Onell Design is an independent toy company that produces a build-able figure line called Glyos. There’s a growing roster of characters that inhabit the Glyos Star System. You can choose from about 14 basic styles (some with shared parts), that can all interconnect through a plug and socket system. Each release features these characters in different colour schemes so you can mix and match to make crazy new combinations. Once the figures from a release sell out they are gone. There’s a few standards that get restocked, but mostly you have to get what you want soon after the drop or you may miss out.

It’s hard to explain how much fun these figures are. When I get a new package I go into a trance. Time drops away while I pop them apart, trying different combos until I have a bunch of dynamic new characters standing in front of me. Most of the parts are abstract enough that they can be used for a foot, but they could also easily serve as a stock to a gun or a rocket booster. There’s been a few instances where I was just fiddling with my extra parts and realized I had an awesome new character hiding in there. It’s extremely satisfying and a great quick fix for an aspiring toy designer. They really make you feel like you’re designing new characters.

I’ll be posting more Glyos stuff, including my own builds, in the near future. Just search “glyos” on my blog and everything will come up.

I’ve only scratched the surface of the Glyos world. There’s extra part sets, in-scale vinyl vehicles, mini games, comics and even another line of characters by a second creator that uses the same system. Check it all out through their website at: