🏗 LEGO Civil Engineering!?

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Hello Fellow Engineers!

This time, we’re diving into the Channel Tunnel, a 31-mile underground adventure that took 24 years to start and cost double the budget. Classic, right?

Plus, we’ve got Paddy showing off his stick-engineering skills, a LEGO bridge-building set, and a deep dive into some of the best indie horror games for Halloween. So grab your hard hat (or controller), and read on for all the fun!

I’ve also put together a pretty HUGE giveaway below…

Let’s dive into it 👇

Before we get started, I want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who entered the FrostPunk 2 giveaway!

And now, the moment

you've all been waiting for…

🥁 drumroll, please… 🥁

The winners are … Riley T. and Sharf G.!

Check your email for your FrostPunk 2 Steam key, heading your way!

Don’t forget to vote in today’s poll below for a chance to win next week’s big Game Giveaway! 🎉

I’ve got 11 copies of Turmoil and all the DLCs (The Heat is On & Deeper Underground) to give away! Each lucky winner will get Turmoil and both expansions—don’t miss out!

👷‍♂️ Truss Me, I’m an Engineer…

Civil Engineering Wonders of The World

Picture this: it's 1964, and the UK and France are like, “Hey, wouldn’t it be awesome if we could just tunnel under the English Channel instead of dealing with ferries all the time?” A cross-channel connection is agreed upon – everyone’s jazzed. But then… crickets. Between politics, money problems, and probably a fair bit of “well, maybe next year,” nothing happens until 1988.

Yeah, you read that right. 24 years later, they finally start digging. Better late than never, I guess? So, these engineers start busting out their best moves, tunneling like pros. Now, when you hear "tunnel," you might think of that thing your dog runs through at the park. But this? This is 31.4 miles of tunnel going 75 meters deep. That’s right – this thing is so far down, it’s practically saying "bonjour" to Atlantis.

Architects must have gotten involved at some point, because this beauty was only two years late and cost double the original budget. But hey, when you’re creating a tunnel between two countries, what’s a few extra pounds, right? Despite the delays, by May 6th, 1994, the first cross-Channel train was zooming through like it was no big deal.

Let’s not forget – this project wasn’t just about getting from England to France faster. It’s recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers (imagine the Avengers, but cooler) as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. That’s right! It’s hanging out with the likes of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Panama Canal, just chillin' in the hall of fame.

So next time you’re cruising through the Chunnel, or reading about some of those ancient wonders, remember: it takes a lot of digging, dirt and delays to make something this cool. Truss me, they nailed it – eventually.

⚡ Cool Links

😲 Kailasa Temple. An underrated engineering marvel.
An engineering marvel carved from a single rock—6000 years ago?! Others argue that it’s more like the 8th century, but hey, what's a few millennia between friends? 

🌉 LEGO® Ideas Project: Civil Engineering - Types of Bridges
Civil engineers don’t just build cities—they’re the unsung heroes behind every LEGO City layout too! In the "Civil Engineering: Types of Bridges - Revisited" set, you can explore seven different bridge types, from suspension to truss, and watch as your mini-engineers (yes, there are minifigures) tackle complex designs without ever losing a piece.

🔨 Low-Budget Repairs Simulator will let you experience home renovations in the 1990s.
Low-Budget Repairs Simulator lets you relive the 90s home renovation hustle! Cut corners, pocket cash, and hope the clients don't notice the cracks—because you’re already long gone. Basically, just like an architect, but with fewer blueprints and more duct tape.

🎃 Indie Game Reviewer’s Top 10 Games For Halloween!
Get ready, folks! IGR dug up a crypt full of spine-chilling indie games for Halloween that’ll haunt you longer than all the chocolate you’ll regret eating. The rules? Simple: they’re indie, fully released, never featured before, and more importantly—they’re actually good (looking at you, architects).

Here’s what’s lurking in this year’s list:

• World of Horror: A 1-bit cosmic horror game inspired by Lovecraft and Junji Ito. Perfect for Halloween.

• Bramble: The Mountain King: Kids lost in a haunted forest? Sounds like a Grimm fairy tale...

• Slay the Princess: Fairy tale vibes, but darker. You’re supposed to kill the princess or something terrible happens. Kind of like when architects get their hands on a good building—terrible things follow.

⏳ Halo 3 was released 17 years ago yesterday… feel old yet?

🐕‍🦺 Paddy’s Corner

Paddy Engineering on The Go

Paddy’s back at it, solving a dog’s toughest engineering problem—how to fit a massive stick down a narrow path!

With four paws and some quick thinking, he tackles the challenge head-on. Check out the full video of his genius in action! 📹🐾 

👾 Indie Game of the Week:

It’s been a while, but I’m finally back with A Little To The Left - Part 3, and let me tell you, this game is still way too satisfying for its own good! If only I could sort and tidy my real-life messes as easily as I do in this game… but nope, my desk is still a disaster. This cozy little puzzler has you organizing household items into oh-so-pleasing arrangements while battling a sneaky, chaos-loving cat who seems determined to undo your hard work.

I first played this a couple of years ago when the channel was much smaller, but now, with so many of you joining in, it's the perfect time to revisit! Check out my latest video and see how satisfying tidying up can actually be... if only in a game.

It’s time for a Bridge Review!

Alright, this one’s a doozy. The Eshima Ohashi Bridge in Japan has been terrifying drivers and confusing the internet for years, thanks to its wild, almost vertical appearance. You look at photos and think, “Wow, did I miss the part where they attached rollercoaster tracks?” But then reality sets in: it’s just a 6.1% gradient. Yep, that’s it.

The whole thing is basically a big optical illusion—like engineers’ version of clickbait.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s steep, but your car’s not about to do a backflip halfway up. It’s actually designed to let tall ships pass underneath, not to give drivers a heart attack. That said, the bridge still deserves some props for its optical trickery.

Final Score: 7.8/10—for making us think we’d need mountain climbing gear just to drive to the other side.

🏗 r/realcivilengineer Spotlight

Thanks to reddit user u/NefariousnessTop8716 for sharing this STRONG swimming pool!

🤔 Thoughts from an Engineer