This Puzzle That Gives You the Chance to Win $1 Million Dollars Makes the Best Christmas Gift

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Puzzles can help challenge our brains while giving us a way to calm down and focus on something that doesn't have to do with work or anything else that might be causing stress. But in addition to being a relaxing solo or collaborative activity, research shows that solving puzzles offers major brain benefits, like boosting memory retention. In fact, a 2014 study found that working on games like jigsaw puzzles can even enhance spatial skills.

While solving crosswords and brain teasers on digital puzzle platforms like Puzzmo can be a great way to challenge your mind on a daily basis, there's nothing like settling down after a hectic week with a good jigsaw puzzle, a cup of tea and a cozy blanket. Whether you're looking for a fairly basic 300-piece puzzle for the whole family to join in on or you want something more complicated that will take you weeks to finish, we've rounded up some of the best (and most unique) puzzles for adults you can buy right now.

Our team at the Good Housekeeping Institute tests and reviews toys and games for kids, teens and adults of all ages. From board games to beach games, we've evaluated hundreds of toys and games in recent years to ensure they will keep you and your family entertained and having fun. Here, our analysts' and editors' top picks for the best puzzles that make great birthday presents and holiday gifts (or just a little treat for yourself!).

The Two Million Dollar Puzzle

Cha-ching! It's time to rake in the cash by completing this QR code puzzle by MSCHF. Once you finish building simply scan the QR code into your phone and wait to learn about your prize. But, don't be fooled as this puzzle isn't for the faint of heart.

One GH analyst said that this 500 piece puzzle was the hardest puzzle they've ever done before, but luckily, the website notes that the QR code will still scan even if you are missing a few pieces. While putting this together, she only won $1, but hey, that's one more dollar than we've ever won with any other puzzle.

Neuschwanstein Castle 3D Jigsaw Puzzle

You may not live in a castle, but you can bring the castle to your home when you build this 3D version of the famous Neuschwanstein Castle, a.k.a. the inspiration behind the classic Disney Castle. We found this castle to be a great group project, and particularly liked how thick and sturdy the pieces were and how well they seemed to fit together. Plus, once you're done, you can put it on display for years to come.

'The New Yorker' Main Street Puzzle

New Yorkers and classic magazine lovers will appreciate this line of gorgeous New Yorker-themed puzzles from the New York Puzzle Company. You can choose between your favorite art of the city, or pick the perfect puzzle for you based on a date that's meaningful to your family. While this 1,000-piece puzzle might be a bit much for a beginner, there's nothing quite like the satisfaction you'll get from putting together the iconic magazine logo.

Wooden Sea Turtle

Unique puzzle piece shapes, rich colors and high-quality wooden pieces come together to create this breathtaking wooden puzzle that is fun for the whole family. This 100-piece puzzle is great for beginners and kids, so even the littlest ones can join in on the fun. With pieces in the shape of various other sea creatures like crabs and seahorses, putting this puzzle together is just as magical as the finished product.

Sherlock Holmes Classic Mystery Puzzle

What do you get when you combine the fun of puzzle making with the mystique of an escape room? The Sherlock Holmes Mystery Jigsaw Puzzle, of course. No longer do you have to leave your home to experience all the excitement an escape room has to offer.

Once you complete this jigsaw puzzle, the fun has only just begun. Players can uncover the hidden clues in the 1,000-piece puzzle to help Sherlock Holmes solve the mystery and bring the criminal to justice. Once you've solved this mystery, check out their other fun mystery puzzles like Murder on the Titanic or Death on the Istanbul Express.

"The Beach" Two-Sided Puzzle

Don't think your puzzles are challenging enough? This double sided jigsaw will definitely be a head scratcher for even the best puzzlers out there. Not only do many of the sand pieces look very similar, making it incredibly challenging (in a good way), but once you flip the pieces over you'll get a whole new image. Luckily, one puzzler we spoke with found that one side of the puzzle is matte while the other is glossy to help keep it from being impossible to build.

Piece and Love Poppy Bunny

Spring has certainly sprung at any time of year with this pretty 1,000-piece puzzle by eeBoo. One of our editors appreciates that the puzzles from this woman-owned brand are made of high-quality pieces from recycled materials, according to the brand, and they found the art to be colorful and beautiful. "The puzzles are hard enough to be challenging, but not impossible," she said. "I love how the artists use different textures within similar colors so you can really start to see the patterns."

'The Golden Girls' Jigsaw Puzzle

If you thought you couldn't get enough of the TV show, this puzzle proudly displays the famous four — Dorothy, Rose, Sophia, and Blanche — smiling sweetly or hilariously posing all across the puzzle.

