Jigsaw Puzzles. Love em or are they a work of evil?

[Old Troop]

[HopeHoops]

1. They're only evil when you spend months working on one - and one piece is missing.

On Edit: DOUBLY evil if the piece in question is the one with the nipple.

[Lionessa]

2. Both, I had to give them up as they were located as being the catalyst

of some of my severe headaches and back spasms, which of course makes sense when one spends 20 hours a day with 5000 piece puzzle for a few days in a row. They are so addicting, but I used to do them over longer holidays. Could never allow myself a regular diet of them though. Had the same problem with RPG computer games, but the RPGs didn't give me headaches due to the difference in head/neck position. I just love it too damn much, the whole puzzling things. Now I play a few games on-line that are timed, and then that's all I get.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. Love them.

I haven't done one in years-----why not???? But I always had one going years ago, probably because I had a lot of space to have them sit there and be out of the way....not like now.

[trof]

4. Great for rainy vacation days in a cabin by a lake.

Especially with the whole family participating.

[dimbear]

5. The ones you work on computer screens are lots less likely to have missing pieces.

Strange there aren't more and better ones, but there you go.

[kentauros]

13. This is the program I use: Jigsaws Galore

It's very versatile, such as allowing you to use your own photos or other images

Jigsaws Galore

[dimbear]

14. Thanks for that tip. Looks interesting.

[kentauros]

15. You're welcome :)

I've been using it for many years. It's fun, and it keeps track of how much time you've spent on a puzzle. I've noticed that if you bring up another program in front of it or minimize it, the timer stops, so you can leave the puzzle 'on' without adding to your time

I often play it while I'm listening to online talk shows.

[csziggy]

16. I have BrainsBreaker for my jigsaw puzzles.

The creator of the program used to be on a forum where I hung out.

You can select the number and shape of pieces and it is a really nice jigsaw game.

The paid version allows you to load your own pictures. Pictures I download from the internet often become puzzles and I seldom assemble the same picture twice.

[kentauros]

17. I think I may have tried that one,

and wasn't too happy with the trial version, so I didn't get it. Jigsaws Galore lets you change the piece-shape, too. And, I'm the same way with jigsaws I've done. I see no reason to go back to them, unless I change piece-shapes and number of pieces (like way up.)

Have you ever looked to see just how tiny the pieces get when you choose the 64,000-piece puzzle-option? Oh my!

[csziggy]

18. In think I have the same version of BrainsBreaker from Win XP

So it's the one I'm used to. They do cripple the trial version a lot.

My husband likes to work puzzles with thousands of pieces, but I can't even see them that tiny. But it is fun to tweak the numbers around.

[KT2000]

6. Good to have

Sometimes, a jigsaw puzzle hits the spot!
Try to keep one on the table when I have weekend visitors. That way guests have something to do besides TV while I get dinner etc.

[Old Troop]

7. What a nice idea!

[Kablooie]

9. Just dump the pieces from 2 or 3 puzzles on the table and let the guests figure it out.

It's also fun to hide the boxes that show the result.

I wonder why people never visit me?

[KT2000]

11. Ha! - One of my friends

who visits is a bit OCD - that would be really fun - for me!

[charlie and algernon]

8. Whenever I get my own house, I'm setting aside a table with a 5000 piece puzzle

that anyone can just sit and try to put together whenever they want.

As it is now, I have no room for a puzzle.

[pipi_k]

10. I don't know how...

but I can look at an opening in the puzzle and in a flash find the piece that fits in, at least 80% of the time. Which isn't easy to do when you've got 500 or 1000 pieces.

Just a weird (and useless) talent. So yeah, I love jigsaw puzzles.

Just wish I had more room to do them...my house is real small and not a lot of flat spaces that aren't being used for other things.

[Neoma]

12. Only if it sits on the shelf too long.

The fun-preservatives go bad.

[grasswire]

19. I like some of them.

I have to dig the subject matter to be very interested. I gave away the one I liked best, and wish I had it back. It was all vintage salt and pepper shakers.

I used to put one on a side table when the in-laws were visiting for the holidays. It really really worked to keep them busy and happy.