Monkey Palace review: fans will go ape for the new Lego board game

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Our verdict

Tipped to be one of the best family board games to buy for Christmas 2024, Monkey Palace is Lego's first major foray into board games in a decade.

The goal of Monkey Palace is exactly as it says on the box - build an opulent space for the picky primate while trying to score as many banana points as possible.

It's a simple concept, but the instructions felt unnecessarily complicated. But don't let this put you off, as once you get past these and get the game going, it's a fun way to pass an evening and Monkey Palace will be at the top of any Lego fans’ Christmas present list this year.

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How we tested

I tested Lego’s Monkey Palace with my sister-in-law and 18-year-old niece. The game was rated on how easy it was to set up and play, its replayability and whether it represented good value for money.

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What’s in the box?

• 1 LEGO base plate

• 231 LEGO bricks

• 67 Monkey Cards

• 14 Bonus Cards

• 3 Trophy Cards

• 4 player boards

• 2 ground maps with maps on both sides

• 1 brick tray

• 1 rule book    

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Is Monkey Palace easy to set up?

We are big fans of the Lego Shave a Sheep and Pirate Plank games in our house, both of which have sadly long been discontinued. Part of the reason we like these games is because there is little setup involved, so you can dive into the game with minimal fuss. The gameplay is simple, the scoring is straightforward and all ages can get involved in the brick-based fun.

In contrast, Monkey Palace is a much more complicated Lego game. The eight pages of instructions were difficult to understand, and we had to resort to an 18-minute-long YouTube video for further help before playing for the first time.

Thankfully, once we actually got started, the game was much more straightforward than the instructions would suggest (although there was an animated discussion over what constitutes a staircase). The second time playing, setting up was much easier.

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How do you play Monkey Palace?

I won’t go into all the rules here (as mentioned above, there are quite a few!) but in a nutshell, players take turns to build a staircase that connects to the current Monkey Palace through an ascending set of single blocks, columns, and arches. Depending on where the pieces are placed, and how many arches are used, players can win cards to boost their stash of bricks and collect all-important banana points. The player with the most banana points at the end wins the game.

Our first game took around an hour - slightly longer than the 45 minutes suggested on the box. This does not include the YouTube tutorial. 

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Is Monkey Palace a good family game?

Yes, we enjoyed the game once we managed to get past the brain-boggling instructions. It’s a great strategy game but there’s also a collaborative element to it which means it’s a great way of getting tweens and teens working together. The nature of the game, along with the inclusion of four different game boards, keeps things fresh every time you play.  And let’s face it, who doesn’t enjoy messing around with Lego?

Monkey Palace is a great game for Lego fans and would make an excellent alternative gift to a Lego building set this Christmas.

Looking for a Christmas gift for a younger child? Check out our guides to the best toys for 2-year-olds and the best toys for 3-year-olds, featuring products tried, tested and recommended by Mumsnet parents.

About the author

Laura Cooke is a Content Editor at Mumsnet, with a special focus on child’s play, outdoor play and toddler play content.

Laura started writing Swears By articles for Mumsnet in 2021, writing buyers' guides and product reviews to help Mumsnetters make informed choices when it comes to parting with their pennies.

Laura is also a freelance journalist and has written articles for publications including the Daily Mirror, the i, Metro, Stylist and Happiful magazine.

About Mumsnet Reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.