Xbox gamers can now put Microsoft Jigsaw together on Windows 8

Earlier this week we mourned the loss of multiple Xbox games that were recently delisted from the Windows 8 Store. It seems that Microsoft is no longer interested in publishing mobile Xbox titles that it does not fully own. But new Xbox games for Windows 8 do still pop up occasionally, such as Microsoft Sudoku back at the end of June. And hey, they're releasing Zoo Tycoon Friends for Windows Phone and Windows 8 later this year.
Another Xbox game for Windows 8 and RT has just become available in all regions after enjoying the traditional soft launch in Trinidad and Tobago: Microsoft Jigsaw. As you might expect, Microsoft Jigsaw is another casual free-to-play title that fits right in with Microsoft Sudoku, Microsoft Bingo, Microsoft Microsoft, and other first-party Windows 8 games. Jigsaw puzzle fans and your grandmother are sure to love it.
Three ways to put it together
Microsoft Jigsaw offers three game modes:
- Classic Jigsaw: Select a puzzle and then choose to play one of four difficulties. The faster you assemble the puzzle, the higher your star rating for it will be.
- Jigsaw Jam: A faster paced original mode in which players have to quickly find one specific piece in order to maintain a score multiplier.
- Daily Challenge: Like other Microsoft-brand Windows 8 games, this one offers up different challenges to play every day. This one has three kinds of challenges: Bug Catcher, Lock Breaker and Jigsaw Jammer. The first two challenges involve surrounding a moving bug with pieces and completing a puzzle within a set number of moves. Jigsaw Jammer works just like the separate Jigsaw Jam mode.
A year's worth of challenges
The Daily Challenge mode sounds cool in theory, but Achievement hunters might scoff at the surprising time investment the mode requires. Completing enough challenges during a month to achieve certain score milestones will get you a bronze, silver, and gold medal for that month. Playing every day for a month, that's kind of a lot but not unreasonable as far as Achievements go.
That said, Microsoft Jigsaw has three Achievements (worth 35 GamerScore in total) for earning 8-12 monthly medals. Remember, players can only get one medal of each kind per month. You'll have to play pretty much daily for an entire year in order to get these Achievements. Maybe that will be fun for somebody, but I imagine most will find the grind excruciatingly boring.
For more Achievement info in general, refer to this Achievement Guide. It suffers from some grammatical errors but should still be useful for completionists.
Not bad for a puzzle game
It's easy to dismiss Microsoft Jigsaw as just another casual free-to-play game in the Xbox Windows 8 lineup. But the developers actually squeezed a fair amount of features that someone who likes jigsaw puzzles would want into this game.
The puzzle selection screen shows every puzzle as a box, just as you'd see when selecting a puzzle from the shelf in real life. Players can zoom in and out, automatically sort pieces, and manually sort pieces into trays. You can even create custom puzzles using the image files from your PC or tablet, a super simple but cool feature nonetheless.
Microsoft Jigsaw initially offers two puzzle packs to choose from. Players can spend gold bricks (premium currency) to unlock more. You can opt to purchase gold bricks or simply earn them manually by playing the game. Pretty much everything you do other than playing custom puzzles gets you gold, so it's a fair system overall. Cloud saves too.
If you like putting puzzles together, consider this game a worthwhile download. Shame it didn't launch on Windows Phone too though, don't you think?
- Microsoft Jigsaw – Windows 8 and RT – 192 MB – Free – Store Link (opens in new tab)
Thanks to Rockin' Robby Herbert for the tip!
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Paul Acevedo is the Games Editor at Windows Central. A lifelong gamer, he has written about videogames for over 15 years and reviewed over 350 games for our site. Follow him on Twitter @PaulRAcevedo. Don’t hate. Appreciate!
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Release it for WP!!!!!!!!
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Got it yesterday...not bad.
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You have the Lumia 630 or Dev Preview and you downloaded an appx Universal App to your Lumia Phone???
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No not on my WP...on Win 8.
