Types

There are many types of puzzles; some may combine two or more types. 

Some types of puzzles include:

• 2D. These simple, flat, two-dimensional puzzles are by far the most common of jigsaws; they are the type of puzzle most people think of when you say you are working on a puzzle. They may encompass some of the other types included below.

• Repetitive design.  A little more complex and twisty than your regular flat 2D puzzle. This can be the perfect puzzle gift for teens who wish to switch to a more intermediate level of solving puzzles. The puzzles consist of repetitive, almost hypnotic patterns where a single shape or object is repeated several times. Some puzzles in this category don’t even have an image: just a block of color that requires the puzzler to use shapes only to solve them, lacking patterns, contrast, or other visual clues.

These complex jigsaws remove a person’s ability to use typical puzzle-solving strategies and call upon them to stretch their cognitive skills. All you can do with these is build the edge of the image and steadily work your way inward by identifying the correct pieces and shapes. So with this type of puzzle, you are not looking for a particular picture, but rather a puzzle piece that fits. 

• 3D. This particular type of puzzle has a fan following of its own.  Adding a third dimension can make jigsaw puzzles more complex and exciting. Most often, 3D puzzles are modeled after famous buildings or landmarks, though some 3D puzzles have been crafted into ducks, orbs, cars, and even musical instruments. Imagine creating a 3D model out of small puzzle pieces. What makes it even more unique is how it is used, such as to create small miniature models of different buildings as architectural designs, to see what the building model will look like once the construction is fully completed.

• Pyramid. Puzzle pyramids or other three-dimensional shapes offer a unique three-dimensional puzzling experience that results in a distinctive decorative piece. They are ideal for those interested in architecture or looking for a novel twist on traditional puzzles.

• Double-sided. These puzzles add an extra layer of difficulty by featuring images on both sides. This means you have to figure out where the pieces go and which side of the pieces to use. The two images may be the same or different, and/or the second image may be oriented differently. These puzzles require careful attention and can take longer to complete, so they are best suited for puzzlers looking for a serious challenge and spending extra time ensuring everything fits just right.

• Themes. These puzzles follow a specific theme. Common themes include ancient Egyptian themes, geometric designs, jungle scenes, and famous landmarks.

• Lenticular. These puzzles use a special type of printing that allows the image to change or move when viewed from different angles, creating a dynamic and engaging visual effect. They may feature images that shift between two or more scenes, adding a layer of complexity as puzzlers must consider the changing image during assembly. Popular themes include animations, animals in motion, or scenes that transition from day to night. 

• Glow-in-the-dark. These puzzles are printed with special phosphorescent ink that absorbs light and emits a glow in a dark environment, so they can be assembled in normal light or in the dark. Often featuring night-time scenes, celestial bodies, or fantasy themes, these puzzles come to life when the lights go out, adding an element of surprise and delight, especially for younger puzzlers. 

• Miniature. These puzzles feature very small pieces, often a quarter the size of standard puzzle pieces. The small size of the pieces demands patience and a steady hand, making these puzzles particularly challenging even if the piece count is relatively low. The reduced scale makes even simple images more difficult to assemble. Their small size makes them easy to transport and assemble in smaller spaces, making them perfect for travel or limited work areas, but the pieces are more easily misplaced or lost.

• Educational. These puzzles are designed with learning in mind; they serve as both a fun activity and a teaching tool. Often used in classrooms or at home, these puzzles help children and adults learn through hands-on experience. For example, a map puzzle can teach geography, or an anatomy puzzle can help understand the human body. Some educational puzzles include interactive features like matching labels or additional information on the puzzle pieces, enhancing the learning experience. These puzzles can range from simple alphabet puzzles for young children to complex geographical maps for students. 

• Murder mystery. Murder mystery puzzles aren’t too common, but this fun twist on the average jigsaw merits some attention. These sets usually contain two puzzles, where puzzlers must first solve each jigsaw without the assistance of a guiding picture. You complete the puzzle and solve the murder by following clues from a guide booklet that comes with it. This can be a fun activity for families where everyone can take their part in solving a murder mystery.

• WASGIJ. A palindrome is a word or phrase that reads the same forwards and backwards, but a semordnilap (palindromes spelled backwards) is a word that becomes a different word when read backwards. Wasgi is a semordnilap of jigsaw. First introduced by the Britain-based Jumbo Games in 1997, WASGIJ was claimed to be the most unique take on a puzzle. According to Jumbo Games, their puzzles comprise different concepts with a single underlying theme: the image on the box is not what you’ll create with your puzzle pieces, but it provides a clue. 

