The Puzzle Institute

Stories, studies, guides & obsessions from Australia's puzzle specialists.

Buying guides, behind the scenes, brand deep-dives and interesting details about puzzles. Written by people who actually puzzle.

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Latest from the Puzzle Institute

Buying Guides

Landscape or Portrait? Why the Shape of a Puzzle Divides Puzzlers

Plenty of puzzlers will pass on a picture they like because it is taller than it is wide....

19 min read · 7 Oct 2026
Buying Guides

Grid Cut or Random Cut? Why Puzzlers Cannot Agree on the Shape of a Piece

Ask a room of puzzlers whether random cut is harder and half will say yes and half will...

16 min read · 29 Sep 2026
Buying Guides

Venice on 1000 Pieces: Ravensburger or Clementoni?

We hold five different 1000 piece Venices from two brands, and there is a $10 gap between them...

10 min read · 2 Sep 2026
Buying Guides

How Jigsaw Puzzles Are Made

A cardboard jigsaw is a printed sheet glued to two millimetres of recycled board and cut in one...

20 min read · 24 Aug 2026
Buying Guides

The Best Jigsaw Puzzles in Australia, Judged Honestly

Everyone selling puzzles says theirs are the best. Almost nobody says what "best" means. Here is the honest...

18 min read · 11 Aug 2026
Accessories

Puzzle Boards, Mats and Tables, an Australian Buyer's Guide

The three things people buy to solve the same problem, which is that a puzzle occupies a table...

22 min read · 3 Aug 2026
Buying Guides

The Complete Guide to Puzzle Piece Counts

Piece count is the first decision you make and the one most people get wrong. Here is what...

12 min read · 30 Jul 2026
Buying Guides

Ravensburger vs Clementoni: Which 1000-Piece Puzzle Should You Actually Buy?

Two giants of the puzzle world, two different philosophies. We put piece thickness, cut, print and price head...

2 min read · 19 Jul 2026

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