WASGIJ

Wasgij is the only mainstream jigsaw where the picture on the box is not the puzzle you build. You are given a scene, and from the clues inside it you have to work out something the box does not show you: what the crowd is looking at, or what happens next. There is no reference image. You solve it.

From Australia's Puzzle Institute: The Complete Guide to Wasgij →

The name is "jigsaw" backwards, which tells you most of what you need to know about the sense of humour involved.

The four ranges, and how they differ

Original. The box shows a crowd of people looking at something. You build what they can see. The classic format and the best place to start.

Mystery. The box shows a scene, and you build what happens next. Usually a disaster. This is the most popular range in Australia and the one we sell out of fastest.

Destiny. The box shows a scene from today, and you build the same scene years earlier. The nostalgia range, and the one that lands best as a gift for someone over fifty.

Retro. Reissues of the early titles, some at 500 pieces in an XL cut with larger pieces. A good entry point if the 1000 piece Mysteries sound like too much.

How you actually solve one

People assume it is guesswork. It is not. Every Wasgij box carries a written clue on the back, and the artwork on the front is loaded with deliberate hints: a road sign, a weather change, someone's expression, an object about to fall. Experienced Wasgij builders read the box for ten minutes before opening the bag.

The practical approach is to build the edge, then the sky and background, then work inward and let the story assemble itself. You will usually know what is happening about 300 pieces in, and that moment is the whole point of the brand.

Which one should you buy first

If you have never done one, take a Mystery at 1000 pieces. It has the sharpest payoff. If you are buying for someone who says they have done every puzzle going, this is the correct answer and it is not close, because no other brand asks them to do anything new.

If you are buying for an older recipient, take a Destiny. If piece size or eyesight is a factor, take a Retro at 500 pieces in the XL cut.

The numbered titles are collectable and go out of print. When a Mystery number sells through, it does not usually come back.

Read more

The short answer to the question everyone asks first: What Does Wasgij Mean?

Related: Jumbo, the publisher behind the range, Nostalgia, 1000 Pieces and 500 Pieces.

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