

Case in point, the LEGO Art World Map that dropped this past June is 11,695 pieces, the largest set that the toy company has ever made. Some bigger sets might have exclusive mini-figures (the small LEGO characters), special parts that launch projectiles, or interact with a smart device. The sets tied to intellectual property, like television shows or movies, tend to be more expensive to account for licensing and often have a larger piece count. The biggest LEGO sets come with a significant price tag.

I’ve written about LEGO sets for 14 years, which coincides with the time when I came out of the Dark Ages (the LEGO fan’s term for when you start playing with bricks again after giving them up as an adolescent or teenager). The Expert: I’m a journalist and the author of LEGO: A Love Story, a first-person look into the subculture of adult fans of LEGO.

Here, we recommend 12 of the biggest LEGO sets currently available that showcase different building styles and provide challenges to adolescent and grownup builders, too. With the click of a few thousand bricks, you can get behind the wheel of a Porsche or have a droid best friend. These more advanced kits offer leveled-up challenges that capture the imagination of kids and adults alike. Of course, we don’t finish learning these things as children-they can take a lifetime to learn, and practice to maintain-which is where big LEGO sets come in. Beginner LEGO® sets come with a whole host of benefits for young children: they inspire creative play, teach problem solving skills, hone spatial reasoning, and bestow patience in the builder.
