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LEGO Ideas

Winners announced

The LEGO® NINJAGO® & 1-Button Game Challenge

Can you create a digital game, which plays using only one button? In this contest, we’re looking for entertaining one button games which can be played again and again.

But what is a one button game? Simply, a game that only has one button to play. So it could be timing your jumps, double tapping or holding to charge or load something, all using the same button in game!

Link to one button example: Here is a great example.

With the free LEGO Microgame from Unity, you can create and personalize a game that is either:

  • A LEGO NINJAGO-themed game
  • A game with a theme of your choice (Use of third-party IPs is NOT allowed)
  • A behavior bricks-only game (No additional scripting)
    • NOTE: Please start your title with either NINJAGO:, ORIGINAL:, or BEHAVIOR BRICKS:. So we know which category you're entering.

The winners of this contest will get the amazing chance to have their game playable in LEGO Retail stores.

Never built a game? No problem! Just download Unity and the free LEGO Microgame to get started. Are you an advanced game developer? Bring it on and show your skills as the LEGO Microgame offers unlimited creative possibilities, so treat it like any other game project, but with LEGO bricks in it. Are you a keen Studio builder? Import your builds to the game. We can assure you - you’ll never run out of bricks.

Once you've built your game, come back to LEGO Ideas and show off your game! Create a trailer, make posters, share screenshots. Make your game look as interesting as possible!

How to participate?

New Users: On a laptop or personal computer, visit Unity’s dedicated LEGO Microgame page and click Get Started at the top.

If you’re creating a LEGO NINJAGO-themed game, you should download the LEGO® NINJAGO® Add-On pack from the Unity Asset Store here.

Current Users: Make sure you have Unity 2020.3 LTS → open the Unity Hub (v2.4.2 or later), then from the Hub, go to: Projects > New (2020.3 LTS) > and select "LEGO Microgame" from the list of templates · You need to publish your LEGO Microgame creation on the Unity Play platform, then share the link to your game when submitting your entry to this contest.

Make sure to add your LEGO Ideas username in your Unity description.

Submit a trailer, make posters, share screenshots of your game in your submission.

Your game should be one of the following:

  • A LEGO NINJAGO-themed game
    • Please make sure to download the LEGO NINJAGO assets.
  • A game with a theme of your choice (No 3rd party IPs allowed)
    • Create your own themed game! Or a game with no theme at all.
  • A behavior bricks-only game (No additional scripting)
    • Using just the behavior bricks functionality, what game can you create?

 

How to get started with Unity?

We highly recommended checking out Unity Learn Beginners Mods to explore customization of your LEGO Microgame: https://learn.unity.com/project/lego-template 

You must be age 18+ to download and create with the LEGO Microgame, so younger creators bring in your family members to build it together.

Each Grand Prize winner (1 per category) of this contest, will receive the following:

  • The exclusive chance to have your game playable in LEGO Retail stores.
  • 1 year Unity Pro subscription
  • Unity Asset Store credits - 200$ USD to each GP winner
  • 71374 – Nintendo Entertainment System
  • 71360 – Mario Starter Course
  • 21166 – The Abandoned Mine
  • 71741 – City Gardens


ENTRY DEADLINE: Submit your entry no later than November 4th, 2021 at 6:00 a.m. EST.  If you’re not sure what time zone you’re in, here’s a time zone converter.

How it Works

The contest will consist of 3 phases:

  1. Submission Phase - Build and submit your entry before November 4th, 2021, at 6:00 a.m. EST. We recommend that you submit and play test your working version on Unity Play as early as possible and continue submitting and testing updates to your entry as it progresses. You should consider submitting your final entry 3-5 days before the deadline in the event we have to return it to you for changes.

    Note – the Unity Editor and Unity Play are complex applications. Creating your dream game is a process of trial and error. Should you run into technical issues, it’s very likely other Unity users have dealt with them too. In that scenario, we suggest visiting the Unity Forums and locating the right discussion topic where you can find guidance to help resolve your particular issue.

  2. Judging Phase - Our judges review the entries and choose 15 entries to enter the fan vote by November 18th, 2021.
  3. Fan Vote - Our judges’ selections will go to a fan vote on November 18th, 2021 and will run until November 25th, 2021.
  4. Winners Announcement - We share the three Grand Prize winners and three Runner Up winners here on LEGO Ideas no later than December 2nd, 2021!

How to Enter:

  1. You need to publish your LEGO Microgame creation on the Unity Play platform (https://play.unity.com) then make sure to share the game link when submitting your entry to this contest. 
  2. Take up to five photos or videos of your creation and submit them to the contest. Make sure to show off all angles and any features or functions of your game.
    Please submit your photos in as high a resolution as possible so that we can see all the details clearly. If possible, the shortest edge should be at least 1080 pixels.
  3. Add a title and description. Your description should be longer than a sentence, two sentences is perfect.
  4. Add a link to your game in your submission.
  5. Upload your entry to the contest using the blue Submit Your Entry button on this page.

