Ambassador's Favorites 2024

It’s that time of year!! The ambassadors do a lot of puzzles and trying to come up with our favorites of the year is tricky. I, myself, have done over 250 puzzles alone just this year, so trying to decide which few are my faves is near impossible. I have about 50 others that stood out to me, and I know I’m not alone when saying, there are so many good puzzle images and brands out there it’s hard to choose favorites. BUT we did come up with our top ones of the year. Here is a list of 20 puzzles, from a bunch of our ambassadors. I hope you find this list helpful and I’d LOVE to know which were some of your favorite puzzles from the year! Let me know in the comments.

Time for Myself by Educa

Time for Myself by Educa is one of Jaime’s top choices.  Jaime said, “As soon as I saw this artwork, I had to have it! The variation in colors, textures, and patterns is just perfect for puzzling. Plus how can I resist “Time for Myself”?!? I wish I had more time for myself, so I can be doing more puzzles by this talented artist!” This artwork is so fun and I love the colored pencil style of imagery. I actually think this one is going on my wishlist. I love the bright colors, different patterns, and overall vibe.

Wondrous Worlds by MasterPieces

Wondrous Worlds by MasterPieces is one of Richard’s favorites of the year. Wow!!! Look at this color!! Richard wrote, “ I’m in love with Hannah Bunzey’s surreal, colorful artwork. This puzzle from MasterPieces featured a cut with swirly, curvy pieces that fit well with the circles and curls in the image. I loved it, and I hope MasterPieces features more puzzles with her images in the future.” This whole collection by them is so bright and colorful, no wonder Richard liked it so much!

Boho Camper  by Magnolia

It is no secret since my blog about Magnolia, that I am a big fan. I’m loving that my other ambassadors are too. One of Gail’s choices this year was Boho Camper  by Magnolia. “Another fabulous image from Olivia Gibbs! Add that to Magnolia’s great quality and this was a fabulous puzzle. Love all the fun patterns and the general vibe.  Magnolia has pretty much everything I love in Olivia Gibbs’ artwork: great colors, distinct patterns, and warm vibes! And of course Magnolia has really nice pieces, so this puzzle is the best of everything for me. There are so many fun details in this puzzle, and I would jump into this scene if I could! ” As a fellow Magnolia fan, I have to agree about the quality. It is fab! I love so many of their images and really recommend Houses I Read, which I completed earlier this year.

Wormhole by Antelope

This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the famous viral puzzle, Wormhole by Antelope took the puzzle world by storm after one of my Instagram videos went weirdly viral. At 55 Million views, this puzzle quickly became an internet sensation. I’m incredibly excited that Puzzle Warehouse took my advice and is now going to start selling them. I had the pleasure of meeting the owners a few years ago. This is a family owned business out of New York and license all of their artwork. The pieces are beautifully matte and have an incredible fit. The coloring of the wormhole is spot on and I loved the patterns and design of this shape. Worth the hype in my opinion!

Air Balloon Valley by Ravensburger

Some of the ambassadors got to meet for the first time at Nationals. (Gail and I also got to meet in Spain for worlds!) So it’s no surprise that some of the competition puzzles ended up on this list. I’m so glad these ones were picks from some of the others because they were some of my favorites too. Alyssa chose Air Balloon Valley by Ravensburger as one of her top picks of the year. Here’s what she has to say about her puzzle experience at the National Jigsaw Puzzle Championships. “ I was delighted to open up this puzzle! I saw it and knew it would be a good one for me. It is actually in my top 10 fastest Ravensburger 500 piece puzzles! I also got to sit next to Robin Decaire, fellow Puzzle Warehouse Ambassador, so that was a delight! It’s exciting and humbling to see the growth of speed puzzling. I was definitely happy to end the weekend with this beautiful image and meet (again!) the artist, Nathanael. He even remembered meeting me at nationals a year and a half ago!” I was also in finals and I’ve actually done it two other times outside of the competition. I absolutely love the image so much.

