I took a shot at reviewing what really amounts to a proper “kids’ game” by any definition, but more specifically, a game designed exclusively for kids and their parents. Ninjago: Destiny’s Bounty Adventure falls squarely into that category and, by that categorization, needs to be reviewed accordingly.

I say that here and now because I generally review all games by the same standard. I try not to make a lot of exceptions to that rule, but there are two types of games where I think it makes sense to bend it a little: party games, like the recently reviewed Hitster: Battle of the Generations, and kids’ games, like Ninjago.

With that said, there is still a standard you can apply to kids’ games. Plenty of great games work perfectly well for younger players, especially around the 8+ age range that Ninjago is targeting, so there is definitely something to work with here. Being a kids’ game isn’t a free pass.

LEGO has made plenty of attempts in the past to blend building LEGO with playing board games, but I would argue that the results have been less than stellar. In fact, most have been pretty forgettable.

There is always hope, however, especially when you’re working with a popular franchise like Ninjago which, I’m told by some of the younger members of the family, is “kind of a big deal.”

In fact, they were the reason I chose to review this game in the first place. They were sort of the target audience I hoped I could reach with it, and ultimately, their reaction was always going to matter more than mine.

Alright, here we go. Let’s take a look at Ninjago: Destiny’s Bounty Adventure.

Overview

Final Score: (3.15 out 5) Fun Kids Game 

Ninjago: Destiny’s Bounty Adventure is a cooperative family game in which players control Ninjas from the Ninjago universe with the goal of defending a ship called Destiny’s Bounty from a pirate attack. Players move around the ship fighting pirates, upgrading their Ninjas, and doing some silly stuff like drinking tea and reading comic books, which is something I presume is normal in Ninjago, but admittedly I know very little about this universe.

The premise is simple, easy to establish, and sufficiently exciting when properly voiced in a grim gargle to young kids amped up to play a game that combines two fun activities: Fighting imaginary battles with LEGO people and boardgames.

There are no issues with the sales pitch here. This is a very easy game to get to the table with kids.

One of the big standouts, perhaps unsurprisingly, is how well LEGO knows its audience. I think only people with kids in the 8–10 age group will truly understand this, but no matter how much money you spend on LEGO, in the end, your kids are mostly going to play with the little LEGO people. That is what they want. The rest of the stuff inevitably goes into a box to be forgotten until they get much older and building LEGO becomes a thing again.

LEGO for an 8-year-old is about those little plastic men that you can dress up, equip with cool weapons, and pretend to fight with.

Ninjago gets it and plays full service to this shared mentality.

You’re not asked to build any complex structures or vehicles. What you’re going to do is build your Ninjas, give them cool weapons and equipment and then have fights with them. It’s the literal joy center for LEGO lovers in this age group.

The rules for the game itself are relatively straightforward, though I can’t help but think one big opportunity was missed here mechanically, namely in the way fights are resolved.

There is a cooperative element where Ninjas need to work together to take down enemies, but fights are deterministic. Each Ninja has a “strength,” which is more often than not insufficient to take down an enemy alone, so your teammates have to jump in and help you.

Mechanically, this is fun and encourages cooperation, but the deterministic nature of combat feels like a bit of a misreading of the audience’s desire.

At 8 years old, kids want risk versus reward. They want the unknown. They want, for the most part, to roll dice. This is why games like King of Tokyo are such smash hits with a younger audience: big monster fights with lots of dice, yes please!

What makes this omission particularly strange is that LEGO has a potentially brilliant solution sitting right in front of them. They can create dice out of LEGO with unique faces, faces that could potentially be upgraded and changed because the entire die is basically built out of LEGO.

I’ve seen them do this in other games and I was half-expecting it here.

The deterministic method works fine, but it lacks the excitement and unpredictability you get from a die roll. At 8 years old, randomness and luck are exciting prospects. It’s your turn, you get to roll the die, and everyone watches to see what happens. That’s fun.

Making strategic decisions and trying to beat a number by positioning Ninjas accordingly on the board? It’s great for a more strategic experience, but it’s not particularly exciting for an 8-year-old.

