Review: 21356 River Steamboat from LEGO® Ideas

Cast off! The steam engines are under fire! 

If you bought a ticket at the booth you may board the Amelia, LEGO® Ideas latest and biggest set. But now you’ll hopefully enjoy your ride on the “Ghost ship of the Mississippi” – we’ll get to that naming later. 

Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

21356 River Steamboat

• Release date: 7 April 2025
• Pieces: 4090

Price: 

• US$ 329.99 on LEGO.com US
• CA$ 429.99 on LEGO.com Canada
• GB£ 289.99 on LEGO.com UK
• AU$ 499.99 on LEGO.com Australia
• NZ$ 599.99 on LEGO.com New Zealand
• DE€ 329,99 on LEGO.com Deutschland
• NL€ 329,99 on LEGO.com Nederland
• FR€ 329,99 on LEGO.com France
• PLN 1399.99 on LEGO.com Polska
• NOK 3999,90 on LEGO.com Norge
• DKK 2599.95 on LEGO.com Danmark

Other countries click here

 

The parts

There is one new mould in this set, some recolours and a lot of interesting and bulk parts. Let’s check them out!

New moulds

 

• 2x Technic Axle Connector 5L with One Side Frictionless in Black (6546682 | 5443) 

An exciting piece for LEGO® Technic builders, this 5-module long connecting tube holds axles at both ends, but with friction at one end and without friction at the other. The idea has been floating around at LEGO for some time, but never found a worthy use in a set until now – where, as you will see, it enables a Technic function that runs through the entire height of the boat, while still allowing floors of the ship to be removed. Read more about it in our interview with the designers of the River Steamboat.

Recolours

 

• 12x Slope, Curved 6 x 1 in White (6508986 | 6801)

 

• 18x Technic, Axle and Pin Connector Triple in Bright Red/ Red (6532099 | 10288)

• 6x - Plate, Round Corner 3 x 3 with 2 x 2 Curved Cutout in Sand Yellow/ Dark Tan (6543514 | 68568)

 

• 3x - Wedge 6 x 2 Inverted Right in Reddish Brown (6532097 | 41764)
• 3x - Wedge 6 x 2 Inverted Left in Reddish Brown (6532067 | 41765)

New prints and stickers

 

• 2x - Tile 2 x 6 with “AMELIA” print in Reddish Brown (6527780)

The sole printed element are the two copies of the ship's name, for either side of the boat.

There are eight stickered parts in this set, may of which could find other practical uses in your models. I forgot to scan the sheet before applying them to the parts, therefore this overview is of the parts with the stickers applied.  

Interesting parts

 

• 1x - Stairs 7 x 4 x 6 Straight Open in White (6522741 | 30134) – appears for the second time this year after it was recoloured for 21354 Twilight The Cullen House (see review of set 21354 by Zach)
• 1x - Wheel Cover 9 Spoke - 24mm D. - for Wheels 55982 and 56145 in Brick Yellow/Tan (6458388 | 62701) – its third appearance
• 2x - Technic, Link 1 x 16 in Bright Red/Red (6212053 | 2637) – these reminded me instantly of the great 6339 Shuttle Launch Pad, released in 1995, one of my childhood dream-sets that got away
• 2x - Tile, Round 2 x 2 Inverted in Dark Orange (6508099 | 3567) – only in 4 other sets
• 4x - Rock 1 x 1 Crystal 6 Point in Opal Trans-Clear/Satin Trans-Clear (Mace Head / Brick, Round 1 x 1 with 6 Barbs / Points) (6555138 | 5686) – comes only in LEGO® Minifigures Dungeons & Dragons 71047 Dragonborn Paladin

 Existing parts that got new EIDs (not pictured) are:

• 4x - Boat, Hull Large Middle 8 x 16 x 2 1/3 with 5 Holes in Reddish Brown (6528952 | 95227) – only in sets prior, the last being 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay in 2020
• 1x - Boat, Hull Brick 16 x 13 x 2 in Reddish Brown (6528951 | 64651) – again, the last appearance in this colour was in 2020 in 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay
• 14x - Slope, Curved 6 x 1 Inverted in Reddish Brown (6528972 | 42023) – not seen in sets since 41150 Moana's Ocean Voyage in 2016

A remarkable number of parts have the highest quantity yet in a set:

• 17x - Tile, Round 1 x 1 with Loop in Black (6504712 | 77813)
• 24x - Brick, Round 2 x 2 with Axle Hole and Grille / Fluted Profile in Black (6024730 | 92947)
• 176x - Minifigure, Utensil Telescope in White (6070327 | 64644) – four times as many as in 10316 Lord of the Rings: Rivendell, the previous record-holder
• 12x - Plate, Round 1 x 4 with 2 Open Studs in White (6501816 | 77845)
• 16x - Plate, Round Corner 3 x 3 with 2 x 2 Curved Cutout in White (6339103 | 68568)
• 36x - Technic, Panel Curved 2 x 3 x 1 in Bright Red/Red (6381442 | 71682)
• 28x - Tile, Round Corner 2 x 2 Macaroni in Earth Blue/Dark Blue (6199898 | 27925)
• 4x - Door 1 x 4 x 6 with Window and Stud Handle in Reddish Brown (6522056 | 7102)
• 24x - Slope, Curved 4 x 1 Inverted in Reddish Brown (6092566 | 13547)
• 110x - Tile 1 x 6 in Reddish Brown (4211204 | 6636)
• 38x - Window 1 x 2 x 2 Flat Front in Dark Brown (6382784 | 60592)

This reddish brown door was introduced in 2024 in 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon's Tale, but clearly the clutch on the window pane was considered too tight, as it only appeared in 4 sets (2 of which in reddish brown) before being replaced by this version later in 2024. 

