I’m going to open with a disclaimer. I tried a new brand last week, and I wasn’t a big fan. The disclaimer is just to reiterate that we are all different, and just because I didn’t like it, doesn’t mean you wouldn’t. As a matter of fact, I hope you do like it and I hope you can tell me why so I can learn.

I grabbed a puzzle by Playful Pastimes. I was drawn to the bright colors on the box, so I was excited! I chose “Colors of India”   because the color and patterns were very appealing to me.

Colors of India by Playful Pastimes

The box was solid and displayed some company information on the back. However, there was a funny odor when I opened it and it was a bit off putting. That wasn’t a good start. The pieces were reasonably thick with no puzzle dust, and they fit nicely. Thickness was almost on par with Ravensburger. Ultimately, there is nothing wrong with the quality if you are looking for a puzzle at a reasonable price.

Playful Pastimes puzzle pieces

However, I did not enjoy this puzzle. My main issue was with the image itself. I was excited about the bold colors on the box and the brightness of the image. Sadly, the puzzle itself did not have the same vividness. I was disappointed that the image was not as vibrant as the box. To me, the colors didn’t match. I hoped that perhaps a poster would reflect a different image, but there was no poster. Don’t get me wrong, there was nothing wrong with it. I just found it dull compared to what I expected. Perhaps a glossier finish might have been better than this matte one.

colorgul puzzle pieces

Puzzles are for fun, for relaxation, and for exercising our brains. We do them with our friends, our families, and by ourselves. There are a lot of reasons that I do puzzles. But when I am choosing a puzzle, I want to know what image I am doing.

To recap, there is nothing wrong with the brand. But there was nothing special that makes me want to grab another one.

If you are drawn to bright colors, here are some examples that I recommend:

Eurographics Colors of the World line 

eurographics puzzle

Buffalo Cities of Color line 

Buffalo Puzzle

Aimee Stewart’s Drops of Color 

Aimee Stewart Puzzle

Have a great week! 😊