Let me start off by confessing that I’m not a very fast jigsaw puzzle solver.
I much prefer the meditative benefits that come from putting the right pieces of cardboard together. I pay attention to the quality of the pieces, the colour, and the story these images illustrate to the audience. One of the reasons why we pay attention to the small details here at Mango Puzzles. All this to say, I like to take my time and savour the experience.
While 'practicing not doing' is one of our core philosophies, we also understand some people are competitive and love speed-solving. That’s why we included seven tips for all the puzzlers out there looking to improve their speed.
- Sort the pieces first by colour. You can start off broadly with a colour like blue, then slowly create different subsets of the colour blue depending on the shade. Even in the blue sky, there are different nuances of blue, as seen in 'End of Summer'.
- Don’t always start with the edges. Where you start depends on how colourful the puzzle image is. If the outside is mostly one colour, maybe consider starting on an inner section and gradually working towards the border as you go. Ask yourself, 'What strategy will work best in this situation?'
- Sort by shape once you get close to the end. Make a pile of pieces with one outie and three innies. Make another pile with two outies and two innies. And so on. This will make it much easier to assemble.
- Division of labour. If you are working with a partner or group of people, have specific roles assigned to each person. One can sort the puzzles by color, while the other starts with the edges.
- Be okay with failing. It’s important to test as many combinations as possible. The faster you fail, the faster you can get to the next piece.
- Practice. The more times you do a puzzle, the faster you get.
- Flexibility. Be okay with changing your mind. Even though a piece looks like it should fit, don’t harp on it for too long. As a bonus tip, you can hold up two pieces to the light to see if any brightness seeps through to double-check.
Our personal best for completing a Mango Puzzle is 4 hours and 20 minutes. You can find our selection on our website at mangopuzzles.com.
DM us on our Instagram page if you beat the record for a special prize! 🙂