City

Space Explorer Rover and Alien Life

A tidy little rover mission that packs real charm into a small box.

Brick Rated Score

3.9/5

Set 60431 · 2024

Pieces311

Minifigsn/a

Year2024

Set number60431

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The verdict

I like this set for exactly what it is, a quick, satisfying build that hands you a chunky six wheeled rover and a strange little alien scene to go with it.

It is not trying to be an epic, it is trying to give a kid or a casual builder forty five minutes of genuinely fun construction, and on that measure it delivers. The rover's suspension and the folding solar panels are the parts I kept fiddling with after the build was done. If you want a big engineering project this is not it, but as a first space set, a stocking filler, or a quick shelf addition next to the bigger City Space sets, I think it earns its spot.

Best for: Kids building their first rover set and City Space collectors filling out the smaller vehicles in the lineup

The full review

What it is

This is one of the smaller entries in the 2024 City Space refresh, and I think that is actually its strength. You get a six wheeled exploration rover with a raised sensor mast, a little cargo or sample bay, and a small alien terrain piece with a creature to discover. It is a build that moves fast, one of those sets where you are steering wheels into place and clicking on panels and before you know it the thing is standing there looking like it belongs on a movie poster. The proportions are what got me, LEGO gave this rover a wide low stance that makes it look like it can actually handle rough ground, and that is not a given at this piece count.

The catch

I will be honest about the size. 311 pieces is on the smaller end for a City vehicle set, and if you are used to the bigger rover in this same wave, this one will feel like the little sibling. The alien scene is charming but small, and once you have posed the creature a couple of times there is not a deep well of play pattern left. This is a set that rewards you in the first hour of ownership more than the fiftieth. If you are shopping purely on part count per dollar, there are better values in the City Space lineup this year.

Who it's for

I would put this in the hands of a kid who wants a quick, achievable space build, or a City Space collector who wants the smaller rover to sit next to the bigger ships and stations from the same wave. If you want a long, absorbing build or a huge display piece, look further up the range. For what it promises, a fast, fun rover mission with a strange little discovery at the end, it holds up.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

The build itself is quick and mechanical in a good way, you spend most of your time assembling the rover's drivetrain and wheel arches before finishing with the mast, panels, and cargo details. It is the kind of build that keeps momentum, there is rarely a stretch where you are hunting for one stray 1x1 plate, which makes it a good confidence builder for less experienced hands.

The rover's big wheels and the articulated steering setup are the standout mechanical pieces, they give the finished model real posability instead of just sitting there. The alien creature piece is the fun surprise element, it is the kind of specialty piece that turns a plain vehicle build into a small story, and it is exactly the sort of detail that makes City Space sets worth grabbing even at a lower piece count.

Fun facts

01This set was part of LEGO's 2024 City Space wave, which introduced a refreshed rover and alien exploration storyline across several sets of different sizes.
02It sits alongside a larger rover set released the same year, giving City Space builders a small and a large exploration vehicle to display together.
03The alien creature figure gives this smaller set a play feature that many similarly priced City vehicle sets do not include.