Just before Christmas, Lego released a very surprising new game. Called Builder’s Journey, it wasn’t exactly what many people expected from the toy giant. The company is well-known for its family-friendly action games, based on everything from Star Wars to Lord of the Rings, developed by prolific studio TT Games. Builder’s Journey was different. It was a short, solemn experience that had more in common with an artistic indie title than a licensed blockbuster. That wasn’t an accident: Lego recently formed a brand-new internal studio called Light Brick for creating just those kinds of experiences.

“The studio formed around the idea of exploring new genres and gameplay styles with the Lego brick and brick building as the core mechanic,” Light Brick creative director Karsten Lund tells The Verge. “We believe that the Lego system is a design language that’s both a well-known classic and has a huge potential as an innovative and expressive material in the digital space. Another part of the vision was to enter the space of the more poetic, artistic games that move the boundaries of what a game experience can be, using game mechanics to convey emotions and narrative.”

“We believe it’s important to continuously explore the values of play, imagination, and creativity.”

Much like a traditional indie studio, Light Brick is small; Lund says the team is just nine people at present, a mix of both industry veterans and newer talent. When asked when the studio formed, Lund says that “it slowly evolved out of a small experiment with digital Lego bricks to a full development team during the last couple of years,” without giving an exact date.

Light Brick is in a unique situation. It operates much like an indie studio creatively, but with the resources and intellectual property of a bigger company. There are few comparable examples; perhaps the closest is Square Enix Montreal, a team that turned blockbuster franchises like Tomb Raider and Hitman into bite-sized mobile games. Not coincidentally, Lund worked at Square Enix Montreal prior to joining the Lego team. “I think there are a lot of similarities in regard to the quality focus and putting the craft front and center, as well as giving a known and loved brand a more artistic treatment and making it shine in new and innovative ways,” he explains.

While a title like Builder’s Journey isn’t the kind of game that will sell millions of copies — in fact, it’s only available through the Apple Arcade subscription service — Lund believes it offers something to the company beyond sheer commercial appeal. For a brand that’s all about play, a studio like Light Brick is a way to explore that space in a different way.

“The Lego system in play is a design language that both stimulates creativity and challenges your combinatory skills,” he says. “It’s part of what we call systematic creativity. It’s got components that are both logical as well as expressive, perfect for games like this. Part of Lego play is about emerging yourself in your creations and transforming your world as you experiment and learn new things. We believe it’s important to continuously explore the values of play, imagination, and creativity.”

It’s not clear yet what Light Brick is working on next, but Lund says that the reaction to Builder’s Journey so far has been very positive. He’s even seen players re-creating scenes from the game out of actual Lego bricks. “You cannot hope for a better debut as a small studio,” he says.