Publisher: Buffalo Games (US) Size: 750 pieces Title: “Cat Tales" Finished size: 24" x 18" OUR RATING: 9/10 Box Quality: (8/10) The Buffalo Games boxes are very sturdy and have nice packaging design. The box is small at 8" x 8". The front, which you can see above, has a "Cats of Charles Wysocki" logo and the... Continue Reading →
Review: “Christmas Traditions” by Pinkerton Road & Lena Pigareva, White Mountain 9.5/10
Publisher: White Mountain (US), published 2017 Title: “Christmas Traditions” by Pinkerton Road & Lena Pigareva, 1000 pieces pieces Finished size: 24" x 30" (1000 pieces) OUR RATING: 9.5/10 It's that time of year, time for a Christmas puzzle glut. I was super excited to get my hands on this brand new Christmas puzzle from White Mountain. Let's take a... Continue Reading →
POTM Review: “Santa’s Big Night” by RJ McDonald, White Mountain 9/10
Publisher: White Mountain (US), published 2013) Title: “Santa's Big Night” by RJ McDonald, 1000 pieces pieces Finished size: 24" x 30" (1000 pieces) OUR RATING: 9/10 Puzzle of the Month: December 2017 This fun Christmas puzzle is the Puzzle Warehouse "PUZZLE OF THE MONTH" for December 2017. So if you are in the POTM club (click here to check... Continue Reading →
Review: “Island Life” by Chuck Pinson, Buffalo Games
Publisher: Buffalo Games (US), published 2017 Size: 1000 pieces Title: “Escapes: Island Life" by Chuck Pinson Finished size: 26.75" x 19.75" OUR RATING: 9/10 Puzzle Warehouse is having a special event with Buffalo Games starting 9/1. Stay tuned! Box Quality: (9/10) The Buffalo Games boxes are very sturdy and have nice packaging design. The box is small at... Continue Reading →
Review: “Cycling the Cities” by Adam Turman, PuzzleTwist – 9.75/10
PuzzleTwist Puzzles Today's post is a mix of puzzle review and brand review. PuzzleTwist is a US brand. Though their website doesn't give an exact location, I'd guess in the Midwest since many of their puzzles cover the Minneapolis/St. Paul's region. I've never done a PuzzleTwist puzzle before, and I was intrigued by the "puzzle plus"... Continue Reading →
Review: “Rocket Launch” by Uli Oesterle, Heye – 9.25/10
Publisher: Heye (Germany), published 2017 Title: “Rocket Launch” by Uli Oesterle, 1000 pieces Finished size: 27.6" x 19.7" OUR RATING: 9.25/10 NEW HEYES: I've finally had a chance to review one of the new Heye puzzles for 2017. Exciting! To see all the new Heye puzzles currently in stock at Puzzle Warehouse, click below. View all current Heye puzzles in... Continue Reading →
Review: “St. Francis” by Randy Wollenmann, Sunsout – 9.25/10
"St. Francis" is a gorgeous inspirational puzzle with a stained glass look. The puzzle is bright and beautiful with very crisp artwork, and the end result is worthy of framing. I loved assembling it too. The inner scene of St. Francis was easy to piece together, but the arched frame of leaves, berries, and doves was challenging because it's a repeating pattern. I had a blast assembling that part because I was in the mood for something that took more thought and effort. The Sunsout quality is very good, with sturdy pieces and a nice random piece cut. I like that you can move around a set of joined pieces without them falling apart. This is a moderate-to-difficult puzzle but worth every piece placed! Highly recommended.
Review: “Cat’s Life” by Marino Degano, Heye – 9.75/10
"Cat's Life" is terrific fun and a perfect example of the awesomeness of cartoon puzzles from Heye. It's a fairly easy puzzle to assemble. Despite the large body of the cat and the green background, there are unique little characters (fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes, among others) that inhabit every inch of the brilliant composition by cartoonist Marino Degano. Each little critter has a unique outfit, expression, or action, and you can match your pieces against the large poster that comes in the box. There are many joke and puns and pure silliness to discover as you assemble this puzzle.
Review: “A Girl’s Stocking” by Liz Goodrick Dillon, Sunsout – 9.25/10
I loved shaped puzzles. There aren't that many released each year, so I treasure the good ones when they come along. This stocking-shaped Christmas puzzle is really delightful. The curved border is fun to work with and the image is filled with bright colors and patterns that keep you moving from one object to the other without wanting to stop. I love the quiet scene by the Christmas tree and the soft, painterly art style. The Sunsout quality is excellent too, with sturdy pieces and a fun random piece cut. Highly recommended.
Review: “Butterfly Menagerie” by Aimee Stewart — Sunsout, 9.5/10
love shaped puzzles, and this offering from Sunsout and Aimee Stewart is really gorgeous and fun to assemble. The image is filled with a variety of brightly-colored butterflies and flowers in different colors and patterns, and those are easy to assemble. The fill around them–greenery and a blue pattern–appears in small doses and wasn’t too difficult. I really liked assembling the irregular edge, especially the antenna. Cute!
Review: “Sunday Lunch” by Steve Read, Falcon — 9/10
"Sunday Lunch" is a wonderful puzzle for the holidays. The subject is unusual in puzzles, with a contemporary family around a holiday table. It's a breeze to assemble thanks to each character's unique face, hair, and clothing, the orange curtains, the windows, and the loaded dining table. This is a puzzle you can work without constantly referring to the box lid. I found it particularly fun to piece together the "feast" on the table. The Falcon quality is excellent. It's a grid-cut puzzle with thick, sturdy pieces, a soft matte finish, a solid 'click into place' fit, and a seamless finish. Highly recommended!
Review: “Swans” by Cris Ortega — Heye, 9.5/10
"Swans" is gorgeous gothic fantasy puzzle from Heye and artist Cris Ortega. The puzzle is moderately difficult but fun to assemble with its bright reds, greens, and blues. The puzzle comes in a collectible box and has that solid Heye German-board-game quality from start to finish. The puzzle is grid cut, but there's a wide variety of shapes, and I never had trouble thinking a piece fit where it didn't really go. The pieces are thick and sturdy and have a nice matte finish. This is one you might consider framing when you're done. It's been in print since 2012, thanks to its popularity, but pick it up before it is retired. Many other Cris Ortega puzzles are now quite pricey on ebay. Highly recommended!