Puzzle Play: Now in 3-D

Puzzles have always been a staple for independent and specialty toy retailers, a chameleon of a category that reliably serves up skill-building fun—whether as a solo pastime or as a group social activity—in a package that enjoys an all-ages, wide-ranging appeal.

Now a number of newer companies as well as veteran toy makers are seeking to expand that appeal by introducing unique new designs, tactile materials and interactive features that they hope will push the category into new terrain.

One of these upstarts is Terry L. Simmons, president and founder of the Tacoma, Wash.-based Terry's Toys & Stuff (dba Incredipuzzle), whose debut licensed 3-D puzzles of a Coca-Cola soda can and a Yankees baseball are just hitting the market this year.

“I had an idea to make a realistic three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle out of wood and ended up with a very high quality and totally realistic line of plastic jigsaw puzzles,” Simmons tells Playthings. “Starting out with the promise of having the world's most recognized logo (Coca-Cola) on my first retail puzzle was fantastic … [it] opened a lot of doors for me.”

Simmons adds, “Three-dimensional puzzles are starting to be recognized in the puzzle world ... People are always looking for something new and unique.” Simmons says patenting his ideas and finally bringing them to market—after more than two years in the development process—has been the “fulfillment of a dream,” though he hopes to continue to add to his product line in the future with more puzzles that resemble real objects, plus hopefully 3-D characters from licensed properties.

Fabio Elias, founder of the Sandy, Utah-based Voxal, has had a similarly positive experience with the introduction of his new Voxal 3-D puzzle product this year, with customers being drawn to its unusual styling and decorative appeal right on first viewing, he says. “Some people just have a need to solve things,” Elias explains. “The magical thing about the Voxal puzzle is the simplicity of it, even though it's very challenging, with a beautiful result in the end.”

Each Voxal, for ages 9 and up, is comprised of three identical flat pieces, which fit together to form a 3-D symmetrical and decorative object that stands at 3.5 inches high. At the moment, Voxal is available in eight different colors and four different models—Holly, Pine, Ringo and Star—each of which sports a slightly different shape for the individual puzzle pieces.

Voxal is likely tapping into the demand that companies like Winning Moves and Think Fun have always relied on: those kids seeking an intellectual challenge.

As the U.S. licensee of the Rubik's brand—and a sponsor of its U.S. tournament—Winning Moves has a lot of experience specifically in the brainteaser area. “The Rubik's category is extremely popular for us,” Joe Sequino, vice president of marketing for the Danvers, Mass.-based company, tells Playthings. “We have successfully revived the brand and enjoy watching a whole new generation of Rubik's fans twist and turn the iconic puzzle … additionally, our new line of brainteasers, Brain-Ade games, is enjoying a strong showing since its launch in February.”

Adds Winning Moves president Phil Orbanes, “Brain-Ades were conceived as attention getting, low-cost challenges with irresistible 'let's play again' qualities. Each comes packed in a tin box (reminiscent of a classic band-aid package), each sells for about $4 retail and their puzzle-like pieces evoke familiar game play—but with a really novel twist that gives the brain a workout.”

ThinkFun, Alexandria, Va., is another veteran of the brainteaser category, offering dozens of strategy and puzzle-based games and one-player challenges.

This year, the company is introducing the 36 Cube, “which we believe is the most challenging puzzle in the world,” marketing director Liz Deakin tells Playthings. It's a single-player puzzle for ages 8 and up that features 36 colored puzzle towers. “[It's] pioneering,” Deakin says. “It embodies the ThinkFun brand.”

The company will also debut Hoppers Jr., a peg solitaire jumping game, and Clever Castle, a clue-solving game, for ages 5 to 7 this year. “Developing single-player, mind-challenging games for younger kids just made a lot of sense … having games that are fun and educational really fills the needs and desires of today's Mom,” Deakin says. She adds, “Kids (and adults) who play our games become better problem solvers, better thinkers, and feel better about themselves through a sense of accomplishment from playing our games. ThinkFun is all about empowering the world to become better thinkers.”

Another company that prides itself on learning through play is HaPe International, Sherwood Park, Alberta, and Mequon, Wis. Its experience in crafting wooden educational toys for toddlers and preschoolers—especially those that are eco-friendly—positions the company well to tap into the puzzle market and attract customers looking for something innovative, says general manager Maggie Qiu.

This year, the company expands its Beleduc line of layered wooden puzzles to include four new SKUs: Cat Body, Fish Body, From Seed to Apple and From Seed to Strawberry. The animal body puzzles are the latest in its line that show kids how body systems work—with separate layers for organs, muscles and skin—while the fruit puzzles show how seeds grow. One of the bestsellers in the line remains the Body Puzzle, Qiu says.

“Each layer is a puzzle so children can start with just the pieces for that layer or work with all of the pieces to determine the correct one for each layer. Children learn concentration, matching, visual thinking skills as well as an understanding about what the puzzle illustrates,” Qiu says, noting that she believes it is the line's original, kid-friendly illustrations plus “the tactile feel of wood” and the surprising layers of its unusual design that contribute to its overall appeal.

The company also offers several detailed wooden floor puzzles as well as wooden “dress up” character puzzles in its Beleduc line for preschoolers.

“Being a kid is all about exploration and discovery and the experience of putting something together piece by piece to see the result is gratifying,” says Patricia Duncan, vice president of Great American Puzzle Factory (GAPF).

The South Norwalk, Conn., puzzle specialist is moving beyond its classic 100-piece and 300-piece jigsaw puzzles with new designs and interactive features. For example, GAPF has been enjoying significant success in the past couple of years with One Tough Puzzle. It's a challenging puzzle with only nine pieces—but they're all the same color. There are thousands of wrong ways to put it together and only one correct answer; it's been a top seller since its introduction.

Building on the success of that item, the company is also branching out this year with Double Challenge puzzles, four 550-piece jigsaw scenes that offer a seek-and-find game once you've put the puzzle together. For younger kids, the company adds 24-piece scratch-and-sniff puzzles licensed from Jelly Belly. Once the puzzles are completed, kids can scratch the surfaces to activate their scents. “We are always looking for something different,” Duncan says.

And for Ceaco, Watertown, Mass., the company is still going strong with its Pieceless Puzzles, which debuted last year as a first for the 20-plus-year puzzle maker. Available in three difficulty levels, the inventive puzzles come as one long piece that must be fitted back together. The dual-sided puzzles have continued to garner a lot of interest among retailers, according to Jason Schneider, manager of product development and marketing for Ceaco Gamewright. The company also continues to expand its line of 3-D lenticular puzzles, and is moving into the eco-friendly area with its new line of Planetpals learning puzzles for a range of age groups.

Whatever their shape or size, puzzle manufacturers agree that puzzles' appeal will remain timeless. As Incredipuzzle's Simmons puts it, “Puzzles have been popular since John Spilsbury created the first puzzle resembling a map for educational purposes in 1760. In the 1800s someone decided they would be great as a pastime project ... People like to challenge their minds.” Winning Moves' Sequino agrees: “People love that feeling of satisfaction when they solve a puzzle. It makes them feel smarter ... but oftentimes it's simply the thrill of the challenge that keeps them coming back for more.”