Jazzy by Ravensburger

Gail also attended Nationals and wanted to share Jazzy by Ravensburger. “Sarah and I came in 6th place in our pairs prelim heat, which means we will advance to the finals! Great puzzle with great colors! Sarah started with the edge and carpet while I started with the fireplace and ceiling, but we both did a little of everything.” The images by Greg Paprocki are always so bright and colorful. My partner and I got this during our prelim and really enjoyed it. There was so much to work with and the artwork was fun. I think for those who go to competitions, puzzles that end up on our favorites list also get there because of the memories we have when doing the puzzles. I loved this image but I also love remembering the little dance Laura did when we completed the puzzle and the crazy atmosphere when competing.

Magic India by Djeco

Lisa chose Magic India by Djeco as one of her favorites of the year. This image is a vibrant and enchanting image with so much color. It offers a challenging yet rewarding experience that captivates your imagination. Djeco has beautiful quality and with so many elements to work with I’m not surprised this image is a favorite.

African Colors by Anatolian

African Colors by Anatolian is one of Phil’s favorites of the year. In Phil’s blog about the brand he writes. “This is a gorgeous and colorful depiction of an African elephant. At just 1000 pieces, this was still the most difficult of the four I chose, because the colors were a jumble! Without color as a primary reference, I relied on texture to get me through. Fortunately there were enough differences between sections to help me through. In doing this, my first from the manufacturer, the overall quality of the pieces really stood out. They were firm, had a good feel, and not a single one of the 1000 had any peeling or separation of layers. I thought the fit was too loose, because I couldn’t pick up sections of the puzzle without slipping something under them to help. However, when fully assembled, the entire puzzle could easily be lifted without losing a piece!”

Kitty Throne by Eurographics

Jaime also selected Kitty Throne by Eurographics. “If you’re a cat person…heck, even if you’re not a cat person, it’s sure to make you smile. Even the articles in the newspaper are funny. Some cats just have that regal personality. I could envision my grumpy cat Bruno reading a newspaper in his litterbox. And for the record, he isn’t actually grumpy, he’s just misunderstood.” If you want to see more kitty puzzles Jaime recommends check out the blog post she wrote for Respect Your Cat Day.

Black Kitty by Heye

Several of the ambassadors also like kitty puzzles. Phil loved Black Kitty by Heye. “As with the other Heye puzzles I’ve done, this one was excellent quality, and a lot of fun to solve. I had a blast with Black Kitty, from Heye. It brought back great memories of my cat, Bonk.” Unfortunately it looks like the puzzle is no longer available, but there are several others from artist Jeremiah Ketner that you’d enjoy if you like this artwork. You can check them out here.

Merry Mushroom Village by Buffalo Games

Merry Mushroom Village by Buffalo Games is another one that several of the ambassadors completed this year and it’s actually one that is on my shelves waiting to be done. Richard said, “I went all in on All Aimee April this year and ended up completing six Aimee puzzles. This one was the most challenging but the most rewarding. This is one of @aimeestewartcreations’s newest images, and I was immediately drawn to the vibrant colors as well as the teeny-tiny intricate details contained within the scene. And — NGL — the stack of sweets in the lower right corner. 🎂 This puzzle was a total joy from start to finish, one of my favorites in the last few years! Working on picking out my next Aimee puzzle to do.”

Needlework Station by Ravensburger

I’m starting to see a trend here, we all enjoy bright and colorful puzzles. One of my favorites is Needlework Station by Ravensburger. which I did several times this year. I am lucky enough to have it in both 500 and 1000 pieces. Sadly, the 1000 piece version is now longer in print, which is such a bummer. I love Lars Stewart’s artwork, and did several by him this year. As you piece together the puzzle, you'll be captivated by the beautiful rainbow and gradient themes. This is also one of the large format 500 piece puzzles which is always fun.

