LEGO NINJAGO Board Game Docks at Gen Con on 30 July

LEGO and Asmodee are turning NINJAGO into a co-operative family board game, and there are real LEGO minifigures in the box. LEGO NINJAGO: Destiny's Bounty Adventures debuts at Gen Con on 30 July before rolling out to shops worldwide, timed to mark 15 years of the ninja theme that launched back in 2011. It plays two to four, is aimed at ages 8 and up, and runs about half an hour, so if your household has both LEGO fans and board gamers, this is squarely aimed at your kitchen table.

Stop juggling Meetup, WhatsApp, and spreadsheets. One platform for your gaming group's events, RSVPs, and member management.

See how it works

The setup is straightforward and kid-friendly. You and your fellow ninja team up to defend the flying ship Destiny's Bounty from waves of attackers, described by Asmodee as everything from serpents and pirates to, in their words, "even a bewildered postman." As you play, you upgrade your skills and lean on each ninja's unique abilities, all built around real LEGO minifigures and pieces in the box. It is a co-operative game, so everyone wins or loses together, which makes it an easy sell for younger players who bristle at being knocked out.

Every copy includes four LEGO minifigures, among them an exclusive Nya you cannot get anywhere else. Slipping a store-exclusive minifigure into a board game is an unusual move, and one collectors will notice. The game comes from Dotted Games, the Asmodee studio set up specifically to make LEGO board games, and it is their third release after the family strategy game Monkey Palace and the party game Brick Like This!.

Run game nights? Backseat Gamer handles RSVPs, waitlists, date polling, and game voting so you can focus on playing.

Start organising for free

After its Gen Con bow, it looks like a tidy gateway into co-operative gaming for families, and a fine excuse to get the kids off screens for an evening. If you fancy turning it into a proper get-together, set up a family game night on Backseat Gamer and see who else in your area is up for it.

Sources: Asmodee | Gaming Trend | Dotted Games