LEGO Hidden Side: A Spooky Twist on Interactive Play

April 9, 2025 Emery Person

LEGO Hidden Side isn’t your average brick-building experience. This bold and imaginative theme blends traditional LEGO building with augmented reality (AR), plunging kids and collectors alike into a haunted world full of mystery, ghosts, and high-tech ghost hunting.

Whether you’re a lifelong LEGO enthusiast or a parent looking for the next big thing in toys, LEGO Hidden Side is worth discovering. Let’s dive into what makes this ghostly LEGO universe so unique—and why it deserves a spot in your collection.

What Is LEGO Hidden Side?

Launched in 2019, LEGO Hidden Side is a now-retired theme that redefined the LEGO play experience by merging physical sets with smartphone-based augmented reality. Players can build spooky sets like haunted schools, ghost trains, and creepy cemeteries—and then bring them to life through the LEGO Hidden Side app.

Key Features:

Interactive AR Gameplay: View hidden ghosts and solve mysteries using your phone.
Dual Play Experience: Build and play in real life, then explore the digital world.
Rich Storytelling: Follow ghost hunters Jack and Parker on their paranormal adventures.

How the Augmented Reality Works

At the heart of LEGO Hidden Side is the free companion app, available for iOS and Android. Once you’ve built a set, you can scan it with the app to reveal haunted secrets and interactive digital missions.

AR Highlights:

Ghost Detection Mode: Use your phone to find and capture ghosts.
Mini Games & Missions: Battle supernatural forces, solve puzzles, and level up.
Regular Updates: The app received updates with new ghosts, challenges, and surprises.

This seamless blend of physical and digital play gave LEGO Hidden Side a unique edge in a market dominated by screen time.

Notable LEGO Hidden Side Sets

Even though the line has been discontinued as of 2020, Hidden Side sets remain highly collectible. Here are a few fan favorites:

1. The Mystery Castle (70437)

A large haunted fortress with secret chambers, traps, and interactive ghost-hunting functions.
One of the most detailed and sought-after sets in the theme.

2. Newbury Haunted High School (70425)

A spooky school building that transforms when haunted.
Comes with multiple minifigures and a ton of play features.

3. Ghost Train Express (70424)

A ghost-infested train with transformable features.
Includes AR challenges and hidden ghosts.

4. Shrimp Shack Attack (70422)

A fun and quirky seafood restaurant set with haunting surprises.
Perfect for kids who enjoy smaller, story-rich builds.

Each set is designed with AR in mind, offering scannable areas that reveal secrets and ghosts to hunt down.

Why Did LEGO Hidden Side Get Discontinued?

While LEGO Hidden Side offered an innovative concept, it was retired in 2020 after only a year and a half on the market.

Reasons for Retirement:

Limited AR Adoption: Not all users wanted to pair physical toys with phone apps.
Niche Audience: The haunted theme appealed to a specific age range.
High App Dependency: The experience was best enjoyed with frequent app use, which wasn’t ideal for everyone.

Despite its short run, LEGO Hidden Side left a mark as one of LEGO’s boldest tech-forward experiments.

Collectibility and Legacy

With its retirement, LEGO Hidden Side sets are becoming collector’s items. Fans of spooky themes, LEGO tech integration, and interactive storytelling often seek out these sets on resale platforms.

Why Fans Still Love It:

Unique Minifigures: Including ghosts, ghost hunters, and creepy NPCs.
Creative Builds: Sets often transform or include hidden features.
Tech History: Represents LEGO’s early foray into AR and hybrid play.

If you’re a collector, grabbing a sealed Hidden Side set today could be a smart move.

Is LEGO Hidden Side Still Worth Buying?

Absolutely—especially if you love LEGO with a twist. While the AR app may no longer receive updates, the core experience is still fun. The builds stand on their own, and many sets offer enough imagination-fueled play without digital add-ons.

Great for:

Kids ages 7–14 who enjoy spooky stories.
Tech-savvy LEGO fans.
Collectors of unique or discontinued LEGO themes.

Conclusion: A Hidden Gem in the LEGO Universe

LEGO Hidden Side may have faded into the shadows, but its impact lives on. With its creative sets, spooky storytelling, and AR-enhanced play, it delivered a new kind of LEGO magic that blended bricks with bits.

If you’re curious about where LEGO innovation meets paranormal fun, dive into the world of Hidden Side. And who knows—maybe it’ll rise from the shadows once again in the future.