So, you’re looking for lego games in order. It sounds simple on paper, right? You just grab a list, check the dates, and start playing. But honestly, if you try to play every single Lego game from the beginning of time to right now, you’re going to run into a massive, plastic-brick-shaped wall.
The reality is that "Lego games" isn't just one series. It’s a chaotic explosion of genres that spans decades. We're talking about everything from 1990s educational tools to the massive, open-world licensed juggernauts developed by Traveller's Tales (TT Games). If you want to play them in order, you first have to decide which "order" you actually care about. Most people are looking for the licensed stuff—Star Wars, Batman, Marvel—but the history goes way deeper than that.
The Pre-TT Games Era (1995–2004)
Before Lego Star Wars changed the world in 2005, Lego games were... weird. They were experimental.
The very first one was technically Lego Fun to Build on the Sega Pico in 1995, but almost nobody played that. The real starting point for most of us was Lego Island (1997). It was a first-person open-world game before "open world" was even a buzzword people used at parties. You played as Pepper Roni, a pizza delivery boy. It was janky. It was buggy. It was absolute magic.
Then came the floodgates. Lego Chess (1998) was exactly what it sounds like. Lego Creator (1998) let you just build stuff digitally. But the big one was Lego Racers in 1999. I still remember the frustration of trying to beat Rocket Racer. It held its own against Mario Kart because you could actually build your car brick-by-brick, which affected how it handled.
In 2001, we got Lego Island 2 and Lego Racers 2, along with the first Bionicle games. This was an era of Lego trying to find its voice. They were throwing spaghetti at the wall. Some of it stuck, like Lego Rock Raiders, which was a surprisingly deep real-time strategy game for kids. Some of it, like Lego Stunt Rally, was forgettable.
The Modern Era: Lego Games in Order by Release
This is what most people mean when they talk about lego games in order. In 2005, Traveller's Tales took the Star Wars license and created a formula that they would iterate on for nearly 20 years.
- Lego Star Wars: The Video Game (2005) - The one that started it all. No talking, just grunts and slapstick humor.
- Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (2006) - Improved the hub world and added character customization.
- Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (2007) - Combined the first two with some extra levels. This is still the gold standard for many fans.
- Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (2008) - Introduced the "phobia" mechanic where characters would freeze up (like Indy with snakes).
- Lego Batman: The Videogame (2008) - The first licensed game not based on a specific movie plot, which gave the devs a lot of creative freedom.
- Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues (2009) - Controversial. It tried a new hub world style that didn't land with everyone, and it focused heavily on the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
By 2010, the "Lego formula" was well-established. Break stuff, collect studs, unlock characters, go to "True Jedi" or "True Hero" status. Lego Harry Potter: Years 1–4 (2010) brought a much more detailed hub world in the form of a sprawling Hogwarts.
Then things got bigger. Much bigger.
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (2011) tried to be an RTS game with massive ground battles. It was ambitious, maybe a bit too much for the engine at the time. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean (2011) was gorgeous but felt a bit "more of the same."
The real shift happened with Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (2012). This was the first time the characters actually spoke. Voices! It changed everything. It also gave us a full open-world Gotham City to fly around in as Superman.
The Open World Explosion
Once the characters started talking, the games moved away from simple level-based hubs. Lego City Undercover (2013) is basically "Grand Theft Auto for kids," and I mean that as the highest compliment. It’s arguably the best Lego game ever made because it isn't tied to a movie license—it’s just pure, funny, original content.
Then we hit the heavy hitters:
- Lego Marvel Super Heroes (2013) - Still widely considered the best Marvel game by many, featuring a massive roster and a great version of Manhattan.
- The Lego Movie Videogame (2014) - Tied to the film, using digital bricks for everything in the environment.
- Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (2014) - Took the action to space and featured an absurd amount of DC deep-cuts.
- Lego Jurassic World (2015) - Let you play as the dinosaurs. Need I say more?
- Lego Marvel's Avengers (2016) - Followed the MCU plots more closely than the first Marvel game.
- Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2016) - Introduced cover-based shooting and multi-builds.
The Toys-to-Life Detour
We have to talk about Lego Dimensions (2015). If you’re playing lego games in order, this one is the most expensive. It was Lego’s answer to Skylanders and Disney Infinity. It was a licensing fever dream. You had Batman, Gandalf, and Wyldstyle hanging out with Doctor Who, Sonic the Hedgehog, and the cast of Ghostbusters.
The game was fantastic, but the cost of entry was brutal. You had to buy physical Lego sets to unlock digital content. Eventually, the toys-to-life fad died, and Dimensions was discontinued, but it remains a fascinating piece of Lego gaming history.
🔗 Read more: Vampire The Masquerade Lasombra: Why the Clan of Shadows is More Than Just Goth Tropes
The Recent Heavyweights
After a bit of a lull where we got Lego DC Super-Villains (2018)—which, honestly, has the best character creator in the series—and Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 (2017), the developers took a long break.
They were building something new.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (2022) was a total reinvention. It didn't just add new levels; it rebuilt the entire engine. Third-person over-the-shoulder camera, actual combat combos, and hundreds of planets to visit. It’s the biggest Lego game ever made. It’s so big that it almost makes the older games feel quaint.
But don't overlook the smaller, "artsy" Lego games that have come out recently. Lego Builder's Journey is a meditative puzzle game that looks photorealistic. Lego Bricktales uses a physics-based building mechanic that actually makes you feel like a master builder.
How to Actually Play Them (Practical Advice)
If you really want to tackle the lego games in order, don't just go by year. You'll get burnt out on the formula. Instead, group them by "Evolutionary Steps":
- The Classics: Start with Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga. It’s the foundation.
- The Voice Era: Jump to Lego Batman 2 or Lego Marvel Super Heroes.
- The Open World Era: Play Lego City Undercover.
- The Modern Peak: Finish with The Skywalker Saga.
One thing most people get wrong is thinking these games are "just for kids." Honestly, the humor in Lego City Undercover or Lego DC Super-Villains is packed with references that only adults will catch. They are parody games at their heart.
Why the Order Matters for Completionists
If you are a trophy hunter or a 100% completionist, playing these in order reveals a lot about game design. You see how TT Games struggled with the camera in the early days. You see how they figured out how to make "Free Play" mode less tedious.
The older games (pre-2012) are much shorter. You can 100% Lego Star Wars (2005) in a weekend. Trying to 100% The Skywalker Saga will take you months. Plan accordingly.
Actionable Steps for Your Lego Gaming Journey
- Check for Sales: These games go on sale constantly. Never pay full price for the older titles; you can usually get bundles of 3-4 games for under $20 on Steam, PlayStation, or Xbox.
- Start with a License You Love: If you hate Harry Potter, don't play the Lego version just because it's next on a list. The joy of these games comes from seeing your favorite movies satirized.
- Grab a Controller: Even on PC, these games were designed for controllers. The keyboard controls for Lego Batman are legendary for being frustrating.
- Play Co-op: These are some of the best couch co-op games ever made. The "dynamic split-screen" introduced around 2009 makes it much easier to play with someone who likes to wander off in the opposite direction.
- Mind the Glitches: Especially in the middle-era games (2012-2016), characters can get stuck in walls. Save often, and don't be afraid to restart a level if a script doesn't trigger.
The timeline of Lego games is essentially the timeline of modern family gaming. It’s about the transition from simple 2D concepts to massive, interconnected digital universes. Whether you start with the pizza-delivering Pepper Roni or the lightsaber-wielding Luke Skywalker, you're stepping into a history of design that prioritizes fun over everything else.