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Sometimes We Are Too Darn Clever For Our Own Good

In a couple of our newest puzzles, we thought it'd be fun and tricky to have a straight edge, but then a whimsical corner, like these meerkats keeping watch in...

In a couple of our newest puzzles, we thought it'd be fun and tricky to have a straight edge, but then a whimsical corner, like these meerkats keeping watch in our Paul Bond Sentinels puzzle: 

As carefully as we thought we had done this whimsical corner (and also in the new Every Little Thing puzzle - whimsical corner pictured below), we've been getting concerned emails from people thinking they are missing the corner pieces! 

We've added to the product descriptions to warn people, but we know many of you like to be a bit surprised when puzzling, so it's a fine line to balance surprise with confusion.  Clearly we crossed that line with these corner details, and we apologize to any confused (and I fear frustrated!) puzzlers out there.

In the Future we'll do more to test our clever ideas with real people to make sure they are going to come across as intentional and not like the puzzle is missing pieces!

-Maya

4 comments on Sometimes We Are Too Darn Clever For Our Own Good
  • Rosemary
    RosemaryJanuary 07, 2023

    Maya….I would not change a thing with your description of the puzzles with these that have creative edges. For one I personally was one of those people who thought I had missing pieces but surprisingly when I walked away and came back there was the fresh perspective in front of my eyes. I could see no missing pieces at all. I actually wrote a review on it. I just was not quite sure what the animals was but you kindly explained to me what they were and what they represented. I agree with everyone else. This is what your puzzles are all about. You are very creative with your ability to make us puzzlers think. Please dont change a thing and give too much a way . I had a blast for the fact you had me fooled for a bit. I thought it was the best ever feeling when I walked back and seen it from the different perspective. Puzzles are always meant to be challenging our minds and your puzzles certainly do that Maya. Very creative and talented your team is. Keep up the good work!!!

  • slugbiker
    slugbikerJanuary 03, 2023

    I love these whimsical touches and hope you continue to include them, without spoilers. Perhaps include “unconventional edge” or something like that as an alert?

  • Michael
    MichaelJanuary 02, 2023

    I say go with your gut and continue to design beautiful and clever things that challenge users and include mind-bending idiosynchrasies. It is the vision that drives Artifact and makes it unique. Perhaps you could make icons that warn sensitive puzzlers such as, “not for the unimaginative,” “may provoke compulsive behavior,” or, “this is not a symmetrical rectangle.” 😊

  • Michael Brandt
    Michael BrandtDecember 31, 2022

    Interesting. If that was the only irregularity I would certainly suspect a missing piece or two or three too. Even if you had given a warning that the edge was not straight I’d still be concerned. Perhaps if you had made something similar on another corner there wouldn’t be a problem. If I had seen that I would not have been concerned. Or if you make a surprise add something instead of subtracting something, like those flames on your discontinued Purgatory puzzle.
    Mike

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