Jigsaw Time Estimator
Piece count is a time budget. This estimator turns a puzzle box into a realistic number of hours, using piece count, image difficulty, solver experience, and how many people are at the table. Estimates are medians, not promises; a brutal gradient sky can double anything.
How the estimate works
The model assumes an average solver places around 95 pieces per hour on a standard 1,000 piece puzzle, then adjusts for image difficulty, experience, group size, and a size penalty, because per-piece speed drops as the sorting problem grows. Group speedup is deliberately sublinear: four people are not four times faster, as anyone who has shared a table knows. More on that in group solving without getting in the way.
Want to beat the estimate? Start with a systematic sorting method, then steal habits from speed-solving without rushing. Buying advice, including which images run easy or brutal, is in the jigsaw buying guide.