Invent your own biome

• Age: 6+
• Time (minutes): 30-45 min... or as long as you want
• Number of people: 2+

In some games, they’re known as biomes. In others, they’re called worlds, environments, levels... They’re the realms that kids love to explore and play through. They can look lush, cozy, menacing, futuristic – if kids can imagine it, there’s almost certainly a gaming world based on it. 

And now you can build your family’s very own biome. Just the way you (and your kids) like it. 

We’ve partnered with the unstoppably creative @CheeseyStudios to give you a simple step-by-step guide on how to build the perfect gaming mini-world. You can do this with whatever bricks you have at home – but if you want to build the exact same biome you see in the video, you can enter ‘LEGO® Pick a Brick’ in the search box, order the bricks online and get them delivered to your home. 

Ready to build? Let’s go!

Steps to building your biome

STEP 1: Discover your color scheme

As a family, you get to pick what color – or colors – you want your biome to be. Will you go for a moody monochrome theme, a vibrant tutti-frutti multicolor vibe or something in between? Your biome, your rules.

STEP 2: Land on a shape

Will your mini-world be mostly made out of cubes, like the example here? Maybe you’re partial to big, chunky rectangles (and who could blame you, rectangles rule!). Maybe it’s a big, beautiful chaotic hodgepodge of shapes and you make it up as you build along.

STEP 3: Plant some vegetation

Plant life is fundamental. A few plants here, a few more over there – oh look, a whole bunch of plants right around the corner! Flowers are a big yes as far as we are concerned. Don’t have flower pieces at hand? Just build some. Anything can be a flower. Or a plant.

STEP 4: Add. More. Plants!

Now for the trees. You gotta have some trees! The good thing is, you make the tree rules: tall, short, green, pink, upside down, inside out (an inside-out tree? Now you’re thinking like a gamer!). Oh, and don’t forget the fruit. Games often have collectable fruit hanging around. Go bananas.

STEP 5: Bring on the critters

Your biome is by now looking like an absolute stunner, no doubt. Now it’s time to open it up to creatures, characters and visitors. Here you may spot a few chameleons – maybe yours has pandas, or cats or a motley crew of pirate minifigures? We go by a ‘the more the merrier’ rule, but you do you.