Jigsaw Puzzles and Board Games Are a Great Family Activity at the Holidays

So you’re expecting a houseful for the holidays and wondering what you all can do together?

Consider a board game or jigsaw puzzle as a wonderful way to spend quality time together and bond.

Award-winning Buffalo Games is one of the largest manufacturers of board games and puzzles in the United States. They make everything in Buffalo, New York, employing American workers, and will celebrate their 25^th anniversary in 2011.

Some of their popular board game titles include Truth Be Told, Likewise!, The T-Shirt Game, and Last Word.

My family absolutely loves these games. Many times, we play these on a Friday or Saturday night instead of watching movies.

Photo Courtesy of Buffalo Games

A full line of premium jigsaw puzzles is also available featuring today’s hottest licenses and fashionable themes including Coca-Cola, Peanuts®, Photomosaics®, Hautman Brothers, Darrell Bush, Art Poulin, William Wegman, Audubon™, Dennis Lewan and more in piece counts of 300, 500, 750, 1000 and 2000.

Here are some interesting answers to my questions about how puzzles are made, including their environmentally friendly manufacturing methods, and a little about their new game, coming out next year.

Laurie Mahoney, Marketing Manager for Buffalo Games and Jonathan Leahy, Strategic Marketing Manager, provided the answers.

PUZZLES

How do you decide what photos to use for the puzzles?

First and foremost, we look for popular subject matter – the broader the appeal of the image, the better.  Puzzlers can spend many hours assembling a jigsaw puzzle, so the image also has to be something that the puzzler would want to look at for a long time.  If the image is something a puzzler would be comfortable framing and displaying on their wall, then it is probably something they would want to assemble as a jigsaw puzzle. 

Once we find appropriate subject matter, we try to determine whether the image is appropriate for the jigsaw puzzle medium.  Typically, we look for elements or details within the image that would make it fun to assemble. 

Piece counts are determined by a number of factors, including the level of detail in the image, the subject mater or art style featured in the image, and the target consumer for each particular line.

How are they actually made – such as the actual process of cutting the photo into pieces and has this changed from when the company started?

The process to make a puzzle hasn’t really changed since the company began. In general, it’s a very low-tech process.  An image is glued to a piece of graphic board before cutting.  The board is then fed through a press that forces cutting knives through the board to create the puzzle pieces.

Any fun facts about Buffalo Games puzzles?

All our puzzles are made in our 86,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Buffalo, NY.  A fold-out poster is included in each puzzle as a guide for assembly.  Buffalo Games produces nearly 12 million units annually and our initiatives demonstrate our commitment to the environment. 

Key steps to more sustainable products at Buffalo Games include post consumer, 100% recycled paperboard for both puzzle and package; all printing using soy based inks and recycle through every stage of the production process; all paper used is 100% recyclable. 

Buffalo Games uses a Bruno Press, a 1,500 ton press – one of the biggest in the world.  This press takes three full-time people to operate.

What are the demographics on a typical “puzzler?”

The hobby of assembling jigsaw puzzles appeals to people of all ages.  Many older generations of jigsaw puzzlers became hooked on a hobby when they were children, and they have become dedicated hobbyists as adults. Our line features a variety of subject matter in a variety of piece counts to appeal so that our products appeal to each segment of jigsaw puzzle consumers.

GAMES

What new games are coming out soon?

Our new party game, Gotcha! will debut at Toy Fair in February 2011. 

Any new reviews about the existing games?

Yes, there are quite a few reviews on our games. It is best to read them on our website at www.buffalogames.com. Many organizations have chosen the games for their top gift lists for holiday giving including SheKnows, The Shopping Mom and Mom Most Traveled.

On November 30, 2010, Buffalo Games announced its game Likewise! will now be featured in the corporate-wide Hyatt Resorts Toy Box program. 

The Toy Box program is a family-friendly amenity to help remove some of the challenges faced by families when they are traveling.  Filled with an assortment of age-appropriate toys and games for toddlers to teens, the Hyatt Resorts Toy Box is powered by Toy Tips, a premiere toy testing group that does not accept payment from toy companies and thoroughly reviews toys independently through the Toy Tips Research Institute.

“We are thrilled that Likewise! was chosen from hundreds of toys and games submitted to be one of 24 in this inaugural promotion,” said Paul Dedrick, president of Buffalo Games.  “Traveling as a family and trying to please everyone is a real challenge, but the Hyatt Resorts Toy Box allows families a fun-filled vacation with toys and games at their fingertips without the burden of carrying extra luggage.”

Participating Hyatt Resort in the U.S. and Caribbean will allow families upon checking in to review a Toy Box book which lists the toys and games available for free for check-out during their stay.  They offer toys and games appropriate for four different age groups, including toddler, preschool, school age, and tween as well as a whole category for families of all ages.  The toys and games are thoroughly inspected for any broken or missing pieces when families return them, and are cleaned with Toy Tips Toy Cleaner, a non-chemical, eco-friendly cleaner, before it is checked out by the next guest.

For more information about the Hyatt Resorts Toy Box powered by Toy Tips, please visit www.hyattresorts.com or www.toytips.com.