Every single jigsaw puzzle in the store was one of these.
Thankfully, it was not the only place in town to get a jigsaw puzzle, but it was the only Minnesota-themed gift shop to buy jigsaw puzzles. (This is not relevant.)
I guess YMMV with this because this really annoyed me and I just don't see "why aren't I finding the piece with the bird on it even when there's only 100 pieces left?!" for 20 minutes as something fun.
But at the very least, offer some normal puzzles too!
I could see a scenario where someone buys the puzzle because they like the art and what’s on it and then being disappointed they received something very different to put together. If someone wants a challenge then just don’t look at the sample image IMO.
Probably a Wasgij! They're awesome! Sometimes it's like you described, sometimes the box cover is people reacting to the scene you have to put together in the puzzle, sometimes you uncover a mystery. I have like 10 of these, they're my favorite vacation pastime if I'm not traveling or something.
I've done loads of Wasgij jigsaw puzzles with family over holidays, they're great. If anyone here thinks this sounds like a fun idea I encourage you to check them out!
See I like that idea better, I like solving like logic puzzles and word puzzles and stuff, but like I have never liked jigsaws cause it's like 'hey it's the same thing on the box but it has grooves in it now.'
So yeah it would be neat to put it together and then see the differences.
I also think that's the gimmick. But it's a terrible gimmick. Especially when it's the only kind of puzzle you sell. I'm not taking a Minnesota-themed jigsaw puzzle souvenir with me. And I greatly enjoy jigsaw puzzles and frequently get them as souvenirs.
Because apparently whoever designs jigsaw puzzles to sell in Minnesota gift shops is an asshole.
I get people not wanting to look at the box to make sure the puzzle is right, but this is just shitty and it adds nothing to the jigsaw puzzle experience apart from unnecessary frustration.
This is a bit of a side note but I remembered you were looking for things to do while you were in MN a while back. If you still are, the National Eagle Center is always fun to visit. It's in Wabasha which is almost exactly an hour drive from Rochester. It's also probably a better place to pick up souvenirs.
I appreciate the suggestion! I don't know if I want to drive an hour because just walking around the mall here was exhausting due to how much stress I'm under, but if I'm here long enough- and we have no idea how long we'll be here- it's something to look into.