BetterCo (www.betterco.com , @betterco on IG) is a fairly new, yet emerging force in the Puzzle Nation, having designed "beautifully modern puzzles" with a desire to create memorable challenges for every person who solves one. BetterCo lived up to its reputation by creating the Milky Way Galaxy puzzle. The starry masterpiece proved to be the challenge I hoped it would be, and left me deeply satisfied once the last piece was set. This is my review of the process, from delivery to final solve.
Delivery
The puzzle was delivered via Amazon Prime and came at a reasonable timeframe, with no issues with tracking or reaching my home. The box was standard sized, and the puzzle was wrapped with bubble wrapping.
Packaging
The puzzle pieces came in a box that was taped along the edges by wafer seals (circle tape). The box served as the picture of the puzzle, which is stretched over the sides of the box. The box is sturdy, made of a thick material. Inside the box was a thank you note from BetterCo’s owner, and attached to that note was a promo code to use for the next BetterCo purchase.
Pieces
Construction
The pieces are composed of cardboard, light yet sturdy. By comparison, BetterCo’s pieces are heavier and thicker than Cra-Z-Art, yet lighter than Ravensburger’s.
Puzzle Dust
There is slight puzzle dust to deal with upon opening the puzzle box. I found that I only needed about two minutes of running the pieces through a colander to remove the majority of the dust and had no issues with the pieces afterward on the table during and after the puzzle’s assembly.
Appearance
These pieces were made with what appears to be a semi-gloss finish. The colors popped very well under typical light and special lighting. The pieces are funky-cut with no simple grid pattern to follow, which made assembly both easier at times and challenging during others.
Image Quality
The image render was phenomenal! From far away, the image looks amazing, and the details are even better close-up! It was easy to recognize where certain pieces were supposed to go with a few exceptions within the blue/black, red/black, and purple/black regions. The sharpness of the pieces were crisp and dazzling!
Assembly
Assembling this puzzle took a measured approach for me. I am fairly new to the puzzle scene, so I am learning and applying skills with each puzzle I solve. To solve this puzzle, I had to utilize “rotate the puzzle” multiple times to get different vantage points on the puzzle. The pieces locked very well, making moving chunks of the puzzle from one place to the other easier than I expected, and helped me to solve the puzzle in multiple places on my table. With diligence and many breaks in between, I was able to finish the puzzle in 13 hours over two days. And the final solve was worth the start!
Replay Value
BetterCo prides itself in creating challenges, and this one lived up to the hype! I am hesitant to replay this puzzle because of its difficulty. Yet, if someone decided to challenge me to a puzzle battle, I might be inclined to open the box back up and run through it again.
Satisfaction
Overall, this puzzle gets an 8/10 from me. It felt really good finishing this puzzle, and I believe it will make for a wonderful piece of art on my wall. The challenge Milky Way posed left my mind scrambled in a way that only BetterCo could mix. The puzzle is crafted well, and there were no issues with assembly from start to finish. I highly recommend to anyone the BetterCo line of puzzles, you will not be disappointed.
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