What is the name of this (type of) puzzle?

Dopers, help, I’m stuck here.

I came across this online jigsaw puzzle and was blasted back into my childhood. I had a box containing three separate jigsaw puzzles like this one, in which each piece is, in itself, a complete picture. Sadly, I have long since lost track of the whereabouts of this box, and had indeed completely forgotten about it until I saw the webpage.

  1. Is there a specific name for this type of puzzle?
  2. Does anyone have the faintest idea what the puzzle I had could have been called? I remember the following things:
  • there were three different puzzles; one had an office theme, another had animals, the third one was just “random weird pictures”
  • the puzzle box came with a set of clues for each puzzle printed on paper; these clues had pictures of each individual piece followed by a “quote” by that particular piece containing a clue as to its relation to other pieces (e.g. “Man, I really wish that horse would stop drooling into my hair”)
  • it was probably bought in the late 80’s, probably while we were living in Syracuse (probably by my dad, but this tidbit of information, I fear, is not going to help you very much)

Can anyone ease my plight? I’ve been racking my brain for hours.

We had the animal one when I was growing up (early 80s, or earlier). But it came in a box by itself, not bundled with others.

I have no idea, but I just wasted a good hour putting it together…

Is this what was mentioned in the OP? I found a link on the front page of the site that hosts the linked puzzle.

Also, what the hell connects to the old man in the trenchcoat? As far as I can tell, nothing.

I hate this game.

An hour?

It’s going to take me all night.

As you find matches, it gets easier, because the negative space gets more defined. You can see the shapes that go in it more fully.

He connects the guy at the desk to the sunbather and the peeping tom.

I have a screenshothere if it gets too frustrating.

He’s standing on top of the boy with the binoculars; the girl in the bikini is upside down with her head and arm against his legs, the flowerpot is against his face, the boy in the blue shirt is upside down with one arm against the front of his hat, the dog is against the back of his hat, and the computer on the desk is against his back.

ETA: and I see Inner Stickler beat me to it.

I haff solved zee poozle, and vivout readink dee spoilerz!

Muhahaha. I’m smarter than a grade fiver.

Yes, but your response was much more informative.

So, I poked around the site with the picture puzzle, and came upon this little waste of time. I guess I’m done for now. I’m currently stuck on Level 7.

Cleared Level Seven!

W00t! (Roughly an hour here.)

Well, the page you linked to calls them “Jumble-fits” and “cluster puzzles”.

So there’s your answer, auRa. Thanks for the OP, cause that was entertaining.

Yes! Yes! I remembered that it had some sort of weird name in it, and A. Z. Plerp it is. Oh joy of joys!

You wanna talk frustration? It came up on my screen, but the instructions were just below the visible window. I could pick up the pieces fine, but without knowing that I could rotate them, nothing would fit. But … but people were saying they solved it in an hour or so! Egad I can be a moron.