Customer Reviews

LEGO Minotaurus Game (3841)

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Our family is big on Lego, and board games, so obviously we were intrigued by all the new Lego games. While at the Lego store, they told me that the staff favorite was Minotaurus, and that it was somewhat like Sorry. We love Sorry, so I thought we'd like this one too!

The goal is to get your heroes to the center of the board first. But there are hedges and walls making a maze that you have to wade through. You roll the die and go that amount of spaces. If the die lands on black, then you can move the Minotaur 8 spaces, hopefully taking out one of your opponents and sending him back to start. If the die lands on grey, then you move a grey wall brick - you can block your opponents' path, or keep the Minotaur from reaching you, etc.

The basic game has you win when you have one hero reach the center, but it's actually way more fun when you require all three heros to be there. Then you have time to really mess up people's pathways and get the Minotaur action going. We also like to play the variation with the addition of a green die option, which enables your hero to jump over a hedge.

The die has got rubber edges, which means it bounces all over when you roll it. It is both funny and annoying at the same time. Be prepared for it to get bounced off the table over and over again. The kids think it is hilarious.

The major downside is that the pieces are regular-sized lego pieces, so they can be hard to manipulate in the tight spaces of the maze. My youngest is 5.5, and he is just barely able to deal with the smallness of it. (But the recommended age on the box is 7+, so he is below that, but he just loves the game.) It would be nice to see a duplo version - I don't know if that would be too big or not.

Anyway, my kids have been wanting to play this every night since we got it. You have to have kids that are okay with getting knocked back to start and a little trash talk. If your kids are traumatized by Sorry, then they won't like this. But if your kids are more cutthroat, then they'll love it. Every time the Minotaur gets unleashed in our games, everyone starts chanting "Min-o-taur! Min-o-taur!" while the hapless hero screams, "Nooooo!!!!" We've been having a blast with it.

My five year old and 8 year old ask to play this constantly. Easy to learn but there are a wide variety of strategies to consider. This can be played as a very fast game or a long-drawn out game if you like by modifying the goals and rules. I really recommend this game.

Four middle aged D&D players tested this one out and found we really liked it. The gameplay is simple but fun, and the set-up suggests this product really lends itself to home-brewed rules. No children required...

i like the minataur and i like how you can play it in different versions. i like how it's a maze and you can block your opponent from getting to the temple and you can move the minotaur. it's a long game.

k, age 6

I took a chance with this game, just going by the quality of the LEGO brand. My daughter (8 years old) LOVES this game. It's our go to entertainment, right after school. We usually play one or two rounds, with the occasional third round tie breaker. Well thought out game play, quick play - that can take a while depending on how cut throat players are with the minotaur.

The greatest part of this game s that my daughter can explain the game play to friends quickly and easily, and will keep each entertained for a few rounds.

I plan on checking out all of the LEGO games, and at $15 for most, if they are as well thought out as minotaurus, these are an entertaining bargain.

This is a review from my 12 year old son... I put this in his Easter basket this year :)

"It is fun. I like attacking my mom with the minotaur and putting blockers in front of her to make sure she doesn't get into the labyrinth. I hope you buy this game - it's sweet! We play board games a lot and this is my all time favorite!"

I'm almost embarrassed to admit, I shipped this to my son in college to help him blow off steam a week before finals. He always was a LEGO fan growing up and loved dinosaurs, what boy didn't grow up that way.

I figured for the money -- it was a funny/bizarre gag gift from mom instead of sending up junk food. Even if it was a total dud, we'd toss the pieces into his huge Lego bucket and they'd come back to life on another rainy day or silly science fair project.

Incredibly, the game was a huge hit and he even brought it home with him during the break. Lots of stuff stayed back at the dorm, but this made it home. We actually played it tonight as a family. Baby sister (14) keeps trying to beat him. Even dad who NEVER plays games because he can't stand the complaining/drama was intrigued because of the format and the "look". There was just some sort of odd appeal about the board and the rubberized die.

There are games within the game - not just trying to avoid Minotaur, but even (GASP!) removing the gray wall for another player who has been sent back and sabotaged by someone else too many times. Unlike Sorry, you don't need a special "roll" to get back out on the board so you are instantly back in the action and you have a 1/3 chance of rolling something that could cause someone else grief!

Much to my son's shock, I "rescued" my daughter one time by removing a wall that was blocking her. "Why would you HELP someone?" Sure enough, she retaliated against someone else when she had her chance even though I was in the lead. Hmmm, one good turn deserves another? My kids are pretty old to be learning a lesson, but sometimes it isn't just about the "kill".

The only down side is what I've seen other people mention, the pieces are very small. I guess the up side is that the game is very portable. I'm sure it's going back to school in the spring and that it probably will come home with some of the walls "moved" as well, just to "change up" the game.

I have two sons, 5 1/2 and 8 and they both love this game. They not only enjoyed putting the gameboard together they have really enjoyed playing it regularly. The rules are very simple. Basically you are trying to get your game piece(s) to the center. You can also block you opponents with moving sections of wall. If you roll the Minotaur, you can begin moving it toward your opponent and if you land on them, can send them back to start. I will say that the pieces are a bit on the small size to handle but it doesn't make us enjoy the game any less.

Minotaurus is a simple Lego based board-game that can help sharpen game mechanic skills.

Minotaurus has a basic structure. The game structure and design are easily manipulated and making adjustments can be easy. As you make different rules it's easy to see how the game changes. All the pieces are made of Legos including the die so you can easily add and subtract pieces. These physical adjustments can act as visual cues to compliment whatever new rules you add.
The game is 2-4 players. Each player has to navigate 3 pieces from the outside of the board to the center. A custom die decides a player's action. Each turn a player either moves their pieces, a wall on the board or the "minotaur". If the minotaur touches a player's piece the piece is returned to the beginning. The board is shaped like a maze. When a player moves a wall it can dramatically change the layout of the board.
Last night my friends and I bought Minotaurus on a whim. It looked like it might be fun despite the fact the game is clearly designed for kids. The game is simple which means there is a lot you can customize and build on.
Within the first round of playing I started to imagine all the different rules that could make the game more engaging and fun. There were already some weak points in the game's mechanics so obviously those need to be addressed first. One problem showed me that the designers didn't play the game themselves as much as they should have. For example there were too many walls that could be movable that resulted in a bit of chaos in the level design as the game progressed. Limiting the amount of walls could fix this. There were a few other minor flaws but otherwise the game functioned just fine.
Any additional rules should be steps towards holding a player's interest. The possibilities here are limitless. First you want to think about what type of game you want it to be. Do you want to make it last longer, add a deeper level of strategy, or make it a drinking game. Whatever it is you might want to change think about what small rules an adjustments you can make.
There are certainly a lot of board-games out there that can be improved with simple rule adjustments, but those games come with a set amount of pieces, and the color, skin or general design can limit ones imagination. Lego games give you the tools to develop the game, and a simplicity that begs for further development.
If you're interested in game development I highly recommend Minotaurus. Pick up the game, dig up your old Lego sets from childhood and entice some friends with beer.

You can find my blog at reblog.me

My son loves playing this game. It might be because he's a big Lego fan. It does have small parts, though, so I wouldn't recommend it for any kid that still likes to put toys in his/her mouth.