LEGO partners with Ticket to Ride and CATAN publisher for new board game Monkey Palace

25/01/202425/01/2024 Chris Wharfe 2481 Views 1 Comment

The LEGO Group has partnered with the publisher behind Ticket to Ride and CATAN for a new board game titled Monkey Palace.

The first collaboration between the LEGO Group and veteran board game publisher Asmodee, Monkey Palace is the brainchild of game designers David Gordon and Tin Aung Myaing. A light strategy game for two to four people, Monkey Palace tasks players with working together to build the eponymous structure from LEGO bricks, while competing for the highest income and the most victory points.

Incorporating LEGO elements into Monkey Palace means that you’ll never play the same game twice: the LEGO Group says the building experience and construction of the palace will be ‘totally unique and different’ every time you play.

“At the LEGO Group, we’re committed to inspiring the builders of tomorrow, which is why we’re so delighted to reveal Monkey Palace in collaboration with Asmodee,” said LEGO Publishing’s Board Game Lead Jaume Fabregat. “The game challenges kids and adults alike to use LEGO elements to build, unbuild and rebuild their palaces, creating a fun play experience where no two games are the same. This latest collaboration allows us to bring even more creative and innovative ways to play.”

The LEGO Group has dabbled in board game experiences before, through its own LEGO Games theme and later as part of building sets – see NINJAGO’s Master of the Mountain subtheme in 2020 for one example – but this sounds like something above and beyond anything we’ve seen previously. Asmodee is one of the biggest names in board gaming, with titles including Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, 7 Wonders, Pandemic and Azul under its portfolio.

“We’re thrilled to take all LEGO and board game fans on this gaming journey, combining the LEGO Group’s timeless creativity with our passion and expertise in board games,” said Asmodee’s Birgitte Bülow. “Utilising the endless possibilities of LEGO bricks was pivotal in designing this game. We believe Monkey Palace offers an extraordinary gameplay experience, blending competition and collaboration for board game enthusiasts worldwide.”

Monkey Palace will be officially unveiled to industry partners and retailers at Nuremberg Toy Fair – which runs from January 30 to February 3 – before going on sale at Spiel Essen, the world’s largest board game convention, on October 3. It should also be available at select retailers around the world at the same time. We’ll hopefully get a first glimpse at the game very soon.

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Chris Wharfe

I like to think of myself as a journalist first, LEGO fan second, but we all know that’s not really the case. Journalism does run through my veins, though, like some kind of weird literary blood – the sort that will no doubt one day lead to a stress-induced heart malfunction. It’s like smoking, only worse. Thankfully, I get to write about LEGO until then.