Wasgij Original Studio Tour 1500 Piece Puzzle Review

Wasgij? Studio Tour puzzle box

It had been nearly twenty years since I had completed a jigsaw that was not one of the children’s puzzles. When I was offered the Wasgij Original Studio Tour puzzle to review, I was looking forward to trying something for myself.

I had not expected to become quite so absorbed in it.

I found myself returning to the puzzle whenever I had a chance during the day. In the evenings, Paul joined me, and it became something we enjoyed working on together.

What Makes a Wasgij Puzzle Different

Wasgij is “jigsaw” spelt backwards, and the idea takes a little getting used to.

With this 1500 piece Original Studio Tour puzzle, I was not trying to recreate the picture on the box. Instead, I had to imagine what a character in that scene was looking at and piece together that view.

I liked the curiosity behind it. I could study the box for clues, but I could not simply check every piece against a finished picture.

That made it more challenging than I expected, particularly at the beginning.

Getting Started Without a Picture to Follow

Paul was less convinced about the lack of a reference picture at first. I could understand his frustration, especially while we were trying to work out the edges.

The outline was one of the biggest challenges for us. More than once, I was sure there must be pieces missing because I could not see how anything else would fit.

As we made progress, though, those apparently missing pieces began finding their places.

There were plenty of “Oh, that’s where that goes” moments. Something that had made no sense earlier would suddenly become obvious once a few surrounding pieces were in position.

Finding Myself Hooked

I enjoyed the puzzle far more than I had anticipated.

I kept wanting to find another piece or finish one small section before stopping. During the day, I would return to it when I could, and in the evenings Paul and I worked through more of it together.

I did eventually have to pull myself away when my head started to ache or my eyes felt tired. It was surprisingly easy to lose track of how long I had been concentrating.

The challenge held my attention, and gradually discovering the picture was a big part of the enjoyment.

Working on the Puzzle Together

On a few evenings, Paul and I sat with a glass of wine and spent time piecing the puzzle together.

I liked having something we could both get involved in. We could look at different sections, try pieces and share those small discoveries as the image began to make sense.

Even the frustrating moments became part of the experience. After struggling to place a piece, finding its home felt particularly satisfying.

Why I Was Glad I Bought a Puzzle Mat

Before starting, I bought a puzzle roll up mat. It is the green mat visible in my original photographs.

I was very glad I had it. We could roll the unfinished puzzle away when we needed the space and unroll it when we were ready to carry on.

For a puzzle that took several sessions, that made things much easier. I did not have to leave it out permanently or dismantle the sections we had already completed.

Putting in the Final Pieces

By the time we reached the last few sections, I was keen to see the whole picture finished.

After the uncertainty at the beginning, watching everything come together was rewarding. Completing it gave me a real sense of achievement, especially knowing how often we had wondered where a piece could possibly belong.

I had gone from not doing a grown up jigsaw for years to thoroughly enjoying a 1500 piece puzzle without a conventional picture to follow.

My Overall Thoughts on the Wasgij Studio Tour Puzzle

I enjoyed the Wasgij Original Studio Tour puzzle and would happily try another one.

The different approach took some adjustment, and the edges tested our patience, but discovering the scene was what made it so enjoyable. It gave Paul and me several evenings of shared concentration, frustration and satisfaction.

At the time of my original review, the recommended retail price was £14.99. That is a historical price rather than a current offer, and I would check availability before looking for this particular edition.

For information about the puzzle range and its different concepts, I would start with the official Wasgij website.

I was offered this puzzle for review. These are my own thoughts, based on my experience of completing it with Paul.