Axios Finish Line

April 03, 2026
Welcome back! Axios' Carly Mallenbaum is your host tonight, writing about a new analog trend.
- Smart Brevity™ count: 345 words … 1½ mins. Edited by Natalie Daher and copy edited by Amy Stern.
1 big thing: Speed puzzling is the new bar trivia
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.
2. 🏖️ Parting shot: North Carolina postcard

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!
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