Puzzle Chat
The Puzzle Chat podcast is your all-access pass to the thrilling world of puzzles with Jeff and Denice for Puzzle Month (All of January) and beyond. From fun challenges to fascinating stories, we’ve got puzzles to play, puzzle hacks to learn, and plenty of Puzzle Day and Puzzle Month fun. Learn more about the puzzle culture! What is Puzzle Month? This special month was started as an extension of Puzzle Day, which is celebrated annually on January 29th. Both Puzzle Day and Puzzle Month were founded by Jodi Jill, a professional puzzle maker and lifelong puzzle enthusiast. Her love for puzzles inspired her to share the joy of puzzling with people around the world.
For over 30 years, Puzzle Day has been a day to honor puzzles of all kinds, and Puzzle Month takes it a step further - encouraging puzzle fans to enjoy puzzles for the entire month of January! Denice and Jeff want to share that love of puzzles with the world!
Episodes
159 episodes
The Jigsaw Puzzle Journal: How to Track Memories to Celebrate Your Puzzle Journey in a Logbook
What happens to your hard work once you break down a finished project and pack the cardboard pieces away? This week on Puzzle Chat, we show you why documenting completed jigsaw puzzles is one of the most rewarding habits you can...
Custom Jigsaw Puzzles: How to Create Puzzle Keepsakes from Memories, Photos, Art
Have you ever thought about turning your favorite family vacation snapshot or wedding portrait into an unforgettable tabletop build? This week on Puzzle Chat, we dive into the creative world of custom photo jigsaw puzzles and sh...
How to Cat Proof a Jigsaw Puzzle: Keeping Your Table Safe from Pets
Does your cat love curling up right in the middle of your ocean gradient, or knocking stray pieces under the couch? This week on Puzzle Chat, we tackle one of the most relatable dilemmas in tabletop gaming: how to cat proof a jigsaw...
Reverse Jigsaw Puzzle Solving: Why Solvers Are Assembling Puzzles Blank Side Up
What happens when you flip your pieces over, banish the box cover, and rely entirely on your sense of touch? This week on Puzzle Chat, we explore the fascinating subculture of solving puzzles blank side up and dive deep into ...
Small Space Puzzling: How to Store Unfinished Jigsaw Puzzles
Do you avoid starting large jigsaw puzzles because your dining table is the only surface you have for meals and work? This week on Puzzle Chat, we tackle the art of compact living and show you how to store unfinished jigsaw puzzles<...
Jigsaw Puzzle Sorting Strategies: How to Organize Pieces for a Smooth Build
Does staring at a massive pile of loose pieces fill you with excitement or visual fatigue? This week on Puzzle Chat, we break down essential jigsaw puzzle sorting strategies that transform tabletop chaos into calm, satisfying pr...
Glued to the Wall: Preserving and Framing Finished Jigsaw Puzzles
You have spent weeks piecing together a massive jigsaw puzzle, but now comes the ultimate question: do you sweep it back into the box or hang it on your wall? This week on Puzzle Chat, we settle the great debate between destroying your...
Thrift Store Jigsaw Puzzles: The Thrill of Secondhand Puzzle Pieces
Have you ever stared at a taped-shut, two-dollar box on a thrift store shelf and wondered if you were about to find a rare gem or a missing piece nightmare? This week on Puzzle Chat, we explore the exciting world of thrift store jig...
Jigsaw Puzzle Problems: When One Missing Piece Ruins Everything
You have spent weeks assembling a masterpiece, only to discover a single, glaring gap right in the center of the image. This week on Puzzle Chat, we break down the agonizing phenomenon of missing jigsaw puzzle pieces and the uni...
Symphony of the Snap: Understanding Jigsaw Puzzle ASMR, Sensory Benefits
Why do we prefer a heavy box of physical cardboard over a frictionless touchscreen app? This week on Puzzle Chat, we explore the captivating auditory and tactile world of jigsaw puzzle ASMR in our featured episode, "The Symphony...
