6 jigsaw puzzles you can play online for free

online jigsaw puzzles
Though typically played using tangible tile pieces, the online version of jigsaw puzzles is just as exciting. Photo by Ina Fassbender/AFP

Some might associate jigsaw puzzles as brain-teasers made especially for children, but this isn’t the case. The pandemic has shown that jigsaw puzzles have made a comeback among many adults looking for an entertaining way to pass the time. 

Luckily, there are also plenty of online jigsaw puzzles for students looking to sharpen their problem-solving skills.

There are many benefits of jigsaw puzzles. According to studies, they can help improve your visual-spatial reasoning skills and short-term memory. Critical thinking and creativity also play a crucial role in solving jigsaw puzzles.

If you’d like to exercise your brain, there are plenty of free online jigsaw puzzles to test out — and it doesn’t have to be a solo endeavour. There are multiplayer variants that allow you and your friends to collaborate and solve puzzles together.

With that being said, here are some of our top picks of online jigsaw puzzles for you to test out:

Free online jigsaw puzzles 

Magic Jigsaw Puzzles by Zimad 

With an expansive collection of 30,000 HD photos-turned-puzzles to try out, the game offers six levels of difficulty with small puzzle choices for beginners to more complex jigsaw puzzles for seasoned players.

You also have the option of creating a custom-built puzzle using your own pictures. There are daily gifts for players and weekly tournaments for you to join and compete with friends. There is an exciting range of jigsaw puzzles from famous artists and packs with Nickelodeon characters.

There’s also a jukebox feature that allows you to tune in to some relaxing or upbeat music while playing. Puzzles come with several different categories including portraits, animals and landscapes.

This game can be played on multiple platforms such as the App Store, Google Play Store, Amazon and Microsoft.

Online Jigsaw Puzzles 

A screenshot of Online Jigsaw Puzzles where information such as time, number of pieces and other customisable options are displayed. Source: onlinejigsawpuzzle.net

This platform has a massive collection of online jigsaw puzzles, which are sourced from some of the most aesthetic wallpapers and pictures online. There are varied themes such as pets, cartoons, food, motorbike, nature scenes, and more.

You can adjust the level of difficulty based on your preferences, and challenge yourself to solve puzzles within the shortest time possible.

Jigsaw Planet

A screenshot from the game

A screenshot from the Jigsaw Planet game. Source: Jigsaw Planet

Jigsaw Planet has a mixed bag of exciting puzzles for players to indulge in. Ranging from a less complex 35-tile piece to a more complicated 300 puzzle piece game, you can challenge yourself to complete the puzzle within a certain time limit.

The tweet below showcases an example of a daily jigsaw challenge in one of the jigsaw categories on the website.

ProProf Brain Games – Jigsaw Puzzles 

ProProf Brain Games has an assortment of mentally stimulating games, including a jigsaw category with multiple themes.

Categories of jigsaw puzzles may include celebrities, entertainment, music, animal, country, education, computer and book.

Washington Post Online Jigsaw Puzzle

A screenshot of a daily jigsaw puzzle game on the Washington Post website showcasing varying difficulty levels. Source: Washington Post

The famed daily newspaper has an online jigsaw puzzle section for readers to play. The fun part is that there is a new puzzle to solve every day!

Varying levels of difficulty are available (easy, normal and expert) and you may even compete with other players as motivation to boost your scores.

Jigsaw Explorer 

A screenshot of Jigsaw Explorer where collaboration between different players is permitted with its multiplayer feature. Source: Jigsaw Explorer

Jigsaw Explorer has a multiplayer function where you and your friends can collaborate and contribute to solving the puzzle together.

There’s also a rotation feature to rotate pieces of the puzzle.