A piece of the action: jigsaws to puzzle over

The humble jigsaw puzzle is staging a social media moment. Instagram influencers — usually dedicated to humblebragging access to the finer things in life — are now struggling to assemble a 1,000-piece snap of the Taj Mahal. Little wonder.

There are the obvious attractions. Every jigsaw, from 300-piece beginner to 3,000-piece deathtrap, is a timely distraction. They’re cheap too and relatively accessible — although the influencer economy is firmly on the bandwagon. Reality TV star turned entrepreneur Kylie Jenner revealed she has taken them up and US comedian and TV host Ellen DeGeneres has been candid about her own isolation struggles to solve a 4,000-piece puzzle.

There is something curiously soothing about not only completing a jigsaw, but watching someone else take on the challenge. Local retailers report record-breaking sales via mail order.

Reddit page r/Jigsawpuzzlers thrums with 20,000 hobbyists exchanging tips for speed runs, watching sped-up time-lapse videos, or applauding others (one 40,000-piece Disney puzzle takes the breath away). “It’s just challenging enough to give your hands something to do, but it kind of lets your brain relax,” the sub-forum’s creator Michael Giragosian told GQ Magazine. Here are some options to puzzle over.