Should I keep the reference open while placing pieces?

On Puzzled the reference and the playable board are separate views. Look at the guide, then hide it to place a piece. Switch between them as often as you need.

Does a landmark have to be a recognisable object?

No. A strong colour boundary, a stripe or a change in texture can be just as useful as a window or a roof.

Tip 1 of 5 · First move

Find a landmark before you pick a piece

The guide and all jigsaw tips

The full guide Playing on Puzzled

Jigsaw tips

Before you touch the tray, look at the whole picture. Choose two or three features you could recognise in a small fragment: a roof against the sky, a sharp colour boundary or a line that crosses the scene.

The reference tells you roughly where a fragment belongs. Its neighbours and outline help you narrow that down to one square. You do not have to memorise the picture: open the guide whenever you need it.

See how to open and close the picture guide

Example 1: From the whole picture to one square

Step 1 of 3

Look at the complete picture. Notice where the tall buildings and the strong colour boundaries sit.

This geometric town has distinct buildings and colour blocks. Use their positions in the complete image to orient yourself, then compare a fragment with the nearby seated pieces.

The outline marks row 2, column 2. A piece can seat there because the piece directly above it is already down. In these teaching boards, row and column numbers start at the top left.

Try it yourself

Try the reasoning yourself. Choose an answer to see the explanation.

Compare Piece A with the picture guide. The top row is already seated. Find the fragment's matching square directly below that row and place it.

Choose a piece, then tap its square

Untimed practice: nothing here touches your games.

How to spot it faster

Find a landmark that crosses more than one piece, rather than memorising a single patch of colour.
Compare position as well as colour: the same blue may appear in several parts of a picture.
Use 16 pieces while learning the controls. Try a larger cut after you can recognise the main regions.

Common mistakes

Trying to remember every detail

You can reopen the picture guide. A few recognisable landmarks are more useful than a hurried attempt to memorise everything.

Matching colour alone

A fragment may share its colour with several regions. Check a line, texture change or neighbouring object as a second clue.

Questions

Try it

Try a 16-piece picture. Pick out two landmarks in the reference, then find their fragments in the tray before placing anything.

Play solo on 16 pieces