Everyone has their own preference, in every aspect of life.
As you’d expect, in puzzling it’s not different.
As long as we’re all individuals, there will always be more than one puzzler type.
But why does it matter to you?
What difference does it make if you know your puzzler type or not?
Well, there is a lot I have to say about this.
Knowing what puzzler type are you will help you understand what you need and what you want. In the abstract world of puzzles, this may not be trivial to know.
Additionally, knowing your puzzler type will maximize the amount of joy you receive from this hobby. And hobbies should be fun, right?
Knowing your puzzler type will also save you money. You can be a puzzler even if you have a minimal income, contrary to popular opinion.
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Meet the Puzzlers
Thousands of puzzlers behave according to rules they set to themselves.
And these rules also set them apart:
Beginner puzzlers are Wanderers.
They wander around the puzzle types, trying to pick the top designs from each category on a budget.
Intermediate and advanced solvers are Champions.
These are puzzlers who challenge theirselves the most, and value designs that get them stumped and wondering.
Serious collectors are called Hunters.
They hunt for rare puzzles, specific designs, or specific puzzle types. Usually they are very experienced in puzzling.
To understand your puzzler type, you’ll need to answer a few questions. There are no correct answers here!
Question 1 – How experienced am I?
Experience has a lot to do with your preferences as a puzzler. Moreover, it is one of the most important factors to take into consideration.
Under 50 puzzles solved? You’re probably a Wanderer.
50+ puzzles solved will be closer to a Champion.
If you’ve solved 500+ puzzles – then man you are tough. you’re probably a Hunter, but might be you’re a very experienced Champion instead.
Question 2 – What do I do with solved puzzles?
If answered early on, this question will help you with lots of decisions.
You have two options – either collect or sell/trade them.
If you prefer to collect them, you’re aiming to become a Hunter. You should know that some puzzles you’ll want will be pricey so always keep your budget in mind. Don’t go too crazy!
Selling and trading are the best option for low budget folks. Solving the puzzle is fun, but they don’t see as much value in keeping it afterwards as Hunters do. Wanderers and Solvers tend to prefer this option.
Question 3 – Do I know my favorite puzzle type?
A large part of the Wanderer’s puzzling includes trying various different puzzles. An act of exploration to find his favorite type, materials, or difficulty levels.
Unlike Champions and Hunters, who have had more experience and had already decided upon these matters.
The importance of this question lies in efficiency. Yeah, efficiency.
Basically, knowing your favorite puzzle type will considerably help you with decisions and increase the fun.
You can never have everything, so why not aim for the best?
Question 4 – What do I value in puzzles?
Some people value creativity while others – logic and reason. Some people like exotic woods, while others don’t care for materials whatsoever.
Whatever your reasons are, when talking about puzzles – there are two factors that have the most importance – puzzling value and quality.
Puzzling value is based on the quality of the puzzle’s solution – how creative, difficult, or innovative it is. Simply put, this is how good the puzzle itself is.
On the other hand, quality is based on the crispness of the craftsmanship, appearance, materials used or how swift is the execution of moves.
High quality does not neccesarily mean a difficult design. While quality can allow more flexibility in design, there might be no relation between quality and difficulty!
Wanderers and Champions will find that puzzling value drives them much more than puzzle quality, unlike Hunters, who oftentimes prefer quality.
Question 5 – Who do I share puzzles with?
It wouldn’t be as fun if you do it alone!
Sharing puzzles is great. There is some strange magic to it, that maybe connected somehow to a sadistic impulse we have when we see our loved ones stuck on a puzzle.
When shared, we relive the puzzle from another pair of eyes, almost like watching a movie again with a friend.
If you’re a sharer, consider buying puzzles that will fit your interested friends too.
Wanderers will share their puzzles with anybody. Family, friends, just anyone.
Champions and Hunters may be more strict. They’ll be willing to share their puzzles with a smaller group of people, as their arsenal is usually more valuable and of higher difficulty.
Question 6 – What’s my budget?
I know y’all are smart people, and probably know how to handle your budget. Here’s the different budget perspectives of the puzzler types.
Wanderers will free up a small amount of their budget for puzzles. The puzzles they buy tend to cost around 10-20$ per piece, as they want to explore the different directions of puzzling.
Champions will go up in prices a bit, and may even buy really high-end puzzles, and resell or trade them when solved.
Hunters will buy what they can afford to keep. These are the people that usually allocate the most amount of budget for puzzles, and thus transform their houses into puzzling havens.
Question 7 – What’s my goal?
Setting up goals has been a long-time tip for maximum productivity, so why can’t it be applied for maximum puzzle enjoyment?
As you may have understood already, the Wanderer’s goal is to try the puzzles with best puzzling value on a low budget. It’s like going on dates with different puzzle types. When settling down, they slowly become Champions.
The Champion’s goal is to find the hardest puzzles and conquer them. Something I like to do is leave my unsolved puzzles on my desk at home, and only display them in my cabinet after I solve them, like trophies.
The Hunter is, well, a hunter. He knows exactly what he likes, whether it’s metal puzzles, burrs, mazes, puzzle boxes, a specific designer, or custom made puzzles. His goal is growing up a great, impressive collection.
Most hunters specialize on a theme, sometimes even without noticing.
Verdict
What kind of puzzler are you?
Try answering the questions in this post, and you’ll know for sure.
Based on your understanding you’ll be able to make better decisions on this adventure.
You could also use this information to help your friends get started with puzzling, a gesture they are like to appreciate.
Discover puzzle types, challenge yourself, or grow the collection – as long as you’re enjoying yourself, you’re good to go!