LEGO Creator 3-in-1 castle clash: 31120 vs. 31168

We're putting LEGO Creator's most recent 3-in-1 castle sets head to head to see which one comes out on top in terms of design, value and more.

LEGO Creator has been the new home of nostalgic themes as of late, especially LEGO Castle. The 3-in-1 models have been accommodating of the medieval and fantasy theme through a pair of castle creations that bring back familiar factions, and most recently, expanded the lore of the beloved range.

31120 Medieval Castle and 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle offer two similar, but different experiences, and it's time to see how they stack up next to one another.

Here's a look at how the two LEGO Creator 3-in-1 castles compare in various fields to help decide which is the better castle creation, or whether they're not alike enough after all.

Castle design

The design of the castles in each base build between 31120 Medieval Castle and 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle can both be fully enclosed, as a full loop of walls, complete with a drawbridge, defensive spires, buildings and necessary room for minifigure activities inside.

31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle lacks the rockwork and more experimental details, including the colour scheme, of 31120 Medieval Castle, opting instead for something more familiar. It also cannot be unfolded in the same way that 31120 Medieval Castle can, instead splitting into two castle parts.

Determining which is the better base castle design will come down to personal preference and what you're looking for in a LEGO castle, but it's hard to deny that 31120 Medieval Castle is the more visually interesting of the two releases.

Alternate builds

Whether it be fate, planned or coincidental, both 31120 Medieval Castle and 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle feature an official alternate build with an archway and a windmill, and in the same orientation to boot. Otherwise, the alternate builds on offer between the two sets differ greatly, making use of their part selections.

31120 Medieval Castle rebuilds into a grand tower with a trebuchet and the aforementioned windmill village, while 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle can be remixed into a similar windmill village, and a jousting arena, resembling 10223 Kingdoms Joust. That sense of nostalgia might give 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle an edge over 31120 Medieval Castle for you, but ultimately, your preference in this department will depend on what you are looking for.

Both builds attempt something drastically different with their alternate models, and it's challenging to judge either set as better based solely on their alternate builds.

Piece versatility

In terms of piece versatility, both 31120 Medieval Castle and 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle include more than just grey pieces, but the 2021 build is more colourful overall. Through the number of yellow pieces for painted wood panels, flags and even the included chickens, 31120 Medieval Castle has a more diverse colour scheme than 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle. That's not to mention that the castle is made up of two shades of grey, rather than one.

31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle's fortress is predominantly one shade of grey, and though it has some wooden elements, they are not nearly as colourful as those in 31120 Medieval Castle. The 2021 LEGO Creator castle also has the benefit of the water wheel, adding some interesting elements that the alternate builds can make use of.

31120 Medieval Castle and 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle have both inspired fan-designed alternate builds using these part selections, but it is earlier in the lifespan of the latter model.

Already, though, you can see how fans are using the available elements to good effect, embracing the bright colours of 31120 Medieval Castle for more than just castles, while sticking mostly to stone fortresses for 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle. The_Astral_J has even created a book nook of both builds, revealing another kind of comparison between the two sets.

Minifigures

There's no doubt that 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle beats 31120 Medieval Castle in terms of their minifigure selections. The new LEGO Creator castle has six minifigures to 31120 Medieval Castle's four, and those six minifigures have better details, prints and pieces than the 2021 build.

They don't reuse all of their pieces, but instead debut some exclusive designs, using rare LEGO elements such as the pointed shield, only otherwise used for the sold LEGO The Legend of Zelda set. The increased minifigure selection also means that you can have more than two knights protecting the castle, doubling the population of the fortress while still providing the standard citizen and even an enemy knight.

While they don't count as minifigures, it's worth noting that 31120 Medieval Castle is more diverse in terms of the brick-built animals on offer. Its base build includes a dragon, chickens, a falcon and a frog, while 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle is all about the two titular horses.

Value

The retired 31120 Medieval Castle would cost around £109.99 / $119.99 / €119.99 today, adjusted for inflation. For that price, it comes with 1,426 pieces and four minifigures. The new 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle currently costs £109.99 / $129.99 / €119.99 for 1,371 pieces and six minifigures.

The 2021 set has 55 more elements, with more variation overall compared to those in 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle. Despite the slightly smaller piece count, the 2025 LEGO Creator castle has two more minifigures and some much rarer pieces for minifigures.

As stated in our review of the most recent fortress, whilst the overall build has function, form and details, it does not come together in every way quite as you would expect from an A-model in a Creator 3-in-1 set in 2025. Our review of 31120 Medieval Castle called its main model more impressive overall, but you can't completely ignore the minifigure selection in 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle, which far surpasses that of the 2021 set.

While 31120 Medieval Castle arguably has the better castle, a more versatile array of pieces and more of them, 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle is of equal value with the two extra minifigure and some rare elements, it's just a shame the castle doesn't quite live up to the 2021 set's high bar. The minifigures make the new set a must-have anyway, and the castle certainly isn't bad by any measure.

311201 Medieval Castle has now been retired, but you can pick up LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle now for £109.99 in the UK, $129.99 in the US and from €119.99 in Europe.

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