Creator

Sunken Treasure Mission

A little submarine, a big octopus, and three sea creatures for the price of one.

Brick Rated Score

4.0/5

Set 31130 · 2022

Pieces522

Minifigs2

Year2022

Set number31130

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The verdict

The octopus is what got me here.

For a set this small, that posable eight-armed thing has real presence, and it comes with a chunky yellow submarine, a diver, a skeleton, and a safe stuffed with gold bars. It is a proper Creator 3-in-1, so you also get a giant lobster and a manta ray out of the same bricks. If you want an underwater play set that keeps rebuilding into new animals, this is an easy yes.

Best for: Kids 8 and up (and animal-loving builders) who want three ocean creatures from one box

The full review

What it is

This is a Creator 3-in-1 built entirely around the deep sea, and the box art sells the fantasy well: a diver dropping down toward a treasure safe while a giant octopus looms nearby. The main build gives you that octopus, a stubby yellow research submarine with a cockpit, a camera, propellers and a cargo hatch, two minifigures, and a little safe packed with gold bars and gems. For a set that lands at 34.99 dollars retail, there is a surprising amount of story crammed in here, and the octopus really does anchor the whole thing. Its head moves, all eight arms bend, and it has a proper beak, so it reads as a creature rather than a static prop.

The catch

I will be straight with you about the caveats, because they are the usual small-Creator ones. This is a play set first, so the submarine is chunky and solid rather than finely detailed, and if you look closely at the octopus, the arms come out a bit short, which throws off the head-to-arm proportions compared to the real animal. It is a nitpick that mostly bothers grown-ups. The bigger honest note is the one that applies to every 3-in-1: the second and third models, a giant lobster with a small sub and a huge manta ray with a diver and a coral reef, are built from these same bricks, so you can only ever have one on the shelf at a time. If you fall in love with the manta ray, you have to tear the octopus apart to get there.

Who it's for

This one is a lovely pick for kids around 8 and up, especially the ones who are into sharks, sea creatures and treasure-hunt play, because it rebuilds into three different animals and each has moving parts to fiddle with. It also works nicely as a low-cost, low-pressure build for an adult who just wants a relaxed evening making something with personality. I would steer away only if you are chasing a display-grade centerpiece or intricate engineering, because at this size and price the charm is in the playability and the value, not in the fine detail.

The parts story

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

The build itself is quick and friendly, which is exactly what you want from an 8-plus Creator box. The octopus is the star to assemble: you work up a rounded body and then clip on eight arms built from small hinge and ball sections so they hold a pose, and there is a satisfying moment when the whole squishy-looking shape suddenly comes together. The submarine goes together fast and feels solid in the hand, and the little details like the opening cargo hatch and the treasure safe give kids something to actually do once it is finished.

There are no wild new molds here, but the value story is strong. At 522 pieces for 34.99 dollars you are landing around seven cents a piece, which is good going, and you get a big bag of useful ocean-tone parts: blues, tans, coral pinks and plenty of small clip, hinge and ball-joint elements that are gold for anyone who builds their own creatures. Add in the two minifigures, a diver and a skeleton, plus printed gold bars and trans-colored gems for the treasure, and this is a genuinely handy little parts pack even after the play value is spent.

Fun facts

01The set released internationally on June 1, 2022, and reached North America on August 1, 2022, at a recommended price of 34.99 dollars.
02It is a true Creator 3-in-1: the same 522 pieces rebuild into a giant lobster with a smaller submarine, or a huge manta ray with a diver and a coral reef.
03All three animals are posable, the octopus moves its head and arms, the lobster moves its eyes, pincers, legs and tail, and the manta ray flexes its tail and wingtips.
04The set has since retired, so it is now only available on the aftermarket.