Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is the most common metal additive manufacturing tech- nique. Following pre-programmed designs, it employs a high-power density laser source to melt pre-alloyed or mixed powders layer by layer, allowing for complex metallic compo- nent fabrication. This technique has recently been utilised to produce superior, near-full-density three- dimensional functional parts for various industrial applications. As the LPBF technology matures, ongoing research is being conducted to increase its viability as a sustainable solution in achieving digital transformation in metallic materials and qualifying new metallic materials for digital products. This review focuses on recent developments in the LPBF technique in terms of process parameters, defects, microstructure evolution, related metallurgical phenomena, and microselective laser melting processing for miniaturised part production. First, considerable attention is given to the related parameters that affect the LPBF process, that is, powder-related and laser-related properties. Second, the metal- lurgical imperfections related to the LPBF products are described in terms of their types, formation mechanisms, and suppression strategies