Here's some notes on what it's like to do the Gift Arrives Puzzle from one of our beta-testers (who's done over 40 of our puzzles):
The striking thing about this vibrant puzzle is that the pieces follow a hexagonal grid. With six sides, each piece is richer - the extra two sides can each be innies, outies, or false edges, for more variety. This simple trick, together with Tara Flannery's elegant sense of shape, makes for one of Artifact's most beautiful cuts. Each piece looks fresh. The connectors are mostly delicately shaped knobs, with a few connectors shaped as tiny bird heads, prairie dog heads, or strawberry stems.
We assembled the puzzle without looking at the image, which we always recommend for maximum difficulty and fun, and we rate the puzzle of average difficulty. It took two of us a few hours. It has 344 pieces, about 20 whimsies, and half a dozen distinct colors that both account for its vibrant look and make it easier to assemble. But the hexagonal grid makes it more challenging. The shapes are hard to remember as you search around the table. The puzzle edge is also hexagonal, which makes edge pieces hard to identify.
All in all, a lovely way to spend an afternoon.
