Building blocks of a new metaverse: Lego Fortnite is a delight to play

This open-world survival sim might be Minecraft lite, but it's luscious and relaxing, with a nostalgic, surprisingly emotional charm

Whoever had the idea to combine three titans of the modern mass entertainment universe - Lego, Fortnite and Minecraft - into one experience is surely feeling rather smug right now. Launched on Thursday, Lego Fortnite is a new mode available within Fortnite, but it's essentially a whole new game - an open-world crafting survival sim in the unmistakable style of, yes, Minecraft. Players enter a procedurally generated world, unique to them, which somehow combines the aesthetic features of Lego and Fortnite, with its luscious, bright colours and toy-like charm.

Like Minecraft, the main draw is the survival mode, where you can explore the wilderness, build houses, grow crops, tend to animals and combat a range of beasties. You start with a very limited set of building instructions and can only make a simple hut, but as you progress, gathering resources such as wood, granite and wool, you get access to more building materials.