LEGO Ideas (which began its life as LEGO Cuusoo) is basically a fertile dumping ground for the most creative minds in the LEGO fan community. In a nutshell, fans create their own designs and upload them to the LEGO Ideas site. If they receive more than 10,000 votes of support (from other fans), then LEGO will officially review the design to judge its feasibility as an actual set they could produce. If a design clears the review phase, then it officially enters production and will eventually be released as an actual set people can buy.

The first of these sets was released in 2011 but only in Japan. However, since 2012, nearly two dozen IDEAS sets have been released. As of this writing, only 8 sets are still available (though the rest can still be had an inflated prices on the secondary market).

Many of the Ideas sets have been an opportunity to see a particular beloved franchise turned into brick form (e.g., Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Wall-E, Doctor Who), but others have shown that there’s practically no limit to what LEGO bricks can do (nor what LEGO creators can dream up).

Indeed, the LEGO Ideas process has resulted in some of the most imaginative builds that not only expand the box of what’s possible – they blow the box to smithereens. See, for example, the Labyrinth Marble Maze, Ship in a Bottle, and Pop-Up Book (the latter two are below).

Therefore, we’ve put together this guide to the eight currently available Ideas sets (as of this writing) to help you decide which is/are worth your money – either for yourself or for your lucky loved ones.

21308 (Ideas #016) — Adventure Time 
496 pieces | Ages 9+
$49.99 USD

The LEGO Ideas sets, so far, have been a nice mix of original designs and based on licensed properties. In some cases, these licenses develop into a wider release with more sets (as happened with Ghostbusters), and in others, the Ideas set remains the only way you can appreciate the brand in LEGO form. Adventure Time is an example of this latter type. I’m far from the target audience for this set (not an Adventure Time fan), but if you or your kid is, you might want to jump on this set while it’s still available. It’s the oldest Ideas set still available, but only time will tell how long that remains true.

This set is probably only for diehard fans, though. At $50 retail, it’s not exactly a bargain. It’s nearly 500 pieces, but you’re essentially getting just eight figures. They’re not minifigures, but still, as an actual PLAYSET, there’s not a lot here. As a display item, though? You’re golden. (Jamie Greene)

21309 (Ideas #017) — NASA Apollo Saturn V 
1,969 pieces | Ages 14+
$119.99 USD

Yeah…it’s pretty big. (Image: LEGO)

Before the Voltron set came along, this was the reigning champ of the LEGO Ideas circuit. It’s enormous, has over 1,900 pieces, and stands over 3 feet tall when fully assembled. Not only is it a lovingly accurate recreation of one of NASA’s largest rockets, it has removable rocket stages, with engines for each stage!

The Lunar Lander and Lunar Orbiter are also included, though not at minifig scale. The astronauts included are instead of the micro-figure variety. The instructions contain information about the Apollo Moon missions.

And believe me, you’re going to need every page of these instructions. You know how sometimes in the middle of a build, you zone out and forget a brick or two? Don’t let that happen here. The Saturn V is so challenging, master builders cite it as one of their favorites because no matter how many times they rebuild it, they learn something new.

I remember the first time I saw the Saturn V rocket in person at Kennedy Space Center. It’s an awe-inspiring vehicle, and its LEGO counterpart doesn’t disappoint. If you’re on the fence, just buy it. It’s got a great price-per-piece ratio (only $.16 per brick), and it will keep you and your kids occupied for days. It’s easily the pinnacle of any space-loving LEGO fan’s holiday haul. (Anthony Karcz)

21310 (Ideas #018) — Old Fishing Store 
2,049 pieces | Ages 12+
$149.99 USD

As much as I appreciate the large, complex, expensive LEGO Creator Expert sets that fit together and create an extraordinarily detailed LEGO city (I’m looking at you Assembly Square, Detective’s Office, and Parisian Restaurant), I’ve never bitten the bullet and gotten one. Because I know it’s just a slippery slope, and I wouldn’t be able to stop at just one. I’d need to build the ENTIRE CITY.

The Old Fishing Store, however, provided the greatest challenge to my self-control. It’s technically not part of the same line as the rest of the elaborate Creator sets, but it could certainly feel at home among them.

I mean, just look at it. The ratty exterior, the lighthouse, the grizzly fishermen, the seagulls and crabs . . . what’s not to love? The Old Fishing Store is the best of both worlds: it’s a great display piece, AND it’s got tons of play potential. Plus, it’s decently priced and has a great price-per-brick ratio. (Jamie Greene)

21312 (Ideas #019) — Women of NASA 
231 pieces | Ages 10+
$24.99 USD

Satellites, Space Shuttles, and a whole lot of math! (Image: LEGO)

You want a LEGO set that’s not only is fun to build but also teaches your kids something about the roles women have played at NASA? This is, obviously, the set to get. Each scientist in the set comes with her own themed base, and the two astronauts are on a base that features a wonderfully stylized space shuttle.

