Jigsaw puzzles, one of my favorite introvert hobbies, are becoming a trending activity during COVID-19 times, as people turn to puzzles to cope with isolation or boredom. Puzzle Warehouse is seeing sales of 10,000 puzzles a day, compared to its typical daily sales of 1,000. In an interview with NPR, Filip Francke, CEO of Ravensburger Games North America (one of my favorite puzzle brands!), says that the company's sales has increased by 370% since last year. "Anything that's related to feeling cozy or safe, images where you feel that you're in an environment where you can recognize yourself or dream away to - they're doing really, really well," says Francke.
And as jigsaw puzzles potentially overshadow toilet paper in popularity, the Instagram puzzle community has continued to be incredibly supportive, bringing connection to puzzlers nationally and internationally, even moreso during these times.
Aside from sharing puzzling tips and encouraging puzzlers along their progress, the Instagram puzzle community has come up with creative ways to build a sense of community. Here are some of my favorites!
Growing the Puzzle Community
As avid puzzle enthusiasts, we're always looking to grow our puzzle network and find new puzzlers to follow. @bizzlespuzzles created a "Puzzlers of Instagram" story template for people to tag other puzzlers and puzzle brands.
In describing her inspiration for the template, she says, "I've been doing puzzles for as long as I can remember. A few years ago, I decided to dedicate my Instagram to showing my puzzles since pictures are the best way to share. I've progressively seen more and more people working puzzles. Most do them solo. I wanted to try to get a sense of unity when we are all (or mostly) having to distance ourselves. The template is a way to learn about more people who puzzle." Thanks to the template, I've learned a bit more about my fellow puzzlers, and discovered new accounts to fill my puzzle feed!
Remote Puzzle Battle
Although I'm not a speed puzzler, I've always wanted wondered what it's like to be at a puzzle competition. And I got to be a spectator through remote puzzle battles, where Instagram puzzlers who have the same puzzles "compete" to see who can finish the puzzle the fastest.
@themadhatteriam, creator behind these puzzle races, says that he is one of the very few serious puzzles in his city. When he realized that the opportunity to participate in a live puzzle competition would not be happening anytime soon, he came up with the idea for remote puzzle battles. He explains, "I posted pictures of my puzzle purchases hoping someone would catch the bait. Sure enough, two people said they had the same puzzle and said yes to my race invitation, and thus 'Mad Hatter Vs.' was born!"
As for the timing of his puzzle races, he says, "It couldn't have happened at a better time, with COVID-19 ravaging our world and forcing most of us to quarantine." Fellow puzzle racer @mintyfizz_puzzles agrees, saying, "I wanted to find a way to feel more connected with people in these confusing and isolating times. Puzzling is normally a hobby associated with not always being a social activity. We wanted to break those bounds and find a way to have a friendly and supportive battle."
So how competitive are these puzzle races? "It is more about connecting and encouraging each other. It's keeping aware that even though we may all be at home, we are still connecting, and sending that message without actually having to say it," says @bizzlespuzzles, another puzzle racer. And as @themadhatteriam says, the best part is, "We really didn't care who won. We just felt great puzzling with each other at a time when human connection is at a minimum!"
With its popularity, @themadhatteriam's puzzle races are garnering the attention of puzzle brands. "Even the puzzle maker was highly impressed, and another puzzle maker was interested in sponsoring the next challenge! This has been one of the best experiences of my life, and though it sucks to be stuck in the house a lot, racing with my friends has made this time in history a little less sad and a lot more enjoyable. Social media has helped connect us in so many powerful ways. I'm just grateful to have made a little mark!"
Puzzle Bingo Challenge
Whether you're a novice or expert puzzler, the Puzzle Bingo Challenge created by @puzzleproblem and @sarahdoespuzzles gives you a fun and challenging way to enjoy your puzzles. As an added bonus, each completed bingo earns you extra entries into a puzzle giveaway!
The Puzzle Bingo Challenge is a way for other puzzlers to connect through puzzling, with a bit of competition sprinkled in. "I've always loved puzzles and have thought they're a good way to expand the mind, but also decompress from life," describes @puzzleproblem. "The bingo is an attempt to try to get people to engage with others during all of the chaos. We are all puzzling anyways and practicing physical distancing, but that doesn't mean we can't create a social network to talk, and laugh with while having some friendly competition."
With puzzles sold out on Amazon and with some puzzle brands temporarily not accepting new orders due to the sudden influx in demand, some people may not be able to purchase the same puzzle for a puzzle race, or build up their puzzle stash. "Now that puzzles are so hard to come by, we wanted to put together something that could still bring others together, even if they aren't working on the same puzzle," explains @sarahdoespuzzles.
And several bingo squares help you tackle the same puzzle in different ways, such as doing the borders last, or starting with one side and working across. "Some of the bingo categories are meant to continue to expand our mind and give us reasons to do different things so we don't run out of puzzles (not something I'm personally worried about, but know others are)," says @puzzleproblem.
The puzzle community has been eager to embark on a new challenge through the bingo, as @sarahdoespuzzles comments, "It's been so awesome to see people start to challenge themselves on some of the harder ones (upside-down puzzle anyone?!)"
With these social puzzle initiatives, the Instagram puzzle community helps me feel like I'm not alone, even when I am puzzling by myself. If you're new to puzzles or are looking to grow your collection, check out my favorite brands! (Some sites may experience delays in shipping due to high demand.)
Ravensburger - Large variety of images, 3D puzzles, and games
Bits & Pieces - Large variety of images and shaped puzzles
Springbok - Large variety of images
Pomegranate - Puzzle images of famous artwork
Puzzle brands on my to-try list:
Inner Piece - One dollar from each puzzle purchase goes to a youth mindfulness organization
Galison - Includes artist-inspired puzzles images, and special foil and double-sided puzzles
Puzzledly - Repeated pattern images for intermediate/expert puzzlers down for a good challenge
Puzzle Michèle Wilson - Hand-cut wooden puzzles with images of famous paintings
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