LEGO®

HEROICA series launches worldwide and adds to the LEGO Games range. As in a computer game, players battle against evil – and collect weapons and gold.

“Mom, it’s simple!”

While mothers in test groups were still reading the instructions, their sons simply went ahead and started playing the new LEGO® game, HEROICA. As they tried to explain to their moms, getting into the swing of the game was easy. Cephas Howard reports about boys’ spontaneous reaction to HEROICA. He is design manager for LEGO Games, and attended some of the many game tests prior to the launch of the Heroica games.

“The new games draw their inspiration from computer games and adventure games – we’ve just removed the complexity. All boys have played computer games so they know exactly how to play HEROICA,” says Cephas Howard.

The HEROICA series comprises four games. Players begin by building a board of LEGO elements, and each player chooses a hero. There are multiple missions to play, for instance to be the first to reach the target and capture a special artefact like the “Chalice of Life”. Heroes possess different skills and strengths, and on their way to their goal they must fight monsters and overcome other obstacles. On the path they can collect weapons and gold, allowing them to further personalize their heroes. Each player has four “Healths” or “life points” (four red bricks), which they can lose and win back.

“HEROICA brings a new dimension to LEGO Games. So far, we’ve been launching classic, individual games. But what we’re offering now is a series of adventure games – a new world where a story takes place,” says Camilla Haahr, marketing manager for LEGO Games.

The story unfolds in a wordless comic series, which is included in the box, and is supplemented by online stories.

Game can be changed
There’s no mistaking the game’s LEGO pedigree. When children have played a few times, they can rebuild the board and change the rules to suit themselves. The more sets they have, the bigger the missions they can build.

The game appeals to boys – but, as with most games, the whole family can play. Cephas Howard noticed the enthusiasm of mothers in the test groups. As one mom said to her son: “That’s a lot of fun. Now I can understand why you enjoy playing computer games.”

“She could take part in something from the boys’ world and better understand it,” says Cephas Howard, adding that he was actually surprised how many of the mothers took such a positive attitude to the computer inspired games. He reports that the HEROICA game type also appeals to dads to a strong degree and offers a way to play adventure games with their sons at a younger age than possible before.