Jigsaw puzzling isn't just a solitary bad-weather activity anymore — it's snapping into place as a social sport.

Why it matters: Puzzling's shift from solo to social mirrors a bigger trend: People are turning analog or "grandma" hobbies into in-person communities.

• There were 151% more puzzle competitions from August 2024-July 2025, compared to the year prior, according to a report from live event marketplace Eventbrite.

🧩 How it works: Typically teams of two or four gather around tables, each with a mystery puzzle sealed in a bag. After a countdown, they open it — sometimes groaning at the image — and race to finish.

• First ones to finish shout "Done!" and collect prizes.

🍻 The vibe is similar to bar trivia. Except puzzling offers something to do with your hands, which "makes conversations a lot easier," says Sarah Schuler, a St. Paul, Minnesota–based professional jigsaw puzzler and puzzle host known as Sarah Does Puzzles.

• Events are "especially great for people that aren't super athletic but are very competitive, which is me," Schuler says.
• Plus, she says puzzling is an activity people of all ages can enjoy. At a recent competition she finished second behind a 12-year-old and his partner.

The bottom line: Speed puzzle contests may be the missing piece for people looking for low-pressure conversation and competition.

📧 Tell us your favorite activities to meet people and get off your screens! We'll feature them in a future edition.

• Let us know how you unplug at [email protected] ... Share this story.

Finish Liner Chris Simmons knows the types of moments we look for.

• "When I saw this picture I took of my wife Lisa, son Noah and dog Oliver in Nags Head today, I thought, 'Axios shot,'"Chris writes.

🐶 "Oliver tried so hard to get the ball. Lisa and Noah kept it in the air."

• You'll get 'em next time, Oliver!