Jigsaw 19 and Jigsaw 29 are two ingenious puzzles by the even more ingenious Yuu Asaka.
These two hardest jigsaws in the world are without any doubt, among the coolest packing puzzles I ever solved.
Watch the video, or read on for a written review.
Can you believe that a 29, and even a 19 piece jigsaw can be harder than a 1000 pieces one?
Neither could I.
That’s the reason I love Yuu Asaka, the designer of these puzzles.
My relationship with his designs began half a year ago, when I received and reviewed his Oleo 10 puzzle – and in the first time in my life, fell to the charm of 2D packing puzzles.
Welcome back to another informative and spoilerfree Quick Review.
Here we have the Jigsaw 19, and Jigsaw 29. They were Manufactured by Puzzle Master, so I asked them if they can send them here for a review. And they did! So I wanted to say thanks to the folks at Puzzle Master, and lets go.
Overview
These two jigsaw puzzles are unlike anything you ever saw. Really.
First, they have no pictures on them. Second, there’s some very strange things going on here.
The jigsaw 19 has 19 corner pieces. Jigsaw 29 has all kinds of different pieces, 29 in count.
What sounds harder to you?
If you said all corners – congratulations!
You’re horribly wrong!!!
Both jigsaws are 2D packing puzzles, where your goal is to simply fit all the pieces into the frame.
What I like about Yuu Asaka, is that his puzzles look extremely simple, minimalistic, and elegant. The jigsaw 19 will make you say – “wow, how is this possible”, while jigsaw 29 will make you think – “how can this even be a challenge”.
However, you’d be surprised to know that 19 is level 8, while 29 is a level 10.
Indeed, Jigsaw 29 is much harder than 19.
All these mind games are played by a beautifully made acrylic pair of puzzles, both of the right, large size – the pieces are nice to handle and play around with. The fit is great, the colors are pretty. Overall the quality of the material is very good.
Now, for the question – what should I get Greg? I want to get one of these puzzles but I don’t know which!
Thank you for asking! This is why I combined this review!
Jigsaw 19 VS. Jigsaw 29
These two puzzles are very good at setting the rules for you. They play with your mind, a game Asaka plays professionally. They look similar, but they’re very different from each other.
Both puzzles are extremely fun to resolve. They have a great feeling of therapy, and oddly satisfying feeling even.
Jigsaw 29 is much more complex compared to 19, and more fun and satisfying.
Jigsaw 19, however, is still very satisfying, and a very good puzzle. It can still take you a considerable amount of time if you never solved any Yuu Asaka puzzle. Also, it’s much more friendly, so it’s a good puzzle to give to a friend.
Still, I think that jigsaw 29 is a must-have packing puzzle.
Here’s a good metric:
While solving jigsaw 19, I smiled when I put the last couple pieces in. While solving jigsaw 29, I smiled for half the solve time.
I have no other words to describe it other than genious.
And yes, I smile when my mind is utterly blown into pieces.
The aha feeling was incredible in Jigsaw 29.
But there’s a catch.
Jigsaw 29 is very hard, and needs much more patience. It took me one hour – but remember, I’ve done several Yuu Asaka puzzles before, including Ice 9 which took me more than 20 hours, and I have a lot of puzzling experience.
Someone without experience with Yuu Asaka’s puzzles, or puzzles in general, shouldn’t jump straight into Jigsaw 29. It’s crushing.
The Verdict
Jigsaw 19 Is best for – wanderers, while Jigsaw 29 is best for – champions.
Jigsaw 19 is a good puzzling entry point, moderately tricky, fun, and elegant.
While Jigsaw 29 is an extraordinary puzzle filled to the brim with challenges and the best kind of fun.
If you’re a wanderer, definitely grab a Jigsaw 29 once you gain more experience.
Remember that knowing your puzzler type and proficiency with the different puzzle types will help you get the most out of each puzzle, and maximize your overall enjoyment from puzzles.
Thanks for tuning in!