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Check this one...
http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/puzzle-adventures/637a2fec-e... -
That looks pretty neat! I'll give that a shot too, thanks!
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Release the Krakken!!!!!!!!
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I love the game Microsoft Microsoft.
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+820
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Nice!..... Yeah, I was thinking about that name... Maybe MS should look into a total corporate name change... Something that sounds less 70's tech company... Not that this would ever happen, but I swear in 2014 "Microsoft" sounds so floppy disk... It doesn't sound vacuum tube, but it sounds so simulated wood....
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Lol the last part (after "Microsoft") of your comment makes you sound like your high on something :P.
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That part made me LOL!
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Lol!!.... How do you know I'm not❔❔❔❔❔❔❔
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Yeah, me too. Especially while listening to Mr. Mister and occasionally The The.
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Well refer to them s surface inc. Don't think MS, think surface
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Nokia, this name is the best
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❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌
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How about MWare?...... No, then everyone will think "malware"... :-o
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Bing
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Not forgetting Duran Duran...
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Paul...where can I find the game Microsoft Microsoft?? Think you left out two words! Only pointing it out because I think the "Microsoft ___________" games are ALL very fun and high quality.
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Oh no, it reads as intended. :)
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At least this shows some people read the article before posting, unlike so many threads.
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"fits right in with Microsoft Sudoku, Microsoft Bingo, Microsoft Microsoft, and other first-party Windows 8 games." What game is Microsoft Microsoft? Sounds like an epic title to play. Haha
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Start out as a lowly intern and complete challenges and puzzles as you rise through the ranks to become CEO and take over the tech world. 50 game score for crushing Apple and Google.
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Probably meant Microsoft minesweeper, although blackprince's game sounds epic
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I meant Microsoft Microsoft. ;)
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When Tentacles will make a global launch?? I love that monster!! :)
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Enter the mind you mean? Oh yeah, I'm so waiting it for my 1530 too :3
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I downloaded it...pretty awesome stuff! Finally, awesomeness of jigsaw without all the mess or missing pieces. Thanks MSFT!
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The one game I really miss from the old windows mobile days is SPB Puzzle as that was a brilliant jigsaw game. I really hope Microsoft does release this on WP
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Microsoft Xbox windows phone games used to have a certain seal of quality. Alphajax, Flowers, Mahjong are all good fun games and completely free of charge - which benefits the pure game design. Sadly it looks like MS will be only making more of these games which have been unbalanced by the implementation of in app payments.
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Welcome to today's view on gaming. That's why I've been emulating the past several weeks.
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If it wasn't for this article I wouldn't have heard about this game, once again Microsoft fails to communicate these things. Perhaps, Microsoft needs to improve the way it interacts with it's clientele. And not favor Android devices over its own phone (looking at you Microsoft research).
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They must not have had the advertising dollars set aside to put up placards in nursing homes across the country to media blitz this game.
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Hahha nice comeback
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C-c-c-combo breaker!
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Sad haven't SAW a jingsaw joke in the comments. ;)
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I saw what you did there ;)
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*seen
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Right. It should have been this way:
"Anybody saw a jigsaw jike?" -
All of you misusing saw makes me cry (the joke could work without mistaking saw and seen).
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Lol, I'm from Ukraine actually, and not aware of the joke they talk about. It was just my guess ;) hehe
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Heh, in that case you get a pass. :)
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*whoosh* there goes the "joke" over your head
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Fun time waster
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A medal a month? Plus have to play daily? They better not start this trend with other games lol...
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A year's worth of daily jigsawing. Perhaps this app is a secret training program for octogenarians wanting to smoothly transition to assisted-living centers. Too bad there isn't online play. I'd crush 'em.
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Finally, a game I used to hate as a child in full blown WP goodness! :P
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Jigsaw. Xbox. THE PIECES DON'T GO TOGETHER, NADELLA!
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Rather have plants vs zombies 2 tbh
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#SaveXboxWP
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Not bad, I like this.
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I couldn't find the game