LEGO 2011 / Ninjago / Spinners Sets

Spinners were the battle game of the first two years of Ninjago. Each pack held a minifigure, a spinner that the figure stands on, weapons and game cards. Players spun their spinners into each other in an arena, and the one left standing won the battle and the weapon cards of the loser.

2011 LEGO Sets

2011 introduced Ninjago, which quickly became one of LEGO’s most successful original themes and the foundation of a long-running multimedia franchise. Other launches included Pirates of the Caribbean, coinciding with Disney’s On Stranger Tides, the sci-fi Alien Conquest, and Master Builder Academy, a design-focused building program. LEGO also experimented with digital-physical integration through Life of George, an early augmented reality experience. Collectible Minifigures Series 3–5 strengthened LEGO’s growing collector market, while internal employee-exclusive sets like Moulding Machines became prized rarities. Several themes concluded this year, including Harry Potter, Ben 10, Power Miners, Toy Story, Prince of Persia, Space Police III, and BrickMaster.