LED Titanic Ship Model

Build this epic 266-piece 3D puzzle of the Titanic. Complete with light strings that make this puzzle light up, this completed piece will certainly catch the eye of anyone who enters your home. One of our editors found this puzzle to be "absolutely gorgeous" and noted that it's great for teens and adults alike. Measuring close to 35 inches long, just make sure you have enough space in your room to keep it on display.

Completing the Puzzle Subscription

What happens when you complete your puzzle and are ready for the next one? You could simply put the pieces back in the box and store the box in the closet, but there's only so many puzzle boxes one can keep at a time.

This subscription box service from Completing the Puzzle is great for extreme puzzlers who want to keep the new puzzles coming, but don't want to store them all in their house. Once you complete each puzzle, you can send it back to the company to be sanitized and sent to another person. It's sustainable, easy to use and keeps clutter at a minimum.

Barcelona Puzzle

For those who long for distant horizons but can't always travel as much as they'd like to, this beautiful 1,000-piece puzzle by EuroGraphics can take you there the instant you finish it. You can also take a look at some of the brand's other travel-inspired puzzles like the giant panoramic Czech Republic or the tulip fields in The Netherlands.

One GH editor and self-proclaimed puzzle lover particularly likes the Barcelona views, noting that while the picture quality is a little less clear than some other options, the quality of the pieces are great with no lifting or tearing while putting pieces together or taking them apart.

Photo Puzzles

Cherish your favorite memories forever when you turn them into a puzzle for the whole family. With a wide variety of customization options you can pick from 24-piece puzzles all the way up to 2,000-piece puzzles with your favorite meaningful picture on it.

We love how easy it is to make these puzzles in a few simple steps, according to the website, and appreciate that you can choose from creating a single image puzzle or make a collage of all your favorite pics.

Shoe Shopping Puzzle Glue Kit

Turn your favorite puzzle into wall art when you snag one of these gorgeous pieces from Jiggy. Not only do they come in the cutest packaging — a stylish reusable glass jar for storing the pieces — but each kit comes with a tube of glue so you can glue your puzzle together once you finish it and display it on your wall. One GH editor loves that these puzzles have beautiful, unique art that can be made permanent if desired. They also make great gifts for friends and family!

Gradient Puzzle

Think this one's easy? Think again. If you're in the market for a challenging puzzle you can really dig into, try this gradient piece. It features a duotone finish, available in a variety of colors. We recommend doing this puzzle in a bright room with great lighting since the nuances between each piece can be hard to spot. It makes a pretty work of art once completed, and is a great gift for the artist in your life who likes all things creative.

Monet Double Sided Puzzle

This double-sided puzzle from Galiston is great for the artist in your life who adores Impressionism. With 500 pieces, this puzzle is a bit easier than some of the 1.000-piece ones on our list, but still challenging enough to make it interesting.

We appreciate that one side of the puzzle is matte while the other is glossy to prevent any issues while putting it together, and one of our experts found that this puzzle has the most beautiful picture quality. Aside from being bright and colorful, "the clarity of the print makes for a fun process," notes one GH analyst.

3D Crystal Pirate Ship Puzzle

Ahoy matey! No need to walk the plank if your brain gets twisted trying to figure out this 3D crystal pirate ship puzzle. It makes a nice change from flat jigsaw puzzles and may even entice kids who think they don't enjoy puzzling. With 101 pieces, this one is rated for kids ages 12 and older, but younger children may be able to enjoy it with a grown up's help.

Jonathan Adler Rainbow Hand

Transport yourself to somewhere over the rainbow when you create this unique 750-piece rainbow hand puzzle. Not only is this puzzle bright and colorful, but it's an especially unique shape that is fun to build. If you're used to traditional puzzles and want to add a little twist to them, look no further. Since there isn't a lot of detail aside from the colors, this puzzle can be a bit more challenging to put together, but online reviewers found it to be worth the extra time.

The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour

This whopping 3000-piece puzzle will take quite some time to finish, but once you get there, it will all be worth it. As the largest puzzle on this list in terms of how many pieces it contains, it's definitely for veterans who aren't afraid of a challenge. Music lovers will enjoy this Beatles-themed piece that features a ton of colors and details. One thing to keep in mind is that this puzzle is giant, so make sure you have enough room on the table (or floor) before you take it on.

World of Harry Potter Collectible Puzzle

Accio Harry Potter puzzle! This collectible puzzle helps bring the magic of Hogwarts to your living room when you build the classic Sorcerer's Stone scene where Harry and his friends first see the breathtaking castle. While this puzzle is only 550 pieces, it features a nighttime scene and the dark colors make it a bit more challenging to piece together. Overall, online reviewers found the quality to be great and the project to be fun for groups.

