Steampunk Lego

I was a big fan of lego when I was young, though back then it was pretty basic.  You had the city theme and the space theme and later on the castle theme turned up.  Beyond that, you had to use your imagination.

Over the years things have changed, with plenty of new and different sets, even ones based on popular franchises like The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Harry Potter.

And now a new theme is coming - steampunk.  Well, sort of.

Lego has something called the Master Builder Academy - I'd never heard of it until the news of the lego steampunk broke.  Basically, it teaches tips and techniques on creativity, building and design with lego.  There have been three levels, each with three kits.  Each kit has a theme.  Coming in July is level 4, and one of the kits for it is Steampunk.

Sadly that appears to be it - just the one kit, with instructions as to how to make a number of steampunk models with it, such as a hover-mobile, steam engine and mad scientist's ray.

Hopefully, if it proves popular, they may release some more, but in the meantime, if you want to build that steampunk lego city, it will be the old fashion way - with imagination.

• TRAVEL TO THE PAST… AND DESIGN THE FUTURE! – Launch your Invention Designer adventure! LEGO Master Builders merge the futuristic idea of time-travel with the clockwork gears and puffing steam-engines of the Victorian 1800′s – Steampunk! Steampunk is a science-fiction art-form that imagines the future as people might have in the past. Let it inspire all kinds of new ideas, and pick up some tips from professional LEGO designers on how to make your creations look futuristic, industrial or just plain cool!