Most of the game boils down to running into rooms, discovering what enemies are in there, and trying to beat them as a group. It’s a simple, straightforward, and very easy-to-understand premise. Periodically, you get to upgrade your Ninja and, while I think the game is generally fairly easy to win for an adult, for 8-year-old kids it can actually be pretty difficult.

Which is fine.

Eight-year-old kids love to win, but losing is what gets them to try again and again, so I think a bit of difficulty is a good thing.

There are several different “adventures” included in the game that progressively increase the difficulty. They don’t alter the game in any significant way beyond adding more enemies and the occasional special rule that can make previously successful strategies more difficult.

It works fine as a difficulty progression. When the kids figure out how to beat an adventure too easily, you simply move on to the next one. There are also bonus adventures available online that you can print out, extending the game further.

Altogether, I think Ninjago: Destiny’s Bounty Adventure is a game for kids and their parents, but I think that is about as far as it goes as a game. It’s far too simple to entertain adults on its own.

Besides, the fun of this game isn’t really the game.

It’s the activity of pushing around little LEGO Ninjas, making fighting noises and having a bit of fun being silly with the kids for half an hour before they get bored and bugger off to do the next thing.

And frankly, for a game like this, that’s probably exactly the point.

Components

Score: 
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Pros: Great value for LEGO fans, quality components, everything is up to specs.

Cons: Beyond the LEGO miniatures, there is nothing that will wow you.

LEGO is expensive. The obvious statement is obvious, but considering this is both a LEGO product and a board game, at around $45 it’s actually pretty reasonably priced. At least comparatively.

I say this up front because most of what is in this box feels like a carefully considered compromise between cost and value.

The LEGO pieces themselves are the obvious winners of the package. You get four minifigures along with all of their equipment pieces, which comparatively speaking already accounts for a decent chunk of the value in the box.

Then you have the actual board game components, which are all of good quality. There are two boards, several decks of cards and a healthy pile of tokens. Combine all of that with the LEGO pieces and I think you’re getting pretty good value for your money.

The artwork has that classic LEGO look and connects nicely to the Ninjago theme. It’s colorful, clean and immediately recognizable for what it is. As a whole, the component package is quite good.

There really isn’t much else to say about it.

Nothing in the box blew me away, but nothing disappointed me either. Remove the LEGO branding and you’re looking at about what you would expect from a typically packaged and professionally published board game today.

The LEGO pieces are ultimately what elevate the package, both in terms of presentation and value. They give the game its tactile charm and, considering what LEGO sets cost these days, make the $45 price tag feel surprisingly reasonable.

Theme

Score: 
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Pros: Great art, fun theme, and of course LEGO’s!

Cons: There is a bit of a disconnect between the audience’s expectation and the somber way the game plays out.  Not quite the action-packed game it could have been.

I’m not going to feign interest here. Ninjago is a theme I don’t know much about, nor particularly care about. What I can say is that I recognize the excitement surrounding the franchise for a younger audience and, in that regard, I think this game kind of nails it.

The fun of Ninjago is in the characters. Each has a unique style, with their own equipment, weapons and power upgrades, and the game leans heavily into all of that.

Ninjago is a fully original franchise created by LEGO, supported by cartoons, video games, books, comics and a theatrical movie, not to mention a considerable library of LEGO sets.

There is no question about Ninjago’s popularity.

It’s also worth noting that Destiny’s Bounty isn’t some invention created for the board game. This is effectively the flying headquarters of the Ninja team in the lore and has appeared in numerous LEGO sets over the years. Kids who are into this franchise will know exactly what it is.

Having the game take place aboard Destiny’s Bounty is right on theme.

From that perspective, I think Ninjago: Destiny’s Bounty Adventure is pretty spot on. It hits all the beats you would expect out of a game like this. You have the familiar location, the characters, the equipment and, of course, plenty of Ninja fighting.

Simply playing with the LEGO is already fun for kids, so the question is whether imposing rules on that experience adds something or gets in the way.

