9 Unique Puzzles That Belong in Your Collection

Feeling bored? Join the club. Quarantines are the ideal environment for cabin fever and stir-craziness, and while there’s no shame in binge-watching The Office to pass the time, the mental challenge of a well-crafted puzzle can do a person good. Any one of the puzzles we’ve listed here will keep you plenty busy for the foreseeable future (and could make for great gift ideas for puzzle fanatics). So stretch out those fingers—it’s assembling time!

1. Practically Impossible Clear Jigsaw Puzzle; $27

If you’ve mastered the art and science of assembling blank puzzles, here’s the next logical step. At 10 inches long by 8 inches wide, this puzzle contains 150 transparent pieces, so you'll be sure to give that keen eye of yours a real workout. Hint sheets are included for those who might desire a bit of assistance, and should you lose a piece, the team at ExpressItBest will send a replacement your way.

Buy it: Amazon

2. Geode Puzzle; $65

This birch plywood puzzle recreates the natural beauty of a geode without the lofty price tag that can go along with the real thing. At 160-180 pieces, the puzzle makes for a gorgeous decoration when finished, and there are a few color variations to choose from.

Buy it: Uncommon Goods

3. Mickey Through the Years 40,320-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle; $385

Disney’s white-gloved mascot celebrated his 90th birthday in 2018, and Ravensburger paid tribute with huge jigsaw: We’re talking over 40,000 pieces divided between 10 separate puzzles that can be merged together into a 6-by-22-foot behemoth. Mickey’s entire history—from his Steamboat Willie origins to his time-traveling escapades—is chronicled on this spread. Clear your schedule; according to Newsweek, the whole thing will take you an estimated 600 hours to complete.

Buy it: Amazon

4. Black and white lines puzzle; $26

Mathematicians tell us the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. (Or at least, that’s the case on flat surfaces.) But imagine trying to sort out literally dozens of thin, black lines—most of which are indeed straight—intersecting each other with wild abandon against a white background. Such is the challenge offered by Bgraamiens’s 1000-piece puzzle called “The Lines.” Abstract art, concrete fun.

Buy it: Amazon

5. Gradient Color Rainbow Large Round Jigsaw Puzzle; $19

It’s the oldest trick in the book. When a puzzle’s got you stumped, just find the corner pieces and work your way forward. Easy peasy, right? Maybe, but that tried-and-true strategy won’t help you here. Moruska has crafted a circular puzzle awash with a rainbow of colors—all arranged on a wheeling gradient. Should make for a vibrant evening.

Buy it: Amazon

6. 3D Hogwarts Puzzle; $49

At 850 pieces, you can recreate Hogwarts's Great Hall for display in your own home with this 3D puzzle. The entire structure measures 19.75 inches across and 18.5 inches high, and the pieces are all backed by a quarter inch of foam to ensure stability. In addition to the Great Hall, you can find Diagon Alley, the Hogwarts Express, and more.

Buy it: Amazon

7. Starry Night Jigsaw Puzzle; $19

Arguably Vincent van Gogh’s greatest work, The Starry Night has become fertile ground for pop culture send-ups. Do a Google search and you’ll find variations on the post-impressionist masterpiece populated by the Lion King's Mufasa, Batman, and the Power Puff Girls, among many, many others. Now the magic and majesty of this 1889 painting comes to life in puzzle form. To help you put everything together, the manufacturers have included a high-definition poster of the work for reference.

Buy it: Amazon

8. Wooden Fractal Puzzle; $60

Hear the words “puzzle piece” and a distinctive shape will probably appear in your mind. We’ve gotten used to seeing jigsaws made up of vaguely squarish bits with semicircular divots and protrusions. But what if we said there’s an alternative? Uncommon Goods now offers a set of uniquely satisfying plywood puzzles whose pieces were informed by fractal geometry.

Buy it: Uncommon Goods

9. Crossword Puzzle Jigsaw; $20

With this double whammy, you get to solve a crossword puzzle first, then you can put together a 550-piece jigsaw puzzle that corresponds with those answers. More than just a time killer, this puzzle combo will really give your brain a test.

Buy it: Amazon

At Mental Floss, we only write about the products we love and want to share with our readers, so all products are chosen independently by our editors. Mental Floss has affiliate relationships with certain retailers and may receive a percentage of any sale made from the links on this page. Prices and availability are accurate as of the time of publication.

A version of this article originally published in 2020 and has been updated for 2022.