Jigsaw puzzles are a wonderful way to spend leisure time. They have always been a very popular entertainment for all kinds of people. Jigsaw puzzles are not only fun but they are also a nice way to develop focus and an eye for detail.

There are hundreds of providers of jigsaw puzzles today, made for anyone from amateurs to hard-core professionals who design jigsaw puzzles to mystify even the most experienced players. Even though physical jigsaw puzzles still have their own appeal, online puzzles have captured a chunk of the players. Online jigsaw puzzles have as much appeal as the regular puzzles, if not more. Colorful animations, varying difficulty levels in a single game, and availability of hundreds of patterns are attracting a lot of players.

Online jigsaw puzzles can be downloaded on to the PC or they can also be played online. They are also available in CD-ROMs. The minimum basic hardware and software configuration required for online jigsaw puzzles are a Microsoft-compatible mouse; Windows 95/98/2000/XP; 32 or 64 MB RAM; 2X speed CD ROM; Netscape or Internet Explorer version 4 or higher with Java; and a Pentium 166 or 266 MHz processor. Most have specific software that has to be downloaded along with the puzzle.

Some of the online jigsaw puzzles are free and can be easily downloaded onto the PC, while others are for sale. These come with different difficulty levels such as easy, average, and difficult. The designs varied, and there are also 3-dimensional jigsaw puzzles and interactive puzzles with colorful and appealing animations.

Free puzzles usually come as an offer and are for a limited period only. Or, they have limited options for the players. The rest of the game has to be purchased. Other ways to get a free puzzle include signing up for certain offers in the site, or going for the buy-two-get-one-free or other such kinds of offers.