I’m always so excited to try a new brand. I’m less excited when it turns out to be disappointing. I’ll be honest as always and tell you what I liked and didn’t like. We are all different, so you might disagree.

I tried a puzzle by Plus1Puzzle. This is a Montreal based company and I’m always happy to see brands from home.

The one I did was Route 66s.

Gas Station, Route 66 Image 1

There are two things that stand out in their marketing that deem them as different. First, they are eco-friendly. They use vegetable ink and are completely recyclable with no glue. Second, they have an extra piece, and the box says, “start with our unique center piece”.

Gas Station, Route 66 Image 2

What I liked: The image on the box is clean and sharp. It doesn’t come with a poster, so the box image was helpful. The back of the box had images of other puzzles in the brand. What I didn’t like: The box was a flip top, so the lid doesn’t come off. This was a bit of a letdown because I use the top and bottom for sorting.

Gas Station, Route 66 image 3

What I liked: The puzzle itself came in a brown paper bag. This was unique and different. It really reinforces their environmental message and makes an impression. If you have strong green/environmental beliefs, this would be a brand you might like. What I didn’t like:  Because of the material, the pieces were so thin, they bent easily and were about half the thickness of a Ravensburger. There were also quite a few that were not cut properly and I had to separate them.

Gas Station, Route 66 image 4

What I liked: There was little glare and when the pieces fit, I could move sections around without breaking them apart. What I didn’t like: There was not much variety in piece shapes and a lot of the same colors, so many of them almost fit and I had to keep redoing it. It took me days to do the border when it usually takes me an hour. That wasn’t fun.

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What I liked: The premise behind the fun is cool. An extra piece makes it more of a challenge. What I didn’t like: Where was that extra unique piece? I was expecting a large center piece that stands out. I thought it might be packaged separately or at least indicated. There were a few pieces that were a bit different, so I assume it was those, but they didn’t give me much to start with and weren’t a “unique center piece.” You will see them in the photos.

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What I liked: This brand brings us on a tour of Canada. The photography is very nice, and if you like scenic images, or travel, this might work for you.

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At the end of the day, I didn’t even finish this puzzle. Rare for me, but it was also missing a piece. If you like images of Canada and the statement of the brand, give these a try. Otherwise, I would pass.

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