Having successfully launched a series of board games in Germany and the U.K. in 2009, LEGO is bringing its unique brand of constructible board games to the U.S. this summer.  The Danish toymaker, which currently holds about 4% of the U.S. market, announced at Toy Fair that it will release 10 board games in the U.S. in 2010.

 

In the LEGO games players can construct their own game board and their own dice, which means they can play a different version of the game every time.  In one of the games, Rameses Pyramid, kids construct the pyramid complete with buried treasure at its core.  Players collect crystals, which allow their mini-LEGO characters to climb the pyramid and reach the top where they can claim the game-winning prize, the king mummy.

 

In the Minotaurus game players construct their version of the famous mythological Cretan labyrinth originally designed by the ancient architect Daedelus.  In LEGO's generic Pirate boardgame, Pirate Plank, players construct their own ships as well as the all-important planks.

 

Some of the LEGO board games will feature licensed properties.  In August LEGO is releasing a deluxe licensed Hogwarts board game.  Players will build and then move through the iconic castle/school from the Harry Potter novels endeavoring to be the first to collect various objects to win the game.