I think that will land differently with different kids, but most kids understand games and the basic premise of winning and losing. Giving their imaginary Ninja battles some structure, objectives and a sense of risk doesn’t really take anything away from the LEGO experience. If anything, it gives everyone around the table a reason to play together rather than simply smashing minifigures into each other.

Quite possibly the biggest challenge with this game will be holding on to all the pieces because, undoubtedly, kids are going to want to break this box out like any other LEGO set and play with it as a toy.

I suspect more than a few copies of Ninjago: Destiny’s Bounty Adventure will eventually be missing a sword, a helmet, or an entire Ninja because someone needed it for a completely unrelated LEGO battle three weeks earlier.

Gameplay

Score: 
Tilt: 

Pros: Simple rules, lots of fun ways to upgrade your Ninja with a great focus on teamwork.

Cons: Lacking a bit in the fun factor area, a bit slow and methodical for a game about Ninja fighting.

At the center of Ninjago: Destiny’s Bounty Adventure is a cooperative game in which players must strategically position their Ninjas so that, on any given player’s turn, they can jump in and assist in taking down enemies that inevitably pop up as event cards are drawn.

In a way, the game is a kind of tower defense game, fitting because as you progress you will be able to upgrade your Ninjas and get better at taking down enemies faster, which becomes something of a necessity for success.

On each turn, a player can make a move and activate a clear action, which lets them pick up any benefits in a room as well as fight any enemies there. If other Ninjas are nearby, they can jump in and help with the fight.

The combat mechanic is very simple and deterministic. You take your Ninja’s strength, add the strength of any other Ninjas participating in the fight, and compare the total to the enemies in the room. If you have enough strength to take them down, you remove their token and put it on the victory track.

Each round, however, the enemies move around the board on predetermined paths that eventually lead them to certain areas where they score for the bad guys, forming the serpent, which acts as a sort of timer.

If the players manage to complete the adventure before this timer is filled, they win. Otherwise, they lose.

Along the way, players will get opportunities to upgrade their Ninjas with special gear that can give them a wide range of advantages, from increased strength and movement to special abilities like being able to ignore bad guys and move past them.

I think I would describe this game as pretty basic from a gamer’s perspective. I doubt anyone accustomed to playing strategy games is going to have much trouble crushing this game, even on their first go. For 8 to 10 year olds, however, it might not be so easy, as it does require a bit of planning, positional thinking and anticipation of enemy movement.

It’s strategically simple for a gamer, but perhaps not so obvious for a kid.

To me, this is really the only sensible way to design a game like this, so I don’t see anything wrong with the approach in terms of difficulty or depth. Even if, from my perspective as an adult and a gamer, the experience is very surface level, there is enough here to challenge younger players without overwhelming them.

My issue with the game is really the fun factor.

If you’re going to make a silly LEGO game about Ninjas fighting pirates for kids, I’m not sure “strategy,” per se, should be such a major factor in the gameplay.

The deterministic nature of the game suggests that strategy, tactics and a deeper understanding of the game’s rhythm are how you unravel the puzzle and succeed. That can certainly be its own kind of fun, but with a bunch of 8 year olds sitting around the table looking forward to Ninja fights, it feels a little at odds with the premise, or perhaps more accurately, with the kind of fun the premise promises.

To put it plainly, I think the game should have more luck.

Specifically, and preferably, it should have you throwing some dice.

You want those little moments of anticipation. The cheers when someone rolls exactly what they need, the groans when everything goes horribly wrong and the inevitable “oh no!” when a Ninja completely whiffs an attack. Those are the sorts of moments I expect from a silly LEGO game aimed at kids.

As it stands, Ninjago is a little too somber and calculated for what it’s trying to achieve as a gaming experience.

Don’t get me wrong, I think 8 year olds can absolutely learn a strategy game like this. My experience, however, is that kids are generally more interested in roleplaying their Ninjas and having fun fighting with them than they are in thinking several moves ahead about positioning and tactics. A simple luck based mechanic like rolling a die would have gone a long way toward meeting those expectations.

