Time to get another Creator 3-in1 review out. While the majority of sets in the current wave are creature builds, a couple are based on real-world objects.
Lets take a look at the 31380 Retro Video Game Console.
This set is one of 2 sets in the current wave that tie into real-world objects, with the hero model setting out to mirror handheld consoles of the nineties and early noughties. The set is aimed at audiences from age 8 and up, has 268 pieces and is priced at $AUD29.99 / $USD19.99 / £17.99 / 19.99€
The 2026 Creator 3in1 sets are due for release on January 1 2026, and I have the full range to review, thanks to the LEGO Group. (All opinions are my own) Among the nine sets due for release, seven depict fish animals or birds in some shape or form, and only only 3 have more than 300 parts. Hopefully, we can get them reviewed in a timely fashion. Today, we will start with 31376 Cute Hamster with Flower.
BUT THAT’S not all. On my recent trip to Denmark, I had the chance to visit the LEGO Campus and catch up with Lennart DuPont Cort, one of the Creator 3in1 designers.
Richard on the left; Lennart Dupont Cort – Creator 3in1 designer on the right.
We had a chat about all sorts of aspects of the Creator 3in1 process, and I will include these details through the 3in1 reviews. We rarely get the chance to talk to members of the Creator 3in1 team, so this was a really exciting opportunity. Special thanks to the Community Engagement team at the LEGO Group for making this happen.
Do you know the feeling of having too much cake with icing and a soft drink? Perhaps you’ve seen the effect such a combination at a children’s party? That is the feeling I got from this set.
The highlight of this set would obviously be the unicorn. As it turns out, this singular unicorn shares its habitat with two pegasi! Although, is this really a habitat? Or something else? I felt confused when building this set, and perhaps that is a good thing.
The ‘due-to-license-issues-officially-not-my-little-pony‘ set, 31175 Unicorn Castle is retailing for AU$59.99/£34.99/$44.99/€39.99 and contains 390 parts and three tiny horse-adjacent creatures. The creatures are probably the main selling point, but there’s quite a bit more in the box; perhaps a bit too much. Read on to see what this set has to offer, and find out if this is for you.
It has been a little while since calling someone by phone actually involved ‘dialling’ their number. This term is still sometimes used, although I suspect the majority of humans in Australia have not had the experience of turning a rotary dial on a phone to make a call since the late 1980’s
The LEGO Group provides us with a neat reminder of what phone calls used to look like with the new Creator 3in1 set 31174 Retro Telephone retailing for AU$39.99/£24.99/$29.99/€29.99 containing 383 parts, so you can have a bit of an idea of how it felt. Or flash back to years gone past…
Although this is a 3-in-1 set, the rotary dial phone is the clear hero of this set. Look no further for improvement in the alternative builds; the other designs feel like an afterthought in comparison. The rotary phone has a nifty design for the dial, and the cable between the handset and the base is worth the price of admission alone! Check out the video to see how the cable seems to defy the rules of the LEGO® system and appear fully flexible.
Read on to see what other phones are on offer and why explore the delight that the rotary phone has to offer.
We have looked at a few creature builds over the last 2 years: the T. Rex, Panda, Kitten, Panda, Safari Animals, a Flamingo, and more – each coming with three options to build. One thing has been apparent: the number of brick designs in play has taken a quantum leap over the last few years. And with each set, the colour palette of these elements expands. Today, we will take a look at another: 31166 Beautiful Horse. Not only do we have the titular horse, but also a dear and bear to build. That said, just about anyone looking at it from a short to moderate distance might well be saying “Medium nougat parts pack”
Let’s take a closer look at this new Creator 3in1 set (provided by LEGO, all opinions are my own)
I have a theory: Creator 3in1 sets and Collectable minifigures are the last bastion of the classic themes that we would love to see the LEGO Group bring back. Some of the August release Creator 3in1 sets – 31167 Haunted Mansion and 31168 The Medieval Horse Knight Castle – both seem to serve my point to a certain extent, calling back to Monster Fighters and Classic Castle, respectively.
In this review, we will look at the new Creator 3in1 31167 Haunted Mansion. This was released on August 1, and comes with 736 pieces and five unique minifigures. It is priced at $AUD149.99/ $USD89.99 / €89.99 / £79.99.
As I set out to review this set, I may have become distracted and started looking at other ‘Haunted Themes’ that we have seen across the years…
I have said it before, and I’ll say it again: I love the LEGO® Creator 3in1 sets: they provide builders with great opportunities to learn about about evolving construction techniques, new elements, or even serve as reminders about established techniques that might be outside our regular repertoire.
Recently, there has been a trend to bring out creator 3in1 sets showcasing specific colours, while building real world objects, decorated with flowers. One of the latest releases, 31172, brings us the options of a record player, a radio and a microphone with vintage styling while highlighting a white and light royal blue, with different bunches of flowers.
Today, after looking at the elements included and the 3 models, we will take a look at some of the handy tips I picked up as I put the record player together. Some were new to me, some were reminders, and all will be useful to someone, I am sure. I’d love to know what you think.
This has been a bumper year for Creator 3in1: Over the past decade, we have seen between 13 and 17 sets (including polybags) released over the course of the year. Here we are at the beginning of March, and that count is already up to 12. We typically see a few sets released around midyear, so I wonder if we will be edging a little higher than average this year.
One thing that has characterised the sets that we have looked at so far this year (31162, 31163,61165) has been the emphasis on organic-looking creature builds, with a limited primary colour palette: we have seen quarter circle curved slope elements emphasised in medium stone grey, tan, and black.
The 31170 Wild Animals Pink Flamingo broadens this palette further with the addition of these curved elements in vibrant coral and a great collection of light purple elements.The box demonstrates 3 models: the titular Flamingo, an axolotl and a galah – a pink parrot renowned for wreaking havoc on both the local landscape and soundscapes here in Australia.
We have been browsing through some of the LEGO Creator 3in1 sets for the January release, particularly those looking at creature builds. I have another today: 31162 Cute Bunny has 326 pieces and will be priced at $AUD29.99/£17.99/$usd19.99/€19.99. There are three builds – a rabbit, a seal pup, and a llama. The LEGO Group provided this set for review purposes, all opinions are my own. Let’s take a closer look.
Continuing our look at some of the upcoming creator sets, today we look at 31163 Playful Cat. This set has 407 pieces and is priced at AUD39.99/USD24.99/€24.99/£19.99. It goes on sale on January 1 2024. This set comes with 3 builds: the playful cat, the puppy, and the pigeon. Let’s take a closer look.
