

On iPhone screens, there’s way less space than on a PC, so we did things like have the interface elements slide in from the sides and from the bottom, so players can bring them into the screen and take them out when they need them. What we did with iOS was think about every interface element and how we could optimize for the space available. “The game is still the same fully 3D, action-adventure game. “If you play on the web and go to iOS, you’re not going to have this completely different game style,” says design director Bill Money. When we release updates on the web, they’re available on iOS also.” “We compile one version and it pushes through to all platforms. “Even though there are some differences on the UI side, it’s still the same code base,” says Louis Lamarche, the game’s creative director. And aside from the user interface, what players see on iOS and the brower-based counterpart are designed to be identical. After creating your character, you have a base to build, world to explore, and plenty of evil creatures to vanquish – turning those foes into cascades of Lego studs. It’s an action-based RPG that plays like a nice blend of one of TT Games’ Lego games and a classic dungeon-crawling loot fest. Lego Legends of Chima Online is a free-to-play MMO designed for younger players, 7 to 12 years old, and their parents.

I spoke with the game’s creative and design directors to learn more about bringing the game to smaller screens, building an MMO for young players, and more. The browser game has been out for a few weeks, and now the entirety of the experience is available to iOS players. Montreal has brought Chima to life through a recently launched MMO, too.

Several of the company’s toy lines have been featured in popular children’s programming, including shows based on Bionicle, Ninjago, and Lego Chima. The Lego Movie has been attracting a ton of attention – and rightfully so – but it’s hardly the first time the little plastic bricks have been entertaining kids on screens.
