Like, how closely do you let yourselves follow the box art? Do you time yourselves? Do you break apart any pieces stuck together at the outset or just consider those a gimme?
Box art is allowed to be used as much as you want. Encouraged even. If you can use some tiny detail in the piece to figure out where it goes overall, I think that’s awesome. For me, you’re building the picture moreso than connecting weird shaped edges to each other. The weird edges are just confirmation that your piece belongs there, not the puzzle itself. Other puzzles that focus on the same shaped or specially shaped pieces are a different kind of puzzle(like those triangle puzzles), but not jigsaw.
No timers, just a general “it took me x days/hours”. Not looking to break any records, just relaxing.
Stuck together pieces varies. If it’s a huge clump, I’ll break it up. Little 2-3 bits I’ll keep as bonus starters. Most I’d probably allow is a blob of 8 pieces. Anything bigger feels like I’m missing out on the puzzle. Unless it’s some 5000 piece monstrosity… So small amounts in context, yes.
Good answers.
On edit: I think we do it similarly. Some times new puzzles have pieces stuck together and tear if you try to separate them.
That’s a really valid point. If they’re stuck not because they happen to be together, but are actually stuck from not being cleanly cut, they get to stay. Don’t want to ruin the puzzle over it 👍
The box art is there, why not use it?
Timing sounds stressful.
But I do break apart pieces that are stuck together, and mix them in with the rest. Feels a bit like cheating otherwise.(No right or wrong by the way, all just personal preference.)
We celebrate the rare conjoined pieces as “freebies” and they are placed reverently in the corner for later use.
I kinda glance at the box art at the beginning, then go it without after.
Are you familiar with “wasgij puzzles”? Those are puzzles where the box art is just a hint and the actual puzzle image is “what the people in the box art are seeing” or “what happens a few moments from now”, there are a few variations. So you don’t really know what the image will be.
Nice. Didn’t know this was a thing!
We have seen the “wasgij puzzles”, but don’t remember doing any. I think it was “The Observatory” by Ravensburger, listed as an escape puzzle had a section that was different than pictured . I did not like it because the puzzle was too dark, difficult to see. We usually avoid the mystery type puzzles.
More on box art: I think White Mountain (not sure on brand ) includes a stand to hold the box top and many include posters.
I’ve done one of the escape puzzles. The concept is pretty neat… like an escape room in jigsaw format. You make the puzzle, and the picture has a couple of things in it that you need to solve. The idea really spoke to me, as I really enjoy escape rooms. But unfortunately I didn’t quite follow their logic. So it was hard to solve.
We separate all pieces upon opening, and do not look at the box art at all. Obviously you see it when you pick the puzzle, but no studying it! No timing, just relaxed playing! The point isn’t to finish, it’s just to have fun while you’re working on it. When I get together with my sisters and we do a puzzle, we all slide the last piece in together, each with a finger on it (kind of like how you move the triangle piece of the Ouija board). Half of us are moving it in the wrong direction and we’re all just laughing having a good time!
Good questions, I never thought of having rules.
On edit: After much thought, another question - if you buy a used puzzle and the previous owner separated all the edge pieces into a plastic bag, do you mix them back in to sort again, do you even sort at all? It is interesting to learn how others do it.
Never been in this situation, but I would definitely be happy to find all the edge pieces already separated. Always start by sorting the edges, and it’s my least favourite part.
We do the same as you. Bits and Pieces brand puzzles are the most difficult ones for me to sort edges, they use unusual shapes. Some times we do not finish the edge but work around the missing pieces until we find them.
