What Are The Different Types Of Jigsaw Puzzles? (2021 edition)

Here are the types of jigsaw puzzles currently available in the market:

• Wooden jigsaw puzzles
• Cardboard jigsaw puzzles
• Plastic jigsaw puzzles
• 2D, 3D, 4D jigsaw puzzles
• Digital jigsaw puzzles using smartphones and/or computers
• Custom-made/personalized jigsaw puzzles
• Gradient or single-colored jigsaw puzzles
• Photo mosaic jigsaw puzzles
• Educational jigsaw puzzles
• Coloring jigsaw puzzles
• Floor/large piece jigsaw puzzles
• Difficult jigsaw puzzles
• Murder mystery jigsaw puzzles
• Wasjig jigsaw puzzles
• Unique jigsaw puzzles
• Calendar jigsaw puzzles
• Glow in the dark jigsaw puzzles
• Puzzle balls
• Ribbon cut jigsaw puzzles
• Random cut jigsaw puzzles
• Three in one jigsaw puzzles
• Only corner jigsaw puzzles
• Color changing jigsaw puzzles
• Tiny jigsaw puzzles
• Vintage designed/artistic designed jigsaw puzzles

Now, let us discuss what each of those listed jigsaw puzzles above is but before that, let me help you easily understand those by creating three major categories. I will group them by traditional, modern, and latest trend jigsaw puzzles.

TRADITIONAL JIGSAW PUZZLES

Simply as the group name itself, traditional jigsaw puzzles are those types that are present in the time of John Spilsbury until now. Under this group of jigsaw puzzles are the following:

2D jigsaw puzzle

Most of the available and common jigsaw puzzles are of 2D images. It is a flat type one where pictures of something or someone are printed on.

Wooden jigsaw puzzles

As the name it is, simply the material used in this type is wood. Fun fact check, the first dissected map by John Spilsbury was imprinted on wood that was cut by geographical boundaries. The availability of this one is not as common as it first came out in the 1700s because of its material and equipment that is needed to cut each piece. But it is still available until now and, of course, at a higher price than the next one.

Cardboard jigsaw puzzles

As the name it is, this one is obviously using cardboard material. This material was used to replace the wooden type ones in the Era of the Economic Great Depression. The reason behind this is because of its sudden and unexpected popularity at the time. With this kind of material, it is easier to cut and for that same reason, increased production is met its market demand until now.

Educational Jigsaw Puzzles

The first-ever dissected maps created by John Spilsbury are an educational type one. As I have mentioned in my first blog article about the History of Jigsaw Puzzles, dissected maps were used to help children in their geography subject.

With maps as the first-ever educational jigsaw puzzle, other images were used such as numbers, alphabets, shapes, human body parts, celestial bodies, solar system, periodic tables, types of plants, types of animals/insects, types of landforms, and even spelling are now available in the market! Of course, it is not limited to these alone, different types of cars, scientists, presidents, flags, famous personalities, and many more are also there.

Interesting, right? You are literally using all the parts of your brain to assemble each piece together while you are also learning about the image you are completing as well. What a genius and fun way of learning!

Ribbon cut jigsaw puzzles

This type is the most commonly encountered type of jigsaw puzzle available anywhere. Simply by the name of it, cuts of each piece somehow resemble a ribbon-like structure. As I have mentioned in my second blog article about the names of each jigsaw puzzle piece, tabs and/or blanks are present in each piece.

Random cut jigsaw puzzles

This type is somehow related to ribbon-cut jigsaw puzzles but with a twist. Instead of having the normal tabs and/or blanks in each piece, irregular cuts are seen. This type of cut gives more thrill, excitement, and another level of challenge to any puzzlers who play with it.

MODERN JIGSAW PUZZLES

Modern Jigsaw Puzzles are ones that came after the traditional type. Under this group, improved designs and new creative idea of jigsaw puzzle manufacturers were used to give fresh look and taste to puzzlers like us. Even though I call it as “modern” one, you can still see touches of traditional concepts of jigsaw puzzles in this group.

Here are the following examples of under this group.

Vintage designed/artistic designed jigsaw puzzles

This type uses images of paintings of known artists or painters. Also, old looking architectural buildings, sculptures, art portrait, landscapes and many more can also be used in this one.

Calendar jigsaw puzzles

What a great idea to use calendar jigsaw puzzle indeed! You can play this one while waiting for the New Year’s countdown isn’t? Assembling it with your loved ones can create a fresh new year’s activity for the family.

Custom-made/personalized jigsaw puzzles

This one is the most purchased and looked for if you want to give it as a present to your friend or loved ones. A custom-made or personalized type one will give a more sincere touch to your gift when you put an image of the one you are giving with or any image that gives special meaning to it.

An example of this is the one assembled by Hugh Jackman. You can check my blog article about dissectologists to see the personalized jigsaw puzzle with the image of him and his wife. Isn’t sweet?

Photo mosaic jigsaw puzzles

This one is something like an image that is created by other images as well. More like a combination of different images that when grouped together can form a whole new image too!

Floor/large piece jigsaw puzzles

Floor or large piece ones are literally large in size! Your coffee table or even your dining table will not be enough to fit all those pieces in this one.

Usually, this type of jigsaw puzzle is used by toddlers to play with and enhance their thinking skills. Since toddlers are the puzzlers for this one, only limited number of pieces are available.

