Create a puzzle

Created: 2026-07-23 · Updated: 2026-07-26

The puzzle panel creates real, interlocking puzzle pieces as native PowerPoint shapes — not an image, but editable shapes with fill, outline, text and effects. The tabs and nubs of adjacent pieces fit together exactly. Several modes cover everything from an empty grid through a sliced picture to a scattered word puzzle, a ring and a linear strip.

Opening

In the ribbon PPPTools → group "Tools" click Puzzle. The panel opens on the right, with three tabs:

The Einfügen (insert) and Aktualisieren (update) buttons sit fixed at the bottom.

Edge profile first

At the very top of the Aufbau tab you pick the Kantenprofil — the shape of the tabs and blanks. This choice comes first because it also determines the original size.

Mode

The Modus determines what is created:

Raster

Enter columns and rows, then choose the target frame:

The aspect ratio controls the cell shape: Rahmen füllen (fill frame), Originalgrösse (profile-dependent), 1:1, 4:3 or 16:9.

Bild

Select a picture (or shape) and click Einfügen. The picture is sliced according to columns × rows. Whether the pieces are labellable is controlled by the checkbox on the Stil tab:

• Labelling off → each piece is a picture crop (no text, but an outline is possible).
• Labelling on → each piece is a shape with the picture as its fill, seamless and text-capable.

Einzelteile

Here you pick individual pieces via a tile picker, grouped by position:

Several tiles can be selected at once (counter at the top). The piece size is set via aspect ratio and width.

Wörter

One term per line → one scattered, labelled piece per term with random edges and rotation. Font and size are adjustable; the font colour is derived automatically from the contrast of the fill colour, or chosen manually. The scatter area is either the slide or the work area.

Ring

A ring/donut of interlocking segments. Fields: Aussendurchmesser (outer diameter), Ring-Breite (donut width), Anzahl Teile (number of pieces). The centre is the selected object, otherwise the slide centre. Optionally with numbers (centred in each segment) and callouts (radial line + text box).

Streifen

A chain of 2–7 pieces per row — as one row or two interlocking rows (the middle horizontal seam truly interlocks). The pieces always interlock inside; the outer edges are either straight or — via the "Alle Aussenkanten offen" switch — open all around with tabs/blanks. The start is next to the selected object, otherwise top left.

Optionally with numbers (centred in each piece) and callouts (line + text box, staggered).

Adopt size & style from a selected piece

The button at the top of the Aufbau tab reads the current size and full style from a selected piece — even if you resized it manually beforehand. New pieces are then created identically. The size is always recomputed from the bounding box; the style comes from the tag (for grouped puzzles) or is analysed directly on the shape.

Stil

The Stil tab applies to all modes:

Presets

On the Presets tab you save your complete puzzle settings as a named template and re-apply them later with a single click — handy for recurring looks (e.g. "company puzzle 4×3" or "ring, gold") you don't want to set up from scratch every time.

Below the dropdown a short summary (mode · palette · gradient · grid if applicable) shows at a glance what the selected preset contains.

Adjust an existing puzzle

A generated (grouped) puzzle can be selected — the panel fills with its settings. After changes, Aktualisieren redraws it in place without the frame growing, because all settings including the frame size are stored in the presentation.

Tips