How to make a spot-the-difference puzzle from a photo
- Choose a photo with lots going on: a party, a market, a toy shelf, a garden or a busy street. Family photos make the best personal puzzles.
- Pick the number of differences (3 to 12) and the difficulty.
- Check the puzzle and the answers. Don’t like one of the changes? Click “New puzzle” for a different set from the same photo.
- Download the PDF: page 1 has both pictures with a title, a name line and a “Found: __ / 7” box; page 2 has the answers circled and numbered.
What kinds of differences does it make?
- Colour change: an object changes colour (only where there is colour to change, so grey areas stay grey).
- Something missing: a detail is covered with a similar patch from right next to it, so it seems to disappear.
- Something added: a detail from elsewhere in the picture appears in a new place.
- Flipped: a small area is mirrored left to right.
- Bigger: a detail is enlarged inside its spot.
The tool picks the most detailed parts of the photo, spreads the differences across the whole picture and checks every change is actually visible; changes that would be too subtle to find are replaced.
Difficulty
| Level | Size of each change | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | about 15% of the picture’s short side across | Ages 4–7, 3–5 differences |
| Medium | about 11% | Ages 7–12, 5–7 differences |
| Hard | about 8% | Teens and adults, 7–12 differences |
Ideas
- Classroom: a photo of the class trip or the classroom itself; a calm activity for early finishers.
- Parties and weddings: a puzzle from the couple’s or birthday child’s photo on every table.
- Care homes: family photos as gentle memory and attention games (choose Easy).
- Newsletters: a puzzle from your shop, team or town for readers to solve.
Frequently asked questions
How does it make the differences?
It finds the busiest, most detailed spots in your photo and changes each one: recolours an object, removes it, adds a copy of something from elsewhere, flips it or shrinks it. The edges are blended so the changes look natural.
Can I choose how hard it is?
Yes. Pick 3 to 12 differences and Easy, Medium or Hard. Harder puzzles use smaller changes. Click “New puzzle” for a different set of differences from the same photo.
Is there an answer key?
Yes. The PDF has the puzzle on page 1, with a name line and a score box, and the answers circled and numbered on page 2.
What photos work best?
Colourful, busy pictures with lots of small objects: a market, a garden, a toy shelf, a birthday party or a street. Plain backgrounds like sky or walls give the tool little to hide changes in.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. The puzzle is made in your browser, so your photo never leaves your device.
Last updated 2026-10-24.