Why the live-action Scooby-doo movies should have been a LEGO game
Every time I rewatch the live action Scooby-doo (2002) or Scooby-Doo 2: monsters unleashed, I can’t help thinking the same thing:
These movies were never meant to be realistic.
They were colourful, chaotic, exaggerated and packed with a physical comedy- the kind that feels just slightly too cartoonish for live action. And that’s why they would have worked perfectly as a LEGO game.
Not just one game either- a two part LEGO Scooby-Doo game, adapting both live-action films into a single, connected experience like they did with the LEGO pirates of the Caribbean game and the Jurassic Park/world game.
The first Scooby-Doo movie already feels structured like a LEGO game. You’ve got a central hub location, clearly defined character abilities, slapstick humour, and villains that lean into spectacle rather than subtlety. Spooky Island practically begs to be explored level by level, brick by brick.
In a LEGO format, the exaggerated tone wouldn’t feel awkward- it would feel intentional. LEGO thrives on chaos, visual gags and playful destruction. The things that sometimes feel “too much” in the live action movie would suddenly make sense.
A LEGO version of Scooby-Doo the movie could centre entirely around Spooky Island as a hub world. The hotel, the jungle paths, the underground lair- all unlocked gradually as the mystery unfolds. characters would switch freely, puzzles would require teamwork, and classic LEGO mechanics could translate Scooby perfectly.
Shaggy and Scooby could sneak through levels to unlock hidden areas.
Velma is solving logic-based puzzles
Daphne is using agility and gadgets.
Fred is building and breaking structures to curate traps to progress.
It’s already there- the movie just never let it be a game.
Then comes monsters Unleashed, which honestly feels like it was written with LEGO in mind.
Multiple classic monsters are returning.
City-wide chaos.
Escalating set pieces.
A bigger, brighter, louder threat.
This is where the second half of the game would shine. Instead of a single island, you’d get multiple locations- museums, streets and warehouses, each overrun by familiar Scooby villains reimagined in LEGO form. The joy wouldn’t just be from stopping them, but recognising them.
LEGO games are at their best when they let players play through nostalgia, and Monsters Unleashed is already doing that narratively.
What really makes this idea work is that LEGO allows Scooby-Do to be silly without losing its heart.
The franchise has always balanced spooky imagery with humour. LEGO understands that balance instinctively. Jokes land without undercutting the stakes. Scary things are still frightening- just in a way that’s accessible, Playful and clever.
And crucially, LEGO games reward exploration, Scooby-Doo has always been about poking around places you’re not supposed to be, finding hidden passages and accidentally triggering chaos. That loop fits perfectly with LEGO’s design philosophy.
A two-part LEGO Scooby-Doo game would also solve one of the most significant issues with the live-action films: tone.
Instead of trying to straddle realism and cartoon logic, the LEGO format would fully embrace exaggeration. No one questions why characters survive ridiculous falls or why monsters behave theatrically in LEGO games- it’s part of the language. Scooby-Doo belongs in that space.
More than anything, this feels like a missed opportunity.
The live- actions weren’t failures at all in my opinion and are a crucial part to 90s and 00’s childhood. I believe that the energy, humour and visual chaos in the movie would have thrived as a LEGO game. The mystery would still matter and the comedy would have another format it deserved.
Sometimes unmasking the future means realising the answer was always there- just built out of bricks instead of flesh and blood.
Stay groovy- and keep unmasking.