In this puzzle, by the time you finish the game, you will find the final picture to be different than the one seen on the puzzle box. WASGIJ has six concepts. The puzzlers:

• • • imagine and form the puzzle picture from the mind of someone already in the picture. There is a guide that comes with character clues,

    • use their imagination to determine what is happening in the image given in the present day,

    • imagine what will happen to the characters in the image in the coming minutes,

    • form a puzzle image of what the characters in the puzzle box are looking at,

    • form an image using the puzzle of what the characters in the image will look like if they were to come to life in reality, and then

    • use time-traveling concepts to create an image of what the puzzle will look like when they travel years back into the past.

The concepts Jumbo Games created over the years include:

• • • Original: Players must use their imagination and context clues to create a puzzle image from the perspective of someone appearing within the provided image.

    • Mystery: Similar to the murder mystery above, players create a vision of what will happen to the figures in the picture in the next few minutes.

    • Destiny: A time-travel concept where puzzlers must imagine what the scene in the box image will become in modern times. 

    • Back to the past: A reversal of the type above, puzzlers create a puzzle imagining what a scene will look like in the distant past.

    • Christmas: Similar to the Original concept, puzzlers imagine what everyone in the box’s image looks at as a scene rather than one character's viewpoint.

    • Imagine: Puzzlers assemble an image based on what the cartoon characters on the box would look like if imagination became a reality.

• Mega. As the name suggests, this jigsaw puzzle is huge, usually with over 10,000 pieces. This type of jigsaw puzzle tests your patience, concentration, and attention to detail with its huge number of puzzle pieces. 

• Floor. A simple and fun jigsaw puzzle for children. The pieces consist of large, soft, vivid, and colorful designs, usually no more than 100 but often closer to 20-30 pieces. They allow children to easily imagine and form a picture of the puzzle in their minds. There are different themed floor jigsaws like animals, numbers, colors, and shapes for young children. 

• Wooden. Today, most jigsaw puzzles are completed on an assembly line, where massive saws or laser cutters slice apart all the puzzle pieces of an image. However, this wasn’t always the case. Puzzles used to be painstakingly crafted by skilled artisans, who painted the puzzle image on a wood slab and then gently hand-cut the puzzle into its many pieces. This process takes a lot of time to complete, and thus, the puzzles are more expensive than their mass-produced counterparts. However, the results are beautiful and worth it for some retro-loving puzzlers.

• Tray. A tray puzzle has a hard, durable board with sides; it serves as a guideline for assembly and offers a place to store the puzzle. When the thick, durable puzzle pieces are removed from the tray, a finished image can be seen printed on the tray;  it helps people visualize where the puzzle pieces should be placed. The pieces fit securely within the frame, making it a great travel activity. The puzzle can also be assembled without the tray for more of a challenge. 

• Peg & knob. These wooden puzzles feature 7-8 pieces with easy-grasp pegs and visual clues under each piece. Children can easily correct themselves if the puzzle piece is in the wrong place. These puzzles promote hand-eye coordination, fine motor development, and problem-solving skills. 

• Infinity. The colorful infinity puzzle is a unique puzzle that tiles continuously. It is infinitely reconfigurable since it has no fixed shape, starting point, or edges. It can be assembled in thousands of different ways.

• Panoramic. Long, narrow puzzles that offer wide, colorful vistas of scenery. 

• Collage. A puzzle with an image made of a collection of smaller images.

• Impossible. The most challenging jigsaw puzzles a puzzler can attempt. They are not impossible, although it may seem that way at times. Examples include all-white puzzles, puzzles with no edge pieces, and puzzles with a repetitive pattern.

• Magnetic. Magnetic puzzle pieces cling to their inside surfaces to minimize mess.

• Photomosaic. Thousands of smaller images are combined and blended to create a big image that may have nothing to do with the small ones.

• Seek & Find. The image on the box cover is not the actual puzzle image. Inside the jigsaw puzzle box is a list of items hidden inside the puzzle that are not shown on the front of the box. You build the puzzle and find the hidden images within it.

• Multipack. Each box contains multiple puzzles, usually about the same theme.

• Foil/Metallic/Glitter/Sparkly. Each puzzle has thin, metallic foil or glitter on the surface that creates an amazing reflection of light. 

• Holographic. The puzzle pieces are made of holographic film and are arranged on an assembly stand, which is illuminated by a specialized light source to produce a three-dimensional image.

• PuzzleTwist®. Jigsaw puzzles with exciting and unexpected twists. The puzzle is always a bit different from what you see on the box, with multiple changes in the image. Piece by piece, something surprising awaits as your puzzle is revealed.  

• Labels. Some puzzles have symbols, letters, and/or numbers on the back of the puzzle pieces to indicate the object, area, section, scene, etc. that they are a part of.

Final Thoughts

Puzzling never seem to get old because there are so many variations of puzzles to choose from, each with a different image.