From world champions to enthusiasts, the puzzle world has become the playground for impressive records. Manufacturers, ever more daring, are constantly pushing back the boundaries of the possible to satisfy those who have made it their ultimate challenge. Whether it's the world's largest jigsaw puzzle, monochrome creations or even innovative transparent designs, get ready to discover some feats. Drum roll: here are the greatest records in the world of puzzles!
From the world's biggest puzzle...
In 2011, a giant 551,232-piece jigsaw puzzle was assembled by 1,600 students at the University of Economics in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It took no less than 17 hours of intense concentration to create a six-petal lotus flower on a surface measuring 14.85 x 23.20 metres. And it's not the world's biggest puzzle in terms of size! The record holder comprises just 13,320 pieces, but spans over 6,122m2 and was completed in Dubai in 2018.
... to mini pocket puzzles
Far from the world's largest jigsaw puzzle, the nano-puzzles offer a completely different kind of challenge, and are much more practical if you don't have a stadium! These fascinating miniatures are ideal for fans of precision and attention to detail. The smallest are produced by the Selegiochi brand: they comprise 99 pieces which, when assembled, take up less space than a smartphone. Ideal for enthusiasts who want to take their hobby with them wherever they go!
Giant puzzles that challenge us
Looking for a challenge? The French brand Grafika invites you to travel the world of art with Travel around Art and its 54,000 pieces delivered in a real travel suitcase! In 2024, Germany's Hans-Josef Schaadt managed to complete it in just 99 days. But if you'd like to tackle the world's biggest jigsaw puzzle available for purchase, take on artist Eric Dowdle's 60,000-piece What a Wonderful World. Don't worry, it's divided into 60 parts of 1,000 pieces each!
The world's most difficult puzzle
An impossible puzzle? Created in 2007 by British mathematician Christopher Monckton, Eternity II is considered to be the hardest puzzle in the world. It's not the biggest, but it's a puzzle so complex that a prize of £2 million was earmarked for the person who could solve it! Its 256 square pieces don't fit together like in a traditional game, but are placed on a grid by matching the edges. The number of possible solutions is estimated at 20,000, but so far, none have been found!
👉 See also: World Puzzle Championships
And why not a monochrome?
Monochrome puzzles require patience, patience, and... patience! Whether it'sWhite Heaven or Black Hell, they're a real challenge! But still less so than the unusual The Accident, with its 215 pieces cut from transparent acrylic, all in different shapes! Think a color gradient would be easier? That's because you haven't tried Clemens Habicht's1,000 Colors yet, where each piece a unique color among the 999 others!
The world's most expensive puzzle
The record for the world's most expensive jigsaw puzzle was set in 2005 at an auction benefiting the non-profit Golden Retriever Foundation, for the impressive sum of $27,000. The 467-piece wooden work was handcrafted by American artist Rachel Page Elliott, who has won numerous awards for her skills. The name of the buyer has never been made public...
The assembly speed record
The world champion is 26-year-old Spaniard Alejandro Clemente León, who solved a 500-piece puzzle in just 34 minutes and 25 seconds at the world's largest competition. That's equivalent to fitting one piece ... 4 seconds! The speed record for a 1,000-piece puzzle is held by Sarah Mills from the UK, who completed it in 1 hour and 40 minutes at the 2020 British Championship. If you're a puzzle enthusiast (or just confident!) and fancy trying to beat this score, go for it and assemble London Calling!
👉 Also read: How long does it take to make a puzzle?
At Jour Férié although we are impressed by these world records in puzzle solving...), we advocate the pleasure of slowing down and disconnecting, savoring every moment spent assembling our creations. Our collection is designed to invite you to relax, far from the race for performance, in order to rediscover all the benefits of puzzle games.
Take the time to immerse yourself in our world, in which our biggest puzzles have only 1,000 pieces, but where each one finds its place at your own pace, in simple, authentic pleasure. It's up to you to set your own puzzle record, like the longest moment of uninterrupted calm, for example...
Sources :
The Green Class - 1000-piece puzzle
The Fridge Door - 1000-piece puzzle
Eating Out - 1000-piece puzzle
