About
For me, the NINJAGO City sets are almost a category of their own within NINJAGO. They are not just large playsets, they are cities packed with small spaces, references, interiors, and details that you only really start discovering while building. And NINJAGO City Workshops keeps that exact feeling, but with a very different identity from the previous sets. Here, the focus is much more on the industrial side of the city. Instead of only having tall buildings, neon signs, and very dense commercial areas, we get workshops, metal structures, machinery, cranes, pipes, and a central area where a mech is being built. That gives the set its own personality when placed next to the other NINJAGO City models.
And honestly, I really like that difference. I would not want every NINJAGO City set to just be a variation of the same concept. Here, it feels like we are exploring another part of the city, maybe less polished or luxurious, but much more functional and full of life.
The main attraction is obviously the mech workshop. For the first time in a NINJAGO City set, we get an articulated mech integrated directly into the concept. The two cranes can be used to move parts and armor between levels, assemble the mech, and then place it on the dock platform.
For me, that idea works really well because the mech does not feel like something added just to increase playability. It actually makes sense within the story of the building. It is a workshop, so seeing a machine being constructed in the middle of the model immediately brings the whole place to life.
Then we get to the part I like most about NINJAGO City sets: the interiors.
There is a model shop, a workshop, a ramen restaurant, Dorama’s magic shop, Zane’s apartment, and several smaller spaces spread across the four floors. Some modules can even be removed and used separately.
This is the kind of detail that makes me spend much more time with these sets than just the actual building. You constantly stop to look at small references, figure out what is hidden inside a room, or simply appreciate how certain spaces were designed.
I also really like the structure of the model. Instead of completely filling the base with buildings, there is a more open central area for the mech. This makes the set feel a little less dense than some other NINJAGO City models, but it also reinforces the industrial atmosphere.
Of course, when compared with NINJAGO City Gardens or some of the other giants in the line, it may not have that same immediate visual impact. But I also think it is unfair to expect every set to be “the best NINJAGO City ever”. This one tries something different, and for me, that is much more interesting. And then there are the references. The set comes with 84 stickers, many of them used to add small details, advertisements, signs, and easter eggs across the city. I am not a huge fan of having that many stickers, especially in a set at this price, but it is also true that they help create that wonderful visual chaos that defines NINJAGO City.
Minifigure review
The selection includes 10 minifigures: Zane, P.I.X.A.L., Harumi, Dorama, Dr. LaRow, Twitchy Tim, Model Shop Owner, Workshop Mechanic, Restaurant Worker, and Dragonian Tourist. The set also includes Dorama’s Puppet, built with LEGO pieces.
For me, the best thing about this lineup is exactly what NINJAGO City sets do so well: they bring in characters that would be difficult to include in other types of sets.
Harumi is probably one of the biggest highlights. We finally get a version based on her casual look from Sons of Garmadon, something fans of the character had been waiting for for quite a while. This is exactly the kind of minifigure I want to find in a NINJAGO City set. Twitchy Tim is another great example. He is an important character from The Island who had never received a minifigure in a regular set, and he finally appears here. Then we have more recent characters like Dorama and Dr. LaRow, connected to Dragons Rising, which helps tie this huge city set into the current era of the show. Dorama stands out especially because of the extravagant outfit, huge hat, and golden cane. Zane and P.I.X.A.L. make perfect sense here. In a set so connected to technology, workshops, and mechs, they are probably two of the characters that fit the environment best. I also really like the idea of the Dragonian Tourist. It is a small visual joke, but it is exactly the kind of thing that makes NINJAGO City feel like a real place where different characters and species simply live their lives.
The least exciting figures are probably the more generic residents, like the mechanic, restaurant worker, or model shop owner. They do their job well by populating the city, but I would have liked to see more unique NINJAGO-specific torsos or details on these characters.
Even so, characters like Harumi, Twitchy Tim, and Dorama keep the lineup very interesting for collectors.
Box design
Instruction manual
Stickers
So…
NINJAGO City Workshops does not try to be just another NINJAGO City full of tall buildings and neon lights. And that is exactly what I like about it. The industrial aesthetic, the workshops, the two cranes, and especially the mech being built in the center of the city give it a completely different identity within the line. It is still packed with interiors, small stories, references, and details, but it feels like we are visiting a new part of NINJAGO City. For me, these sets are always special because they are not just about the final result. A huge part of the experience is building every room and discovering everything the designers have hidden inside. The €249.99 price is still a significant investment, but with 3,244 pieces, a huge build, several interior modules, an articulated mech, and some very interesting minifigures, there is a lot of content here. It may not have the same immediate “wow” factor as some previous NINJAGO City sets, but the more you look at it, the more you notice how much is happening. And for me, that is exactly the magic of this line: you are not just building a set, you are building another piece of NINJAGO City.
