About my ratings

Perhaps because of my day job, I'm a tough rater. Everything 3/5 and above I consider worth the time and money. If I purchase on Etsy or a similar platform and the puzzle is as expected, I will give a top rating on the platform because of how seller ratings work, but here "as expected" is probably a 3/5 in most cases.

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Amsterdam, Alexey Erofalov

 Boardwalk, 311 pieces. Another cute Wentworth-ish puzzle, though I think art lovers might be appalled at the Girl with a Pearl Earring whimsy. 3/5


she's judging you



multipiece building

cow, cap, windmill


Tuesday, November 9, 2021

I Want to Believe

 Secretbase, 300 pieces. Objectively speaking this puzzle is not great. It's got scorch marks on the white parts that make it look kind of grubby; it is too push-fitty for my taste; and it has a lot of size divergence among the pieces--the biggest pieces are multiple times the size of the smallest, which are fingertip sized.

But: It is a play on the X-Files, with X-Files themed whimsies, including Morley cigarettes and TRUST NO ONE. So I can't help having an affection spillover. 3/5






the UFO stealing a cow is funny, I have to admit

TRUST NO ONE along the edge



California, Alexey Erofalov

 Boardwalk, 327 pieces. Charming image; I prefer Liberty's thicker wood to engraved whimsies, but if you like Wentworth then this could be a good American version. 3/5







Colorful Night Starry Sky

 Hartmaze, 199 pieces. Another new design, with some challenge as the colors subtly change through the puzzle. 3/5




Monday, November 8, 2021

Mandala Inexhaustible Abundance

 Unidragon, 200 pieces. Unidragon isn't one of my favorites, but I do like a good mandala, and this one was complex even at 200 pieces.  At the upper left of the finished picture is a mirrored dragon whimsy, but there is also a standard dragon/puzzle piece whimsy in the puzzle itself. 3/5

b



Beautiful Indian Feather Headdress

 Hartmaze, 178 pieces. One of two new Hartmaze releases, with their standard random/jagged piece style, a few pieces that arrived still stuck together, and a complex image. Good value for money. 3/5




John Henry Dearle, Forest Tapestry

 Artifact, 577 pieces. This was a very difficult puzzle, edging into "too hard" territory for me because of the uniformity of the image. YMMV. Nice 3D castle at the top and a lot of animal whimsies, including some multipiece whimsies. 3/5



horse and rider, a bit hard to see