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Who doesn’t know LEGO®? Almost everyone has built something with these iconic bricks at some point—whether a towering castle or a humble house, there’s something magical about seeing those colorful bricks snap into place. But what if you could turn your LEGO creations into a full-on competitive board game? That’s where Monkey Palace comes in. Picture this: one day in the jungle, a cheeky monkey causes a majestic palace to collapse. Now, it’s up to you, the players, to rebuild this grand structure brick by brick, restoring it to its former glory. But there’s a twist—only the best builders will triumph in this jungle challenge!
👥 2-4 players, ages 10+
⌛ Playing time: 45 minutes
📝 Designers: David Gordon & TAM
🎨 Artwork: AMEET & Matthieu Martin
🏢 Publisher: LEGO® & Asmodee (Review copy provided by Asmodee Belgium)
Gameplay Overview
In Monkey Palace, players take on the role of palace builders, constructing a towering masterpiece under the ever-watchful eyes of the monkeys. The palace is built using LEGO bricks on a tricolor base, which features patches of light green, dark green, and gold, representing the jungle and the palace grounds.
On each turn, the active player adds to the palace by constructing a staircase. These stairs are made from LEGO arch bricks, combined with other bricks and columns to create height. The stairs must always start from the ground floor, connect to the existing structure, and end with an arch. Once the player completes their stairs, they place a colored ornamental stone at the highest point of their construction, matching the color of the stairs’ starting point. This stone signifies the completion of their part of the build.
Players earn monkey credits for each arch they build—because even monkeys appreciate a well-designed staircase! If their ornamental stone happens to be the highest one of its color, they score an additional credit. These credits allow players to purchase monkey cards, which come into play in the next phase. During this step, up to four collected cards can be activated to generate an income of new LEGO bricks, essential for planning future stairs.
At the end of a turn, if a player’s stairs meet certain conditions, they may claim one of the coveted trophy cards. The game continues until the supply of a specific type of brick runs out during a player’s income phase. Once this happens, the game finishes at the end of that round. Players then tally up their cards, counting the bananas they’ve collected. The player with the most bananas emerges as the ultimate winner of Monkey Palace.
Game Info
Monkey Palace is designed by David Gordon and TAM, and is published by LEGO® in partnership with Asmodee. It’s a family-friendly game that plays with 2-4 players, recommended for ages 10 and up, with a typical game lasting around 45 minutes. Thanks to its straightforward mechanics, it’s a perfect gateway game—easy to learn, quick to pick up, and ideal for a broad range of players, from casual to more experienced gamers.
Components, Production, and Artwork
As you might expect, Monkey Palace features a lot of LEGO bricks—because what would a LEGO board game be without them? The great thing about these bricks is the limitless creativity they offer during the game. With the freedom to build in countless ways, each game feels new, as no two palaces ever come out the same. You’ll find a sturdy baseplate, a nice variety of LEGO pieces, and well-thought-out cards and boards. However, while the cards are solid, the boards themselves feel a bit flimsy—honestly, we were hoping for something a little more durable. That said, the monkey-themed artwork, although simple, perfectly fits the playful jungle vibe of the game. It’s bright, fun, and keeps the atmosphere light-hearted throughout.
Gameplay
Monkey Palace is simple to learn and quick to set up, making it easy to introduce to new players. It offers a light mix of strategy, focusing on constructing the palace while managing your LEGO bricks and scoring points through monkey credits and bananas. The main challenge is deciding when to expand your stairs to grab the highest points, all while ensuring you don’t burn through your bricks too soon. The balance between building strategically and managing your resources—especially when it comes to purchasing those ever-helpful monkey cards—adds just the right amount of depth to keep things interesting without being overwhelming.
At the start of each game, you’ll choose a new map to place under the base plate, changing the layout of the colors and offering fresh challenges every time. One game might see players scrambling to build towering structures, while another game might have the palace spread out evenly with lower towers. There’s also an element of light player interaction—you can mess with your opponents’ plans by placing structures or using certain cards, forcing them to rethink their strategy (cue evil laugh).
After a few plays, two additional trophy cards can be introduced to spice things up. The Butterfly card rewards players with two extra bananas if they have the highest ornamental stone in a specific color. The Frog card takes away banana points but offers an extra column to build with, allowing you to construct even higher. These trophy cards change hands throughout the game (and they do often!), but only the player holding them at the end gets the points.
Final Thoughts
Playing with LEGO always brings out the inner child in us, and Monkey Palace is no exception. Mixing board gaming with LEGO? That caught everyone’s attention right away. This game is a fantastic example of what a family game should be—engaging, accessible, and, most importantly, fun. The strategy isn’t overly complicated, making it perfect for families and casual gamers, but there’s enough depth to keep experienced players on their toes, especially when it comes to resource management and building efficiency.
What truly sets Monkey Palace apart is the blend of competitive and collaborative play. Every game feels fresh, with a completely different palace taking shape each time. The replayability is endless, thanks to both the versatility of LEGO bricks and the unpredictable player interactions. It’s a delight to see the palace come together—whether you’re working with, or outsmarting, your fellow players. Sure, there’s plenty of friendly rivalry, but seeing the final structure is always a shared victory—no matter who wins.
We wouldn’t be surprised if Monkey Palace cements itself as a future classic in both the board game and LEGO worlds. With creativity, strategy, and just the right amount of unpredictability, it’s a game that’s sure to be remembered.
📝 We received a copy of the game from Asmodee Belgium.