But there are also adults versions for this as well! And don’t be surprised as to how big it would be because you will be using your entire floor to finish this.

LATEST TREND JIGSAW PUZZLES

The latest trend jigsaw puzzles are those of high-end type ones. These are games that shows more entertaining factor to puzzlers like us because of its unique features. Aside from that, the level of difficulty is also in advanced. Some types under this group could be “futuristically genius” if you have not encountered such thing yet.

Here are the following latest trends of jigsaw puzzles.

3D jigsaw puzzles

These dimensional type ones are the upgrades of the commonly seen 2D type ones. You see, these ones are not flat when you are going to assemble them.

You can literally touch the image as it is because it has length, width, and height. This one consists of multi-layer pieces that can be assembled horizontally, vertically, or even diagonally.

4D jigsaw puzzles

This one is the same as the 3D ones but, of course, with a twist.

If we compare it to 4D movies where you wear 3D glasses to literally see the movie, additional movements to your seats and some physical movements in the theater are experienced.

But, of course, this one is not moving, instead, “changes” or “progress” through time is present. Usually, city developments from the past to present used for this one.

If you want something that is literally “moving”, I guess you can create one if you like. I am happy to support you for that! Just don’t forget about me for giving you an idea, please?

Plastic jigsaw puzzles

Another latest trend is something that made of acrylic plastic. This type could be bought in clear ones or in colored ones that some call it as “stained glass” jigsaw puzzle.

Cuts for this one also varies, you may want it to be in ribbon-cuts or in irregular ones. It is for you to choose from. Any form gives same thrill as well.

Digital jigsaw puzzles using smartphones and/or computers

So if you are a busy puzzler but can not help it but play this one, downloadable ones are available online!

Digital jigsaw puzzles are good for busy puzzlers for you can play them any time and anywhere. You just literally need a phone and/or a computer during your break time at work to play and relieve your stress.

Gradient or single colored jigsaw puzzles

If you are used up to various pictures on jigsaw puzzles, you may want to try something that is more minimalistic in approach.

Gradient or single-colored ones are in trend nowadays especially in puzzlers who wanted a simple image-looking one to play on. But do not be deceived by its simplicity, puzzlers. This one is hard because you cannot identify which piece should be next for their color are almost exactly the same.

Coloring jigsaw puzzles

This is a family-friendly type one. Adults may assemble this black and white jigsaw puzzle game and once they are finished, the young ones may color the whole portrait afterward. Having a black and white image with a sketch on it makes it more interesting to play on for its challenge, isn’t it?

Difficult jigsaw puzzles

As the name of it implies, this is indeed difficult. There are many types of difficult ones available on the market. It may be the dimensional ones, or the size-related ones, multi-colored/single colored ones, irregular cut ones, or the ones that come in thousands of pieces and many more!

Murder mystery jigsaw puzzles

This type is the one that should be played when you have a sleep over with your friends. You may assemble this one with your friends and once done, you can start reading the mystery case behind the image.

What a detective type of playing, right?

Wasjig jigsaw puzzles

Now, you might wonder what on Earth is a “wasjig” word, right? Do not be intimidated for it is not foreign to you my puzzler friend! It is jigsaw too but written backwards.

This one will make your mind go into circles because the image on the box is not the image that you will be going to assemble on. The given image is only your clue as to what image you will be getting once you are done. You will be exercising your creativity and puzzle-solving skills for this one.

Good for a long weekend vacation away from the city, right?

Unique jigsaw puzzles

Some of the latest trends I have mentioned a while ago could fall on this one as well. Unique jigsaw puzzles are somewhat the rare ones. Some of it has different sizes of each piece with different cuts too. So unique that you do not know how to finish it. Just kidding!

Glow in the dark jigsaw puzzles

This one is the one that I wish to play on some other time. Glow in the dark pieces makes it more interesting for you can assemble it even it is dark. It is like you are playing video games secretly when your mom is already fast asleep at midnight.

Puzzle balls

As the name implies, this one is a ball in shape. Corners or edges that we usually see in various jigsaw puzzles are not seen in this one. It is smooth and round in shape making it harder to finish if the technique that you usually use in starting the game is to create the edges first.

Three in one jigsaw puzzles

This type is kind of a unique and head scratching one. You see, this puzzle has three images in one frame. So, in order for you to finish this one, you will be needing a special RGB (red, green, blue) glasses to see one image at a time. Cool right?

Only corner jigsaw puzzles

This one is I guess the most futuristic type of jigsaw puzzles! Imagine, how will you group each jigsaw puzzle piece according to their location if all of them are in corners? But don’t worry that much, since all of the pieces are in corners, only a limited number of it is in the box. I am confident that you will finish it in no time.

Color changing jigsaw puzzles

If you wanted to practice your eye muscles, this one is for you. Since it is color-changing, you will be taking some time to really check on each piece if you will group them according to their colors. Well, good luck with that!

Tiny jigsaw puzzles

If there are large piece ones, obviously there a counterpart for that. This one will be needing the use of tweezers for you to pick up each piece and assemble on. You may also want to use a magnifying lens if you happen to purchase a really small one.

Just make sure to play this thing in an area that is not windy for you to know what will happen next after that.

So, that is all I have gathered, Puzzlers.

Do you know other types of jigsaw puzzles that is not on our list?

What will be your jigsaw puzzle choice the next time you purchased online?

Share it in the comments below and let us see how well you did to finish it.

Hope to hear from you soon!