I’m always so excited to try a new brand. I’m less excited when it turns out to be disappointing. I’ll be honest as always and tell you what I liked and didn’t like. We are all different, so you might disagree.

I tried a puzzle by Plus1Puzzle. This is a Montreal based company and I’m always happy to see brands from home.

The one I did was Route 66s.

There are two things that stand out in their marketing that deem them as different. First, they are eco-friendly. They use vegetable ink and are completely recyclable with no glue. Second, they have an extra piece, and the box says, “start with our unique center piece”.

What I liked: The image on the box is clean and sharp. It doesn’t come with a poster, so the box image was helpful. The back of the box had images of other puzzles in the brand. What I didn’t like: The box was a flip top, so the lid doesn’t come off. This was a bit of a letdown because I use the top and bottom for sorting.

What I liked: The puzzle itself came in a brown paper bag. This was unique and different. It really reinforces their environmental message and makes an impression. If you have strong green/environmental beliefs, this would be a brand you might like. What I didn’t like:  Because of the material, the pieces were so thin, they bent easily and were about half the thickness of a Ravensburger. There were also quite a few that were not cut properly and I had to separate them.

What I liked: There was little glare and when the pieces fit, I could move sections around without breaking them apart. What I didn’t like: There was not much variety in piece shapes and a lot of the same colors, so many of them almost fit and I had to keep redoing it. It took me days to do the border when it usually takes me an hour. That wasn’t fun.

What I liked: The premise behind the fun is cool. An extra piece makes it more of a challenge. What I didn’t like: Where was that extra unique piece? I was expecting a large center piece that stands out. I thought it might be packaged separately or at least indicated. There were a few pieces that were a bit different, so I assume it was those, but they didn’t give me much to start with and weren’t a “unique center piece.” You will see them in the photos.

What I liked: This brand brings us on a tour of Canada. The photography is very nice, and if you like scenic images, or travel, this might work for you.

At the end of the day, I didn’t even finish this puzzle. Rare for me, but it was also missing a piece. If you like images of Canada and the statement of the brand, give these a try. Otherwise, I would pass.