Houses of the World 1

"With a BrickScore of 64.6, Houses of the World 1 is a visually pleasant but flawed GWP — reviewers admire its micro-scale charm and series concept, but are broadly critical of its missing minifigures, muddled scale, and one of the steepest buy-in requirements of any recent LEGO promotional set."

Houses of the World 1 (40583) earns a middling BrickScore of 64.6 across four reviewers, reflecting a set that looks charming on a shelf but struggles to justify its steep GWP buy-in requirement. The micro-scale South American architecture is visually appealing and the modular two-floor build is competently constructed, but the absence of minifigures, awkward scale inconsistencies, and a high minimum-spend threshold (~$350 CAD) leave most reviewers lukewarm. Its strongest case rests on series potential — as the first of four thematic GWP sets, collectors may find reason to pursue the full run — though skeptics question whether that promise outweighs the per-set cost.

Where they split: True North Bricks was the harshest critic, calling it a flat-out skip and their biggest GWP disappointment to date, citing the broken scale and poor value. Zusammengebaut and Bouwsteentjes were more forgiving, praising the aesthetics and series potential. Emmasaurus was neutral, simply grateful it was free. The core split is between reviewers who weigh display/series appeal heavily versus those who hold GWPs to a standard of minifigures and proper scale.