Thursday 23 September 2021

LEGO NINJAGO Empire Temple of Madness Review Set 71712 Age 9+ (Sent for review)

Over the years one of my children has collected several LEGO NINJAGO dragons, so the LEGO NINJAGO Empire Temple of Madness set 71712 took his eye immediately. We were sent this set for review, and no surprises, the 12 year old was on it like a shot... 

LEGO 71712 Empire Temple of Madness image of front of box showing built product

This is an 810 piece set, which is recommended for builders aged 9 and over, and we agree with that assessment. My 12 year old had no problem building independently, and was not at all disappointed with either the build or the final model. 

Inside the box are the instruction booklet (not too daunting for a solo younger builder), sticker sheet, and 6 numbered bags. The set includes 6 minifigures - NINJAGO Digi Jay, Digi Lloyd and Digi Cole, and the evil ruler of Prime, Empire Unagami, along with 'henchmen' Sushimi and Red Visor. 

Box contents LEGO Empire temple of madness

The build was so quick that the main body of the temple was together within an hour. And you can begin to see the design. The premise is that the characters are in a computer game, with games within the game. 

LEGO Empire temple of madness build first bags

There are some amazing details around the temple - which is very unlike other Ninjago temples, because it incorporates Ninja challenges, obstacles and games within it's design. 

Barrel Trap Detailed elements LEGO Empire temple of madness

There are some really clever uses of various elements. The Batarang in yellow makes an excellent Ninja weapon, either thrown or on the top of a staff. The tiny controllers though, they are awesome. 

Detailed elements in LEGO Empire temple of madness set 71712


Computer Games  LEGO Empire temple of madness

The 'digital' characters are really nicely done, each with their 'remaining lives' above their heads, like a proper video game. There are lots of different weapons in the set, so there are plenty for wearing and using. 

LEGO Empire temple of madness Ninjago minifigures in set
LEGO Ninjago Empire temple of madness character back view

They've got plenty of detail underneath their Ninja outfits too... ferocious...

LEGO Empire temple of madness characters without helmets

LEGO Ninjago Temple 71712 review minifigures sushichef etc


It's been a while since the boys built a LEGO set together, so it was particularly nice to see them both enjoying picking and building. LEGO always comes with that temptation for anyone to 'join in', and for as long as I can remember, our children of any age will end up searching for pieces together. 

Brothers sorting LEGO together sitting on the floor

And here is the finished temple... I admit that I missed the completed project before it was played with to pieces, which is frustrating for a review, but really it has to be ideal - especially with 11 and 13 year olds. Sadly it also means that you may be able to spot some removed or moved pieces, lost swords (under the sofa) etc. but hey, that's what makes LEGO so special... 

Completed build on table

If you look closely you'll see Emperor Unagami hiding behind the glass.... Both sides of the model have games and challenges as the players climb the stairway to the top. One has rolling barrels, the other a really cute arcade game. 

LEGO Ninjago Temple 71712 view from both sides together as a collage

It's a really gorgeous temple, and 9+ is probably right. Although the model incorporates several different games, this is actually quite a hard set to 'play' with, so younger fans might find they spend as much time rebuilding as they do playing. 

You can buy LEGO directly from the LEGO website online, or from a host of other retailers, where you can snap up some good bargains. I've found Zavvi is often a good place to try for NINJAGO LEGO

I've reviewed a ton of LEGO over the years, including the NINJAGO Temple Of Airjitsu for LEGO
waaaay back in 2015.
You can find all of my LEGO reviews on my LEGO page


We were sent our LEGO Empire Temple Of Madness for review

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