I try not to spend too much time playing games on my phone, but I recently downloaded Daily Bible Jigsaw from the Google Play store from Planet 316 to review. It is also available from the Apple store, or you can play from Facebook. It is a simple enough app that provides one puzzle per day to put together, but without the hassle of losing pieces!
Each day, it shows you the daily puzzle, shows the top 5 times of your friends (including their first name and completion time), and it even lets you challenge your friends if you want to. Since my account is set up with Facebook, I can challenge any of my Facebook friends, even if they don’t already have the app. There’s even a Weekly Tourney where people who complete the most puzzles in a week get 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place.
I’ve enjoyed playing it. I was given a large 500 coin bundle (a $39.99 value) for my review so that I could really test out some of the cool features with them. For example, on any given day, you can complete that day’s puzzle for no coins, absolutely “free”. However, if you want to go back and do the daily puzzles from the past that you may have missed, or that happened before you got the app, they cost 3 Puzzle Coins a piece.
There is the Visual Guide, which lets you look at the picture of the completed puzzle. There is the Sweep Tool which will clear the cluttered mess as you’re working and put any single piece that you have to the edges so you can focus on whatever clumps you’re working on. There’s also a Magnet Tool which will connect two puzzle pieces that go together, but this will be at random and may not have to do with what you’re already working on.
As you complete each day’s puzzle, you see a beautiful photograph or photograph-like illustration of some sort. When you complete the puzzle, confetti shoots out and a daily Bible verse is placed on top of your picture. You’re given the option to share it with friends.
During each game, there’s also a Power Piece. This piece shimmers and glows, and if you connect it super quickly to any piece that it should connect to, you earn a free puzzle coin.
You can also check out the Coin Store, which is where you can earn more Puzzle Coins for free by watching ads. You can also purchase then starting at $1.99 for 20, all the way up to $59.99 for 780 Puzzle Coins.
You also earn a few Puzzle Coins each time you win Awards. I’ve won awards for various things, such as signing in with my Facebook Account, completing the tutorial, solving my first jigsaw puzzle, solving 5 puzzles, solving 25 puzzles, solving 100 puzzles, solving 5 Resurrection Sunday puzzles, solving 25 Resurrection Sunday puzzles, solving 5 and 25 of all the other days of the week, solving a puzzle in under 15 minutes, solving one in under 10 minutes, solving in under 5 minutes, and solving in under 3 minutes! If I can manage to solve in under 2 minutes, I’ll earn another 5 Puzzle Coins. I doubt it will ever happen, but if I solve one in under one minute, I’ll get the Genius award and get an extra 10 Puzzle Coins.
There is also a Bonus section where you can play FREE bonus puzzles, and there’s usually one or two bonus puzzles that cost a few Puzzle Coins.
Even the calendar within the game has a puzzle theme. As you complete daily puzzles during the month, it adds a little puzzle piece to that month’s picture. It kind of makes it addicting to try and fill it all in and go back and get the puzzles we missed doing!
I’ve loved playing on this app and have found myself starting puzzles when we’re sitting around waiting for appointments or when I’m killing time before bed or waiting for others to show up at events. It only takes a few minutes per puzzle, and it’s really fun to be able to do puzzles again. I LOVE doing jigsaw puzzles. It’s really therapeutic for me, but I haven’t been able to do puzzles like I used to because I always have a toddler underfoot.
With this app, I’m not losing pieces, I’m not spending hours and hours working on a puzzle, and I’m able to do it in my spare time. You can even play for FREE if you want to, or spend a few dollars to get a pack of Puzzle Coins so you can do past puzzles or use the special features.
My kids like playing it, too. I must say that I cringe a little when my kids do it and take 15 minutes to do a puzzle, because I know that will show up as my score on there and I’m a little competitive with my friends. I don’t let that stop me from sharing, though. 🙂 I like that they’re having fun doing puzzles, too.
I love that there are no inappropriate ads and that the app feels really safe when sharing with my kids. The puzzles will always be something beautiful, and will always end with a nice Bible verse. It’s a great game for anyone in the family that’s old enough to use their fingers to easily manipulate the on-screen puzzle pieces. I highly recommend this app to other families!