Margaret Hamilton didn’t just work on the team that developed the Apollo Guidance Computer, she led it. Her build is low tech, featuring books that represent the AGC’s on-board flight control software, along with a blackboard full of equations.

Nancy Grace Roman is also known as the “Mother of Hubble” for her role in the creation of the Hubble Space Telescope program. Appropriately enough, her build features the satellite, along with a printed brick of one of Hubble’s amazing images.

Sally Ride, the first female astronaut in space, and Mae Jemison, the first African American female astronaut in space, stand alongside the Challenger space shuttle. Having watched the Challenger explosion happen live, I have a very soft spot for anything Challenger-related. Even if I didn’t, though, I give the designers major props for creating an instantly recognizable vehicle with so few parts.

And there’s the rub – challenging, this set is not. But it’s not meant to be that kind of set. It’s informative, conversation-provoking, and a fun way to show respect to those women who have, against all odds, made their place in and shaped the space industry. (Anthony Karcz)

21311 (Ideas #022) — Voltron: Defender of the Universe 
2,321 pieces | Ages 16+
$179.99 USD

I don’t usually have the time or resources to get the big LEGO sets, but then along came the Voltron: Defender of the Universe LEGO Ideas set, and I couldn’t muster any more willpower, since I am a huge Voltron fan (see my cosplay and props as a clear example)! The Voltron set has 2,321 pieces, so make sure you have some time set aside.

I recently finished assembling my first lion (I’m taking my time, and I went with Red first), and you can watch me build it in about a minute above. I was actually surprised at just how large the lions are and at some of the ingenious ways pieces were used to not only build poseable lions but also make them look sleek and smooth. I can’t wait to build the rest of the lions, and then, of course, form Voltron!

This set it the CLEAR frontrunner for any Voltron fan. It’s got one of the best price-per-brick ratios of ANY set currently on the market, and it’s just gorgeous. This is one of the nicest LEGO sets out there right now, bar none. (Will James)

21313 (Ideas #020) — Ship in a Bottle 
962 pieces | Ages 12+
$69.99 USD

The Ship in a Bottle is one of the newer Ideas sets to be released, and it certainly breaks the mold. One of the nicest features of the Ideas sets is their ability to go beyond what LEGO sets typically are and can do. The various creators stretch their imaginations and show that almost anything truly is possible with tiny little bricks.

And this set is proof of that.

The Ship in a Bottle is a display piece; let’s get that out of the way right now. I wouldn’t buy this for a little kid looking to play with the finished build. This is a set to enjoy building and then proudly display as a conversation piece. And it will most certainly be that. It’s the perfect gift for any modelmaker (ship-in-a-bottle variety or otherwise). (Jamie Greene)

21314 (Ideas #021) — Tron: Legacy 
230 pieces | Ages 10+
$34.99 USD

Quorra is mad because her ride got cut from the final set. (Image: Anthony Karcz)

Don’t get this set because your kids love TRON (even if they’ve seen TRON: LEGACY, they literally have no idea what TRON is). Don’t get this set because it’s got an amazing price-per-piece ratio. Instead, get this set because it’s the perfect Christmas morning/traveling to the grandparents’ house set.

You get three minifigs – Quorra, Rinzler, and Sam Flynn (and bios in the instructions to tell your kids who they are) – each with distinctive printing and multiple weapons. The base they’re polybagged with is actually an underappreciated touch, serving as an arena if you want to have them battle (when it’s not serving as the base for the light cycles, that is). It’s a simple enough design that any LEGO fan should have the parts to build more of them and expand “The Grid” into something more substantial.

But the light cycles are where the real action is at. They’re identical builds. Rinzler’s ride uses orange bricks as accents, whereas Sam’s is the same light blue as the base. I thoroughly enjoyed how these came together, the little tricks used to create the curvy, bulbous cycles from the movie (complete with trailing light walls). The resultant cycles stay together nicely and will survive more than a few crashes into walls and off of tables. Altogether, it’s a quick build and not too challenging, but it’s not so easy that your kids will be bored by the second cycle. And if your LEGO maniac doesn’t finish the set, the Ideas box it comes in will easily contain all the parts.

My only wish is that TRON were more popular so we could get Quorra’s light buggy at some point. (Anthony Karcz)

21315 (Ideas #023) — Pop-Up Book 
859 pieces | Ages 12+
$69.99 USD

Finally, we have the latest Ideas set to be released. And it’s another set that stretches the boundaries of what LEGO bricks can do. This is a genuine pop-up book that opens to reveal a storybook setting that literally pops up from inside the book. It comes with two different builds for the pop-up setting: Little Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk.

Also included are the minifigs for each story. You get Red Riding Hood, Grandma, and the Big Bad Wolf for Choice A, and you get (a super teeny microfigure) Jack and the Giant for Choice B.

Even though the set has two different storybook settings “for creative play,” I’m not sure how much actual play this set will get. Again, this is more of a display piece to invite conversation. I’m not sure this is the ideal gift for a younger LEGO fan, but for teenagers or adult fans who are looking for a fun challenge and beautiful finishing product? Look no further! (Jamie Greene)