The leaves are starting to turn, the streets are filling with people walking around in sweaters, and stores are selling Halloween candy in abundance, which can only mean that fall is here. While most people view this time of year as an excuse do unjustly justify the addition of pumpkin spice in everything, I see it as a time to get my hibernation preparation started. Once the weather gets cooler and the daylight hours dwindle, all I want to do is stay cozy in my home and build some LEGO. Fortunately, there is no shortage of sets to stock up on.

Here are three LEGO October releases that have caught my eye:

Gameboy (Set #72046)

In the video game console wars of my youth, I rode into battle with the SEGA Genesis battalion. It was the first system I ever owned, and I had to save up a lot of money to rock with its speedy Hedgehog mascot and all the great sports games. The trade off, of course, was that I couldn’t afford a Gameboy, which I also wanted. Even when I placed it on Santa’s list, he clearly got my letter mixed up with another one, as he sent me single-game handheld devices like Lee Trevino’s Fighting Golf and Mega Man instead. My childhood disappointments aside, I did not hesitate to pre-order the new LEGO Gameboy that officially hits shelves on October 1st. At a scant 421 pieces, this nostalgic display piece will look good on any shelf, especially with the Super Mario Land and Zelda cartridges that can be inserted into the back of the build, just like the actual system. One additional perk with the pre-order was that I was also able to get the limited LEGO SEGA Genesis controller as the gift with purchase item.

Gremlins: Gizmo (Set 21361)

Back in 2022, I was surprised to see an animated Gizmo grace my television screen, as part of the show Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, while flipping the channels past the kid-centric stations. While I know the Gremlins franchise holds a special place in the hearts of those in my generation and the first film is the perfect one to use when introducing children to horror, it’s surprising to see them reaching a new audience close to 40 years later. As a pop culture display piece, the LEGO Gremlins: Gizmo looks to be a must-have for fans of all things Gremlins. The piece, which can be posed, looks downright adorable when sitting and even comes with a pair of buildable 3D shades. Time will tell if we get more LEGO Gremlins, like the villainous Spike, down the line, but this set is a great start.

Death Star (Set 75419)

Easily the most controversial LEGO set to be released this year, the new LEGO Death Star has been a hot topic of debate online for two specific reasons. The first point of contention is that this 9023-piece set, which offers a detailed look at the various levels of the evil complex, is flat and not round. Feeling more like a slice of Texas Toast than a menacing structure, the design seems a little to close to the Funko Pop Death Star. The flat Earth vibe of it all also makes the price tag, the second point of contention, really hard to swallow. At a hefty cost of $1299.99 CAD, one will need to be a rather wealthy Star Wars diehard to even consider forking out that type of cash. Seriously, you could put a down payment on a car or get round trip plan tickets to a sunny destination for that price. As Yoda would say, “May your wallet be with you.”