Jigsaw Puzzle Piece Counts and Types

Jigsaw puzzles come in more varieties than the familiar 1,000-piece box on the shelf. Here is a plain guide to the main differences: how many pieces, how big they are, how they are cut, and what they are made of. Along the way we explain the choices in our own free online jigsaw puzzles.

Piece Counts

The number of pieces is the biggest single difference between puzzles. Boxed puzzles commonly come in 100, 300, 500, 750 and 1,000 pieces, with giant puzzles of several thousand pieces for the very dedicated. On a screen, smaller counts work better, because the whole picture has to fit on the display. Our puzzles offer four sizes:

The same picture feels new at each size, because the pieces are cut along different lines. Many people work their way up: 24 pieces the first time, then 48, then 100.

Large-Piece Jigsaw Puzzles

Large-piece puzzles have become popular with adults who want a relaxing puzzle without squinting. In a box, they usually have 300 to 500 pieces that are roughly twice the size of ordinary pieces, so the finished picture is larger too. They are easier to pick up, easier to see and quicker to sort.

On a screen, "large piece" depends on the screen as much as the count. That is why our puzzles size the table to fit your screen: at 12 or 24 pieces, each piece stays big even on a phone. If the pieces look small on your device, choose a lower count, or turn your tablet sideways for a wider table.

How Pieces Are Cut

Classic cut

The classic cut, also called a grid or ribbon cut, arranges pieces in neat rows and columns. Each piece has four sides, each with a knob or a hole, except the straight edges along the border. Our puzzles use this style, with every knob slightly different so that shape helps you as much as color.

Random cut

In a random cut, the pieces don’t line up in rows. Shapes vary wildly, which makes the shape of a piece less helpful and the colors more important. Many puzzlers find these harder.

Whimsy pieces

Wooden puzzles often include "whimsies": pieces cut in recognizable shapes such as a cat, a teapot or a star. They are a charming tradition and a nice surprise when you find one.

Rotation

Some online puzzles let pieces turn, so you have to rotate each piece the right way up. Ours keep every piece upright, which makes the puzzle more about the picture and less about fiddly handling.

Cardboard, Wood and Screen

• Cardboard puzzles are the most common, sold in boxes everywhere from drugstores to museum shops.
• Wooden puzzles are thicker, often hand-cut, and prized by collectors. They tend to have fewer pieces and creative cuts.
• Online puzzles need no table space, never lose a piece and save themselves. You can do one in a waiting room on your phone, and helpers like edge sorting and hints are a tap away.

Kinds of Pictures

Puzzle pictures tend to fall into a few families, and most people have a favorite. Our collection includes examples of each:

• Country scenes: barns, farmland and lanes, like Red Barn at Sunset and Patchwork Farmland.
• Seaside and lakes: Lighthouse by the Sea, Sailboats in the Harbor and Mountain Lake Morning.
• Seasons: Autumn Country Lane and Snowy Village Evening.
• Gardens and birds: Cottage Flower Garden and Songbirds on a Blossom Branch.
• Patterns: Grandmother’s Patchwork Quilt and Stained Glass Rose Window, where color does most of the work.

The Daily Jigsaw

A daily puzzle is a newer tradition: one puzzle a day, the same for everyone. Ours features a different picture each day with a fixed cut, so you and a friend can do the same puzzle and compare notes. Each puzzle also has a number; type it in Settings to play a particular puzzle again or share it.

Why So Many Adults Love Jigsaw Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles have been a favorite pastime for well over two hundred years, and they enjoy a fresh wave of popularity every time people spend more time at home. Ask puzzlers why, and you tend to hear the same things:

• A calm, unhurried hobby. There is no opponent and no clock. You set the pace.
• Something to keep the mind busy. Matching colors and shapes is absorbing, gently challenging work, and many people simply enjoy giving their attention to it.
• Small, steady rewards. Every piece that clicks into place is a little success, and the finished picture is a satisfying end.
• Togetherness. A puzzle on the table invites company. Grandparents and grandchildren, friends and spouses can all add a piece.

Like puzzles with a bit more strategy? Try our other puzzle games or a relaxing round of solitaire.