Year of the Rabbit by Remarks

Year of the Rabbit by Remarks was a favorite from Gail. “What a delightful puzzle!! The artwork is adorable, and I really appreciated the crisp lines and vivid colors. I’m definitely going to have to find a similar dragon themed puzzle! I was also pretty pleased with my time on this one, though I felt at several times I could be moving faster.” This puzzle features an adorable bunny and is sure to bring excitement and joy to your leisure time.

The Pregnant Mother by Genius Games

As an OBGYN, Alyssa was so excited to complete her dream puzzle, The Pregnant Mother by Genius Games.  “The puzzle itself is quite large! It is 3 feet tall by 2 feet wide, so you should definitely take this into account before you start assembling! The pieces are smooth and matte, large and easy to handle. They fit together well, and the final image is a stunning (and accurate!) shaped puzzle! The box has some information about the artist, Mesa Schumacher, who is a certified medical illustrator who has been in the field for over 10 years! There is a fact sheet enclosed with information above the anatomy and physiology of pregnancy, and the full image, with important structures labeled. I just love when puzzles are educational AND beautiful AND well made!”

Umbrellas by Piatnik

Phil did several Piatnik puzzles this year but the stand out was Umbrellas. “ I don’t know what it is that draws me to this one. Maybe the colors, maybe the almost three-dimensional look of it, or possibly the contrast of the straight, black handles against the backdrop of the colorful, rounded canopies. Whatever the case, I loved assembling it. If you’ve done a Piatnik puzzle, you know they are beautiful images manufactured on excellent quality materials, and are a lot of fun. This is definitely a first-rate brand, and one I will continue to purchase.”  

Votes for Women by eeBoo

Several ambassadors did Votes for Women this year. Richard wrote, “I’m a huge fan of Broadway. Suffs is one of my favorite shows of the last few years, and eeBoo’s  Votes For Women puzzle featured many of the same brilliant suffragists who are in Shaina Taub’s show. The puzzle also includes a brilliant informational poster with more information about each featured figure.” Alyssa also enjoyed this one and wrote, “The brand boasts that it is women-owned, mother run, sustainable, and always good! Their images normalize inclusion and encourage empathy across our beautiful differences. I love a puzzle that is as educational as it is colorful!”

To Each their Cat by Jacarou

I’m not surprised to see a Jacarou puzzle on this list, as their puzzles are always so bright and fun. Lisa loved To Each their Cat. This is the perfect cat puzzle. This delightful collage of cats in various poses and settings is so cute! Each piece fits seamlessly with the others, creating a stunning masterpiece that will leave you feline fine!

 Chinatown by Sunsout

 Chinatown by Sunsout was one of Dawn’s and Lisa’s favorites. “This colorful puzzle has plenty of places to purchase supplies for the celebration. If you look closely, you’ll see that it was the Year of the Rooster,” Dawn wrote in her Chinese New Year blog. This puzzle is so fun! It features the stunning artwork of Gwendolyn McShepard, bringing to life the bustling and vibrant streets of Chinatown. 

Crafty Colors by Springbok

Jaime is another bright colorful puzzler. Crafty Colors by Springbok, is a 500-piece, round puzzle. I mean how perfect was this following my newly found knowledge that rainbows are really round?!? I wish that I could say that I planned this, but it was purely by accident. This was probably the fastest one I put together (next to the 70-piece ones). If you haven’t tried a Springbok, I highly recommend it. Their piece cuts are so fun and unique and offer a next-level of fun puzzling experience. It’s nothing like any other.”

Mandala IV by Pomegranate

Finally, the last puzzle I wanted to mention is Mandala IV by Pomegranate. This puzzle is a part of their new circle puzzles, and I think I did five this year?? The piece cut is really unique, they are hexagon shapes. The images are also a bit tricky but this one was the easiest. The fit is crazy and could probably be tossed across the room like a frisbee and stay together. The different layers in the puzzle made it very doable and I loved the colors. 

So those are our favorites of the year!!! Again, I could probably add 100 more that we loved and it’s always hard to narrow down these lists. I hope you had a great year puzzling with us!! See you next year!

Emilee @thecasuapuzzler