Never Bored...Board Game Puzzles

Who could be bored with all the hobbies out there? I mean really, hobbies are what get me through the workday. They give me something to look forward to and I find it so relaxing when I can just sit down with no interruptions (most of the time) and partake in the hobbies I love. Being an introvert, I’m totally cool with hobbies that require little to no interaction. I must admit that I have a lot of hobbies that aren’t just puzzling, one of which is board games. The great thing about puzzles is that you can find artwork that goes with just about any hobby. It’s like layering multiple hobbies.

When I first landed my eyes on Galison’s Game Night puzzle, I knew that I had to have it; not because it’s a puzzle featuring board games, but because it has a beautiful, modern color scheme and variety of cleanly defined elements.

Game Night by Galison

Just as I suspected, it was a dream to put together. But, before I go on about how much I love this, I want to disclose to you the fact that I was slightly ambitious this month and didn’t think I’d get all the board game puzzles I wanted done. So, I had to pick and choose. I ordered three and luckily finished them, but the other three are still on my Puzzle Warehouse Wish List-which I’ll be sure to include at the end.

Game Night is a 1,000-piece puzzle, double the size of Dominoes by Master Pieces which is 500-pieces (see below). However, it felt like it was the smaller of the two. What’s my point? My point is that don’t necessarily get intimidated by a piece count that you’re not used to. Before you purchase, look at the elements within the puzzle. Do they have a lot going on, but not too much so that it will be hard to distinguish the main elements? Just some food for thought.

Back to Galison’s Game Night…Although the pieces are your basic two by two cut, false fits were not an issue. That is true with most of my experiences with Galison puzzles. They always have consistent quality-which I love. Interested in learning more about the different puzzle piece cuts? Check out the handy dandy piece cut pic in Amanda’s 600hoursofpuzzle blog post here. It’s great to know if you’re a puzzler.

Game Night was larger than I expected. It still fit on my puzzle board, but barely.

Even my cats loved it!

Just. So. Much. Fun.

Overall, it’s a keeper. And that says a lot, because once I’m done with a puzzle, I rarely want to build it all over again.

Want a little throwback? Or in in this puzzle’s case a “flashback”? Master Pieces’ Family Game Night is a 1,000-piece puzzle.

Family Game Night by MasterPieces

Yes, it has a lot going on, but it was fun to find all the different elements. I had slinky as a child.

Mr. Potato head, Etch A Sketch, and Operations were also nostalgic elements. I even remember that little disc thingy that you put into a machine (it’s not really a machine) which lets you flip through it and see different pictures. Do you know what I’m talking about?!? Look on top of the Etch A Sketch. Ugh. What was this called? Please comment if you remember. I’d love to know. In retrospect, I’m not sure why I liked it so much. Can you even imagine giving a child that to play with now?

Here’s the finished product.

Family Game Night by MasterPieces

The last puzzle I tried out was Dominos, a 500-piece puzzle also by Master Pieces. This is part of Master Pieces’ A-Maze-Ing series. This one is one that I honestly thought I wouldn’t finish prior to writing this blog. Weird, because it’s the smallest of the piece-counts I built. That’s why you can’t always limit yourself to a specific piece count.

I love the artwork. It’s so colorful and there’s a lot to look at-which also made it more challenging that the others.

Dominos by MasterPieces

Even though it was challenging, the best part about this puzzle is that once it’s complete, you can actually attempt to get through the maze. Aren’t mazes so much fun?!? It’s a game within a game puzzle. It even comes with a maze key.

But the background, slide, and other semi-larger areas helped me to push through.

Before I go, I’d like to mention some more cool board game puzzles that are on my Puzzle Warehouse Wish List. Puzzle Twist’s 1,000-piece Game Night puzzle gives me a retro vibe and reminds me a little of the Galison one we just talked about.

Ravensburger makes Vintage Games, another 1,000-piece puzzle. It has a quirky old-fashioned flare which is pretty unique.

And no blog would be well-rounded without mention of a Springbok. Springbok’s 500-piece Board Games puzzle doesn’t have too much going on and focuses on just a few games. This is going to be a fun one for sure.

So, if your hobby is reading, get a puzzle with bookshelves; if your hobby is painting, get a puzzle with art supplies, and so on. But whatever you decide to do, make time to puzzle. 😊

Jaime  @introvertedpuzzler