Beyond the basics, Ninjago does have a really nice tactile element, and I think that elevates the gameplay considerably. It’s fun to move your LEGO Ninjas around Destiny’s Bounty and imagine them leaping into fights, kicking pirates off the ship and coming to each other’s rescue.

You can almost hear “Kung Fu Fighting” playing in the background as you play this one.

There is a fun game here, and mechanically I think it is pitched at about the right level for its intended audience. I just wish the gameplay embraced the chaotic, energetic spirit of LEGO Ninjas fighting pirates as enthusiastically as the presentation does.

Replayability and Longevity

Score: 
Tilt: 

Pros: The LEGO figures will still be fun even if you get bored of the game.

Cons: A bit too slow for kids, a bit too simple for adults.

The mileage on replayability here is going to vary quite a bit. As a board game, Ninjago is very clearly aimed at a younger audience, perhaps with a parent or two joining in, and I think that fairly niche situation is ultimately the only place where the game belongs.

This is not a game you’re going to pull out with your typical hobbyist group, and I can’t imagine many people outside of younger kids having much interest in returning to it.

How long Ninjago entertains those kids, however, is probably going to depend a lot more on how much they enjoy playing with Ninjago figures than how much they enjoy the actual game.

That distinction is important because, as a game, even among a group of kids I think the shelf life here is fairly limited.

There is some variability in how things play out and the upgrades give the Ninjas a sense of progression, but once you’ve figured out the basic rhythms of positioning, cooperation, and dealing with enemies, there isn’t a whole lot more for the game to reveal.

I think the biggest contributing factor is that Ninjago never quite delivers the exciting fun factor its theme suggests. This is a rather somber little strategy game about positioning, and while I think that can entertain, it’s caught in an awkward middle ground. It’s too shallow to hold the attention of most adult gamers for very long, yet perhaps a little too calculated and predictable to generate the kind of excitement that keeps kids demanding another game.

The LEGO pieces themselves may ultimately have more longevity than the game they’re packaged with, and that’s not necessarily a terrible thing. Kids can take the Ninjas out, play with them, incorporate them into their LEGO collections and continue enjoying that part of the product long after the board game has stopped hitting the table.

I don’t think any of this significantly devalues Ninjago: Destiny’s Bounty Adventure as a package, particularly given the reasonable price point, but strictly in the longevity department, I think Ninjago as a game is going to come up a bit short.

Conclusion

Ninjago: Destiny’s Bounty Adventure is a very simple, deterministic game that incorporates a beloved kid-friendly franchise and the always fun hobby of building and playing with LEGO.

It’s a game for kids, and I think that is ultimately all the game set out to be. On those terms, I think it largely succeeds. It’s approachable, easy to teach, offers just enough strategy to get younger players thinking and makes good use of the LEGO pieces and Ninjago theme.

If anything, my disappointment with Ninjago is less about what it is and more about what it could have been.

The biggest thing missing for me is that fun factor sweet spot you’re kind of hoping a LEGO game about Ninjas fighting pirates is going to hit. There aren’t many big moments or exciting outcomes, and the deterministic nature of the game takes some of the wind out of what should be a fairly energetic premise.

A little randomness, some dice chucking and a bit more drama could have created those cheers, groans and ridiculous moments that kids tend to remember after the game is over.

That said, I don’t think Ninjago is a bad game. Quite the contrary, I can easily imagine a few rounds around the table with some wide-eyed kids who love the franchise, moving their Ninjas around Destiny’s Bounty and having a great time doing it. There is charm here, the production is good, the price is reasonable and the game is pitched at an appropriate level for its audience.

I just don’t know that the game itself has enough staying power to become one of those childhood board games that gets pulled off the shelf again and again for years.

Ninjago: Destiny’s Bounty Adventure does what it sets out to do and does it reasonably well. I just wish it had been a little less careful, a little more ambitious and, perhaps most importantly, a little more willing to embrace the wonderfully silly chaos of kids, LEGO and Ninjas.