After years of being the head honcho in the world of open-ended sandbox games, Microsoft's "Minecraft" finally has competition and it's from the company that actually began the genre of creating stuff with colorful plastic bricks: Lego. Players who enjoy spending time crafting wondrous worlds may now buy "Lego Worlds" on Steam.

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"Lego Worlds" is still part of Steam's Early Access beta, meaning the game is still in production, and hasn't released its final product just yet. Beta tests allow players from around the world to play the pre-release game and send feedback, which will help producers sort out bugs, plan improvements, and generally enhance the gameplay experience. "Minecraft" itself has gone through a rather rigorous beta program before gamers were able to play it in its entirety.

Tom Stone, managing director of TT games, which developed "Lego Worlds," expressed how the game embodies the casual fun and excitement of building creative works out of Lego bricks, which consumers have been enjoying for decades, even before the video game revolution began. With hope, "Lego Worlds" could be the key to allowing new generations to experience the simple joys of Lego-building, as the game transforms from physical bricks to a new medium.

Unlike its predecessor sandbox game that only allows players to alter the pre-generated worlds by adding or removing certain elements or features, "Lego Worlds" actually has a multi-tool for shaping or reshaping entire environments and terrains. The official TT Games announcement also revealed a lot more awesome features that video gamers and Lego fans are sure to enjoy. "From helicopters to dragons, motorbikes to bears, there are always interesting ways for players to explore the vast worlds and discover hidden treasures," the announcement said.

"Lego Worlds" also ties in to buyers of physical Lego bricks and sets. According to GamesRadar, consumers who buy specific sets will get exclusive access to premiere in-game sets. This is an excellent marketing strategy for both the video game and the Lego toys.

TT Games and Warner Bros. promises that they will not consider "Lego Worlds" completed until the beta community is sufficiently satisfied with the changes and updates the will make as a direct result of the test. Fans can rest assured that everything will be awesome before the game officially launches.

TagsLego, Minecraft, sandbox games, steam, TT Games, lego world