Jigsaw Eyes: Science Behind Jigsaw Puzzle Brain Effects
Ever closed your eyes to sleep only to see phantom cardboard shapes rotating behind your eyelids? Welcome to the bizarre phenomenon of "jigsaw eyes." This week on Puzzle Chat, we dive deep into the science of jigsaw puzzles
How to Solve a Hard Jigsaw Puzzle: Surviving the Monochrome Mid-Puzzle Slump
Stuck on a solid sky or a massive forest? Welcome to the mid-puzzle slump. This week on Puzzle Chat, we reveal the ultimate jigsaw puzzle hacks to help you conquer brutal monochrome puzzles without quitting. Whethe...
Time for a Puzzle Table? From Dining Table Hostage to Puzzling Paradise
Is your dining room table currently held hostage by a 1,500-piece landscape? This week on Puzzle Chat, we tackle the domestic "dining table dance" and explore the world of dedicated puzzle tables and portable puzzle boards
Jigsaw Puzzle False Fit Piece Autopsy: How to Save Your Mind Playing Puzzles
Every passionate jigsaw puzzle player knows the exact feeling. You are working on a massive section of solid blue sky, you find a piece that looks like a perfect match, and you press it into place. But an hour later, you realize nothing else co...
One More Piece Insomnia: Why Jigsaw Puzzles Steal Our Sleep
Hey Jigsaw Puzzle players! It is midnight on a Tuesday, your eyes are burning, and your back is completely stiff. You promised yourself you would go to bed hours ago, yet there you are, hunched over the dining room table repeating that familiar...
Psychology of Puzzle Play: Why Do We Finish Jigsaw Puzzles We Hate?
Have you ever opened a beautiful box only to realize every single cardboard piece is the exact same shape, the image is blurry, and your relaxing hobby feels like a second job? You are miserable, yet you keep going. Why do we force ourselves to...
Jigsaw Puzzle Digital Detox: 48 Hours to Reduce Anxiety, Screen Fast and Meditation
Is the digital noise burning you out? This week on Puzzle Chat, we share a radical experiment: trading our screens for a thousand pieces of cardboard during a 48-hour jigsaw puzzle challenge. We locked our phones away to see if ...
Stare Test: Is a Jigsaw Puzzle a Masterpiece or a Nightmare?
You see a stunning, moody landscape on the jigsaw puzzle box. You buy it. You dump the bag. And then the realization hits: you just signed up for forty hours of staring at identical, soul-crushing shades of gray.In this episode of Puz...
Ghosting in Jigsaw Puzzles: Why to Avoid When Solving
Jigsaw puzzle players is your "hover time" slowing you down? In this episode of Puzzle Chat, we tackle the habit of Ghosting. While many solvers do it without thinking, hovering a piece above the board can actually break your flow...
Finding the Missing Jigsaw Puzzle Piece: Explaining the Zeigarnik Effect
One missing jigsaw puzzle piece changes everything. You are down to the final moments of a long jigsaw puzzle solve. Suddenly you see it. A gap in the puzzle that seems to be one of the last puzzle pieces. In this episode of Puzz...
Social Puzzle Friends Unite: Finding Local Puzzle Groups and Events to Network
A jigsaw puzzle piece only works correctly when it connects. Puzzle People are exactly the same. In this episode of Puzzle Chat we explore the world of social puzzling. We discuss why it is easier to make friends while searching for a pi...
Jigsaw Puzzle Intuition: The Invisible Architecture of the Solve
Have you ever wondered why your brain "clicks" when you find that one perfect piece, even before you’ve looked at the box? In this episode of Puzzle Chat, we’re moving beyond the "edges-first" basics to explore the abstract mental framew...
Outdoor Puzzling: Play a Jigsaw Puzzle on the Patio, Backyard or Grass
Have you ever wanted to play an jigsaw puzzle outdoors? Maybe right in the middle of your backyard? Or what about solving on your patio. Take a minute to explore the best ways to take your favorite hobby into the fresh air. On this episode of <...
Summer Jigsaw Puzzle Fun: Family Activities With a Jigsaw Puzzle Station
Have you ever tried to get your kids, tweens and even teenagers to look away from their phones and build a picture with you? Listen to this episode as we explore the best ways to sneakily get the whole house involved. On this episode of Puz...
Vacation With Jigsaw Puzzles: Packing, Playing and Solving on the Go
Have you ever wanted to take your favorite cardboard pieces on a summer trip but worried they take up too much room? Listen to this episode as we explore the best ways to pack your hobby for the road. On this episode of Puzzle Chat cal...