeal for paleontology fans, and is a great value as well.
In the words of our TBB reviewer: “This is the first set in a series, and (I hope) that we’ll get more, because I had a blast with it! It’s not really a playset, but nevertheless, I think this represents excellent value for 40 bucks. Coming in a shade under 7 (US) cents per part, it’s a minor steal if price-per-piece ratio is your preferred metric of choice. If not, the build is interesting (although maybe more so for adults than kids), and it’s a great display piece.”
LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31154 Forest Animals: Red Fox
The creator 3-in-1 theme has produced some pretty great animal sets over the last year, from tigers to giraffes to sea creatures. One of the sets that caught our collective eye was the red fox set, which included a squirrel and an owl as alternate models. For the price and size, these sets often fly under the radar but deliver a great building experience, and even make decent display sets for folks with a more limited amount of space.
In the words of our TBB reviewer: “Sets like LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31154 Forest Animals: Red Fox don’t come along all that often. All three models have both play and display potential, to such a degree that I’m still split between the fox and the owl as to which one is my favorite. The designer’s artistry shines brightly, a brilliance found throughout the build process as hinges are connected and textures are crafted. While not containing anything special, the parts palette sure has plenty of the essentials in great colors, and is top tier for a LEGO Creator set.”
LEGO Icons 10327 Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter
Dune fans had a lot to be excited about when this set was launched. The ornithopter is one of the most unique vehicles in sci-fi, and the many Technic-enabled play features like the retractable landing gear, the lever to open and close the wings, and the simple flapping mechanism all really let it shine. Add to that the amazing line-up of minifigures, the relatively low price, and some outstanding building techniques, and this set has serious chops.
In the words of our TBB reviewer: “This Ornithopter is one of the best sci-fi movie vehicle interpretations LEGO has ever produced. The overall look of the ‘thopter is sleek and powerful. And aside from the substantial wingspan, it would make a fantastic display set in landing configuration, or alongside any of the larger Star Wars vehicles like the Razor Crest or the Millennium Falcon.”
LEGO Icons 10335 The Endurance
When it comes to challenging LEGO creations, most would agree that sea-faring vessels are high on the list. The gently curving hulls built with LEGO can be very hard to get right. The Endurance earns top marks for building techniques, both for the hull, and the sideways-built deck. The many cloth sails and the printed elements add value to this set, which is pretty good at about 9 cents per part. As our review mentioned, unlike many LEGO ships which focus on pirates and navy vessels, the fact that this historic ship has such an unusual history may appeal to a wider audience.
In the words of our TBB reviewer: “ I am squarely within the target audience for a kit like this. I’m fascinated by polar exploration, I love historical models, and boats and ships are some of my favourite things to display. But even with my more neutral reviewer’s hat on, the design of this ship is fantastic. The way it’s built is super interesting, with plenty of unique elements; at times it didn’t feel like I was building a LEGO set. And as if I haven’t said it enough, it looks phenomenal.”
LEGO Ideas 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale
The Dungeons & Dragons set was both highly anticipated, and very well received when it launched. Incorporating plenty of brick-built monsters, interesting play features, and some great architectural details, not to mention a dragon. The tie-in with a D&D campaign added even more to an existing narrative. This set had major nostalgia for many adult LEGO fans who spend countless hours in basement rec-rooms leaning over card tables having grand adventures with friends.
From our TBB reviewer: “Mark, Lucas, and the other designers have put their collective heart and soul into this set and it shows. It’s easily the most narratively complex LEGO set I’ve ever built, and that was before I read the accompanying campaign. Walking through the instructions, with each new bag I cracked open, I felt more and more like I was 11 again, sitting on the floor working on a castle of my own design and the underlying story bringing the build to life.”
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