 

Contest Rules:

Acceptable Entry Content

  • You must be the original creator of all creative work you submit (LEGO models, images, photographs, description text, etc.) and you must have the exclusive right to submit your game to this LEGO Ideas Contest. You may not submit a game and/or model or any other content made by, or on behalf of, someone else.
  • Entries must be new creations and not previously posted online or submitted to any other contest.
  • You are allowed to use any official LEGO element (LEGO System, LEGO DUPLO, LEGO TECHNIC/Constraction) in your entry. The LEGO elements must be genuine (not cut, glued, or otherwise modified).  
  • Entries should not contain copies or references to any existing third-party work or creation or infringements of any third-party intellectual property right such as Ford. 
    • If you are submitting a NINJAGO themed game, you may reference this and this alone.
  • You’re welcome to use Minifigures in your entry, as long as they don’t contain copies or references to any other existing third-party work or creation or infringements of any third-party intellectual property right.
    • If you are submitting a NINJAGO themed game, you may use NINJAGO themed Minifigures.
  • Contest entries related to the topics below do not fit our brand values and will not be approved for publication on LEGO Ideas:  
    • Politics and political symbols, campaigns, or movements  
    • Religious references including symbols, buildings, or people  
    • Sex, nudity, drugs, or smoking  
    • Alcohol in any present-day situation  
    • Swearing or profanity  
    • Death, killing, blood, terrorism, horror, or torture  
    • First-person shooter video games  
    • Warfare or war vehicles in any modern or present-day situation, or national war memorials  
    • Large or human-scale weapons or weapon replicas of any kind, including swords, knives, guns, sci-fi or fantasy blasters, etc.  
    • Racism, bullying, or cruelty to real life animals  

Entry Quality Standards

  • You may import Studio models to your game, which is available for download via this link free of charge. 
  • You may use photo editing software and add visual effects to photos of your entry.
  • Entries containing photos or videos that are too dark or blurry will be removed from the contest. To ensure easy judging of your entry, we recommend taking pictures on a neutral background free from background clutter, with your model well framed.
  • Please do not include people in pictures you submit. Photos containing people will be removed.

House Rules

  • Entries containing defamatory or degrading elements will not be eligible for the contest.
  • Any cheating or harassment of other participants will result in disqualification from the contest.
  • Your contest entries and comments on contest entries must follow the complete LEGO Ideas House Rules.

Judging

A panel of judges consisting of members of the LEGO Games team, The LEGO NINJAGO Design Lead and Unity will use different judging criteria, one for each of the three categories. These will be as follows and based on:

 

  • LEGO NINJAGO Game category
    • Overall fun
    • Use of behavior bricks
    • Use of scripting
    • Quality of models / Art
  • Build your own play theme category (No 3rd party IPs allowed)
    • Theme: LEGO brand fit & Innovation
    • Overall Fun
    • Use of behavior bricks
    • Use of scripting
    • Quality of models & Art
  • Only behavior bricks category (no scripting allowed!)
    • Overall Fun
    • Use of behavior bricks
    • Quality of models & Art

So what is a great LEGO® NINJAGO® game? See here what the LEGO NINJAGO Design Lead says here

Extra criteria for the LEGO NINJAGO category:

What will make a great LEGO NINJAGO themed game, it is as follows:

  1. Spinjitzu: You are moving, battling, and using elemental powers like you are a NINJAGO Ninja.
  2. Story: You are feeling like you are a LEGO NINJAGO Ninja in an exciting fantasy world, giving everything on your mission to stop the evil forces.
  3. Mastery: With the guidance of your Mentor Wu, you will step by step, get better on your journey towards mastery of Spinjitzu.

The Fine Print

  • You must be at least 13 years of age to participate and enter.  
  • You may submit multiple entries to the contest, but only one entry per person will be considered when winners are selected. This means you cannot win as a semi-finalist and as the grand prize winner with two different entries.   
  • Winners will be contacted on the email address associated with their LEGO ID account after November 25th, 2021. Winners will be announced on LEGO Ideas when all winners have returned the signed Winner’s Certification Documents. A winner who does not return their Winner’s Certification Document within one week (5 days) of receiving it will be disqualified, and a new winner will be selected.   
  • This contest is not open to residents of Iran, North Korea, Myanmar/Burma, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Syria, any other U.S. sanctioned country and where prohibited or restricted by law.    
  • By entering the contest, you agree to follow the rules on this Contest Brief page and you agree to the LEGO Ideas Terms of Service.    
  • This contest is offered, organized and run solely by the LEGO Group. Participants should direct all queries and matters relating to the contest to LEGO Ideas.

Prizes:

Each Grand Prize winner (1 per category) of this contest, will receive the following:

  • The exclusive chance to have your game playable in LEGO Retail stores.
  • 1 year Unity Pro subscription
  • Unity Asset Store credits - 200$ USD to each GP winner
  • 71374 – Nintendo Entertainment System
  • 71360 – Mario Starter Course
  • 21166 – The Abandoned Mine
  • 71741 – City Gardens

 

Each Runner Up Winner (1 per category) of this contest, will receive the following:

 

  • Unity Asset Store credits - 100$
  • 71360 – Mario Starter Course
  • 21152 – Pirate Ship Adventure
  • 21155 – The Creeper Mine
  • 71720 – Firestone Mech

 

Frequently Asked Questions

For more information, see the Contest FAQ.