Quarantine Cats

All 750 pieces of this puzzle are cute as a button, and once they come together they create the most adorable scene of cats wrecking havoc in a living room. Fun for the whole family, this puzzle is as hilarious to put together as it is to look at. Online reviewers note that the picture quality is nice and clear and the puzzle overall is challenging but not too difficult for the whole family to join in on the fun.

How we chose the best puzzles

Here at Good Housekeeping, we do rigorous toy research and testing to make our top picks in any category in order to only recommend the best of the best In this roundup, our choices include GH Institute expert favorites and editors' top picks. A few of our recommendations we even vetted as part of our yearly Toy Awards, where our experts consider the following factors while testing:

✔️ Safety: To ensure that each toy reaches all safety standards, our researchers research each product thoroughly. They also assess whether or not the toys can break into small pieces that may pose choking hazards for little ones.

✔️ Ease of Use: We consider how easy it is to put together each toy or game, how durable the pieces are and whether the construction is sturdy.

✔️ Fun Factor: Aside from looking at the safety factors and ease of use for each toy, we make sure that each puzzle is as fun to put together as it is safe to use.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

The Good Housekeeping Institute provides expert reviews and advice on all kinds of categories, including STEM toys, educational toys, the best LEGO sets and more.

This roundup was written by Jamie Spain, a former parenting reviews analyst in the GH Institute. During her time at GH, Spain reviewed all kinds of games, including learning towers and the hottest new toys.

The Happy Isles, The Mystic Maze and The Sunny City 3 Pack

Pick up this pack of three puzzles to keep the whole house entertained for the next few weeks (or days). Our Hearst members especially like Magic Puzzle Company puzzles since they have a twist on your everyday puzzle shape and style. "It's not a standard rectangular puzzle and it has a surprise element when you finish putting it together," one Hearst puzzler explains. "Since each puzzle is built in several sections there are more unique piece shapes and twice as many edge pieces, which is always fun."

Zodiac Horoscope Puzzle

Whether you're a Scorpio or a Libra, this zodiac puzzle will certainly impress you. The bright colors, gorgeous artwork and unique circle design make it a one-of-a-kind puzzle to work on. Once you've completed the 1000-piece project, the finished work is so beautiful you'll want to leave it out on your coffee table for display. For a less challenging experience, take a look at the letters on the back of the pieces and group them together with the same letter to ensure everything is in the right place.

Majestic Park Puzzle

Connect 1,000 pieces to build this scenic view of this national treasure, the Grand Teton. Photographer Bela Baliko captured this moment right before the sun came up.

The Capitol

The manufacturers say this large 3D puzzle will take more than four hours to complete, so settle in for a solid puzzling sesh. It even comes with LED lights for a pretty display. It's perfect for puzzle fans and architecture buffs alike.

Underwater Floor Puzzle

For a relatively easy puzzle to complete with the kids, this 48-piece floor puzzle adds a cute touch to your child's room. The manufacturer recommends the puzzle for kids ages 3 and up. While we haven't tested this exact puzzle, our experts appreciate the quality of melissa & doug products and like that the large pieces are perfect for tiny hands.

Movie Lovers Puzzle

Movie lovers will get a knock out of completing this jigsaw puzzle. It includes the ultimate classics, like Pink Panther, the Invisible Man, and Beach Party.

Hollywood Newsstand Jigsaw Puzzle

You'll recognize iconic names and faces in this Hollywood newstand puzzle, featuring entertainment magazines that we still enjoy reading today.

Game of Thrones The Red Keep 3D Puzzle

Games of Thrones fans will have a blast completing this 3D puzzle of The Red Keep. Just a warning though, it contains 435 pieces of challenging fun, but the results are worth it. Hint: HSN lets you pay in multiple payments if you prefer not to pay all at once.

Animal World Safari Puzzle

Constructed of thickened, recycled cardboard, this 1000-piece puzzle helps save the planet and your boredom! The puzzle pieces even has letters A-F, to help players more easily navigate the puzzle. It makes a fun DIY decoration once finished.

Turtle Swimmer Jigsaw Puzzle

Your next indoor summer adventure can be celebrated with this 500-piece, under-the-sea puzzle. The bright turquoise and green colors make for a super realistic image.

Killer Cupcakes Jigsaw Puzzle

This brand prides themselves in having "the most difficult jigsaw puzzles." At least the cupcakes will make for a sweeter outcome in the end!

Summer at the Amusement Park 500-Piece Puzzle

We won't blame you if you start craving a hot dog while working on this adorable seasonal puzzle. One reviewer stated that this puzzle works great for introducing kids to the world of adult jigsaws. Even young kids can work on the beach characters, while the grown-ups tackle the amusement park section.

Christmas Kitchen

This 500-piece puzzle is a treat to complete during the holidays. It even features hidden objects for the whole family to find once it's completed.

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