Lego Kapp'n's Island Boat Tour review: "Absolutely blasted with personality"

The Lego Kapp'n's Island Boat Tour set occupies a somewhat awkward place in the overall Animal Crossing Line. It's not the pinnacle or headliner; that honor belongs to the Nook's Cranny & Rosie's House kit. It's not even in second place, as the Isabelle's House Visit set takes up that spot. But as far as bronze medal equivalents go? Kapp'n's Island Boat Tour is honestly no slouch either, even if it won't make it onto our list of the best Lego sets.

Lego Kapp'n's Island Boat Tour: Features

• Cosy island aesthetic

• Includes Kapp'n & Marshal

• Can be put together in a number of ways

As with all of the other Lego Animal Crossing sets, Kapp'n's Island Boat Tour recreates a small slice of what it's like to play the actual Animal Crossing games. For this set's purposes, that includes Kapp'n and his boat as well as several beachfront tiles with coconut trees and more. There's a fishing pole, bamboo, a shovel, and more. There are even little blue spillover pieces with white bits placed on top that mimic what it looks like when the tide comes in and there's a bit of white foam created.

Lego Kapp'n's Island Boat Tour: Build

• Will take up to an hour

• Not complex, despite being so customizable

• Can be combined with other Animal Crossing sets

While technically one of the middling sets in terms of size and price, Kapp'n's Island Boat Tour makes for a quick build. It took me just over an hour, with me taking my time, and none of the individual aspects of it were particularly fiddly. The most complex the build gets is some of the hidden odds and ends, but even those are quick to put together. It's by no means difficult to build; it just takes a little time to do it right.

Lego Kapp'n's Island Boat Tour: Design

• Can be built in many unique ways

• Adorable minifigures, as usual

• Could have included more secrets

The minifigs themselves – Kapp'n and Marshal – remain rather adorable as with all of the rest of the Lego Animal Crossing line. The large, bulbous heads and shortened legs really work here to recreate something akin to the proportions of Animal Crossing characters, and I've yet to meet a Lego Animal Crossing minifig that doesn't make me smile the first time. Kapp'n even comes with his own little sunglasses that can sit on top of his head, which seem like a must while he's out on his boat.

The customization options are a solid touch to the entire line, and it's nice to see the larger sets keep up with the idea that there are almost individual little islands within the build that can be mixed and matched with others. There's a real sense that any two sets, made by different people, could end up in seriously different permutations. This is reinforced in the Kapp'n's Island Boat Tour set by the somewhat large sprawl of its various bases, which really beg to be reconfigured in order to save space or otherwise connect to other sets.

Island getaway

While there aren't as many secrets in this kit, there are still plenty of nods to the games - you'll find a DIY Recipe card and K.K. Slider book, for example.

The calling card of the Animal Crossing sets, beyond the ability to mix and match, seems to be the smaller touches here and there that take inspiration from the game. While there are certainly aspects of that in this set like the way the palm trees with coconuts are created so that there's a little frond on top that can sway, there's really only one minor little secret in the form of a coin under a rock. This is really a minor complaint, however, and is largely driven by the fact that I quite like the overall density of other sets like Bunnie's Outdoor Activities more.

That doesn't mean there isn't plenty to love here. The little umbrella and lounge chairs, complete with a small Lego sandwich between them, are a nice touch. Kapp'n's boat itself is absolutely blasted with personality from the coffee cup to the lantern to the way he sits next to the motor. There are even weeds on the ground in places, much like the video game itself. And a hermit crab!

Should you buy Lego Kapp'n's Island Boat Tour?

Kapp'n's Island Boat Tour is by no means the best possible set in the LEGO Animal Crossing line, but neither does it aim to be. It's the middle step up from the smaller sets into the more extravagant ones; this is most obvious in the fact that it's the cheapest set to include two different minifigs in it.

For a set that sits firmly in the middle of the pack of a larger line, and one that's really a bit of a transitional one, it serves its purpose well. But I'd still likely recommend the bigger or smaller sets before I'd suggest this one.

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How we tested Lego Kapp'n's Island Boat Tour

This kit was built over the course of a single session and took roughly an hour to complete. As well as highlighting any sections that were particularly difficult to construct, we also took note of any particularly enjoyable aspects. After the kit was finished, we considered the overall design and how it compares to other sets within the range.

You can find out more about our process in our 'how we test' guide.