 

Many more parts have the second-highest quantity in a set:

• 36x - Bar Holder with Handle in White (6322489 | 23443, 109636, 49755)
• 12x - Plate, Modified 1 x 3 with 2 Open O Clips on Top in Dark Stone Grey/Dark Bluish Grey (6365692 | 79987)
• 45x - Brick 1 x 6 in Brick Yellow/Tan (4112982 | 3009)
• 49x - Brick, Modified 1 x 2 with Log Profile in Sand Yellow/Dark Tan (4520257 | 30136)
• 15x - Plate, Round 2 x 2 with Rounded Bottom in Reddish Brown (Boat Stud) (6037289 | 2654)

The build

 

The finished model is nothing but impressive. With its four decks (counting the wheelhouse as its own deck here), the towering chimneys and the massive red shovel wheel at the back, it is overall an  interesting model – and detailed, too.

 

On the first deck, the boiler deck we have the steam engine and shovel wheel motor, plus some additional museum pieces like a small steam engine.

 

There is also a kitchen included that serves wonderful dishes for the restaurant, one deck up. What I found a bit odd is the fact that the engine room and the surrounding deck are covered in tiles, but the kitchen is not.

On the second deck is the board restaurant, with a very nice interior – the mace pieces from the D&D collectible minifigure series as lamp heads is the best parts usage in this set. 

At the end of the restaurant is a smaller room, housing some bistro tables and a band set, where you could easily hear some Charleston tunes in your ears.

Third deck, the "Texas Deck", houses a sanitary room with toilet, shower and everything else needed, as well as a bunk bed cabin. It is also a nice observation deck to look around, while floating down the stream.

Aside from being basically a floating Modular Building, the Steam Riverboat offers plenty of play features too. There is of course the big red shovel wheel, which is connected to a wheel on the underside of the boat – so, if you roll it along the floor, the wheel magically moves. This function works well, but has a little drag – so the wheel moves, but not super-smoothly. 

Another issue with the wheel mechanism (though not with its function) is the wheel that sits on the underside of the boat for rolling over the floor. For a good amount of the construction process of the rear section, every time when attaching a part, the whole ship is bumped up via that wheel. The issue gets better once you are building the front section, and also once there is enough mass on the model.

Then there is the rudder, which can turn left and right, although you hardly see it covered by the decks above and by shovel wheel. However, it is astonishing.

 

What is more astonishing is that LEGO introduced a new mould for the rudder function, which as mentioned earlier, allows it to be operated by the wheel house on the top of the boat via a series of Technic axles leading through several decks – decks that can of course be separated.

On the front of the boat are the anchor and the boarding ramps; both functional. While the anchor is by definition a function, being able to be raised on its chain, it is not spectacular...

...unlike the boarding ramps, which work via a clever mechanism of turntables, rope and rope-leading wheels. By turning the winch, you can lower or raise both bridges at once.  

Another positive point is, that the ship comes with a presentation stand.

 
It is one of these sets that looks less interesting and impressive on the box, but surprises once built. That way is always the better one to have! On Barad-dûr, it was the other way around; impressive box, but a lacking model.

That said, the Riverboat does come with its own flaws.

The first two issues I have with the set are more of personal nature, and may be nitpicking, nevertheless they impact my verdict on the set.

The weathering on the side of the motor housing is too noisy for me. The blend of white, tan and light bluish grey is too unbalanced in my opinion. I’d have preferred a combination of tan and dark tan, with maybe some sprinkles of medium nougat.

Overall, I find the colour scheme chosen for the Amelia a bit dry and dismal. When I heard about the upcoming river steamboat set, my mind crafted a ship mainly in white with green- and red-toned accents. The choice of dark blue and blue accents blends too much with the black parts of the model, like the chimney and the presentation stand. It does not transport a playful, cheerful tone but rather a dull appearance.

 
The aesthetic of tristesse leads me to my final and biggest issue with the set: that it comes without any minifigures. The River Steamboat has a truly wonderful interior throughout: the restaurant with its lamps and chairs; the complete assortment of band instruments; the bunkbed cabin and neighbouring bathroom with all its lovely little details – all these rooms feel like they wanted to be populated. Sadly, there are no minifigures to cruise down the river. Combined with the above-mentioned issue, it feels like a “Ghostship on the Mississippi”. 

I wonder what reason was behind the decision to exclude minifigures? There has been some discussion about the scale of the model online; in my opinion it is minifigure scale – practical minifigure scale, maybe not, but judged by its doors and everything, it is at a play scale. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t expect a lineup of 10 figures, but 4 or 5 would have helped to sell the product better, in my opinion. 

Conclusion

The River Steamboat tries a balancing act. On one side, it is a display model with a nice stand and play functions. On the other, the full interior of a playset or Modular Building with lovely attention to detail. It does not accomplish this to full means in both cases; in the latter, mainly due to the lack of minifigures.

The River Steamboat is not a bad set at all, but for me one that floats with its flaws. It has a lot of great play features and a lovely, crafted interior with attention to detail. The part selection is also good and brings some cool new and recoloured elements, like the Technic connector and the fresh white curved slopes. Also, in terms of rare and high-quantity parts, this set delivers.

Whether the parts selection, good play features and a lovely interior weigh up well enough or not against the high price point of this set is up to you. If yes, buy a ticket and board the Amelia for a river trip down the stream.

 

 

READ MORE: A simple guide to using LEGO® techniques with reflected wedges

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