LEGO 70420 Hidden Side Graveyard Mystery

Last week I picked up the debut issue of the 'Hidden Side' magazine, I'd been eyeing some of these sets already and the magazine combined with some of the sets being discounted on Amazon finally tempted me to dip my toe into this spooky theme... Just in time for Halloween!

I decided on this one as it had a good selection of minifigs (including a different version of Jack than the one I'd gotten with the magazine) and looked like it would be a good companion set to the Lepin Haunted House as well as a fun build in it's own right.

At the time of writing, this set is currently £17.99 on amazon UK, down from its original retail of £24.99. With a piece count of 335, that's quite a saving on a fairly new set (I'm not sure what it says about the sales of the Hidden Side theme that most of the line is discounted currently on amazon. I may end up picking up a couple more of the smaller sets at this lower price)

As you can see, the box art for this theme is quite striking and unique, these sets would certainly stand out on the shelf. Inside we just get 2 numbered bags, a small sticker sheet and the instruction manual. The build itself is a graveyard scene that is built in 3 sections and connected together by angled base plates.

Bag 1 completed. All the grave decorations are stickered pieces.

There is nothing particularly complicated in this build. With a recommended age rating of 7+ this is clearly meant to be a set for kids to be able to put together on their own.

The first section contains the entry gates and a fence along one edge, while the main middle section contains 3 graves. 2 of these open up (The largest of which is big enough for a minifig) while the one with an angel statue rotates revealing different colour tiles that come into play when using the AR app in conjunction with this set.

Bag 2 contains the small outbuilding (basically a grounds keeper shed) and the tree/monster that looms above it.

Construction begins on the shed.

The small shed building has an open back and contains a bin that holds the included Groundskeeper tools, we get a broom, a shovel and a pick-axe. The blue tiles on the ground are representing water spilled from the tap.

The tree monster!

He attaches to the roof of the building

The tree monster is my favourite part of the build, he is the most intricate part of the set as he has moving parts. Once built, 2 small levers on his back move his arms as well as the curved plant pieces that make up his eyes. his 'roots' extend down the side of the shed and he looks very imposing.

The completed build has a bigger footprint than I expected for such a low priced set, there is a lot of interesting details and playability crammed in here too. The stickers feel a little flimsy though, and I will always prefer a printed tile given the choice, but that is literally my only complaint here.

We get 4 minifigs included in this set and a dog. This version of Jack comes in a white

hoodie with red accents, the same hat/hood piece we get with every version of him, black trousers and gloves and his smartphone tile. His friend and fellow ghost hunter Parker comes with a cream hat/purple hair piece, black/green torso with printed shoulder bag, 'ripped' jeans and salmon coloured smartphone tile. Also included is Spencer, Jack's ghost dog in a very nice dual-moulded figure. (Spencer dies off panel in the issue 1 comic strip, but returns in ghost form after Jack moves to Newbury and gets involved in Ghost Hunting)

We get 2 sided serious/grinning heads on both of the protagonists...

The other figures included here are a standard Skeleton figure (who comes with a key piece) and the groundskeeper for the cemetery (Identified in the fiction as Mr Branson) He comes with Brown Overalls with cream undershirt and black gloved hands.

As well as an alternative face, Mr Branson gets a whole alternative head head for his 'possessed' form. This a transparent green head with solid lime green hair piece.

All 3 of the human characters have basic back prints...

The gimmick of this line is of course the AR app which can be downloaded for free on compatible devices and allows you to interact with any of the 'Hidden Side' sets using your smart device. Just point the camera at your set (You need to line up an outline on screen with the actual physical set to see the graveyard come to life. These are very basic mini-games that involve you scanning around your set to find and clear 'Gloom' and rotating the angel statue when prompted to proceed to the next part of the stage, you eventually battle a ghost by tapping on the screen while he attempts to dodge while throwing 'Gloom' at you.

While the gameplay is rudimentary, it is fun to see a set you've just built come to life through AR, I've included a few screenshots here to show you what to expect.

So all in all this is a pretty great set for the money, we get the 2 main heroes from the theme and a nice playset for a very modest outlay, the graveyard will be eventually combined with my haunted house set.

Thanks for reading.