You build the cathedral in sections, each of which you can store away in a tray before the final assembly. You can combine pieces in overhead 2D perspective like any other jigsaw game, or in 3D perspective to see how they fit together. There are multiple difficulty levels, and the easiest level is well suited for kids - although by no means easy. The pieces will 'snap' together once you bring the right ones together, so there is no pixel hunting here.

Once you have completed the entire cathedral, you can walk around inside and even read up on its history. There is unfortunately no real reason to go back and re-do the puzzle once you have completed it, though, but at least you will have fun while it lasts. Unlike later games in the series, Notre Dame Cathedral has no "meta-game" you can play once the jigsaw is done (Orient Express for example has a sort of mini-adventure game full of puzzles), but the puzzle has enough pieces that it will occupy you for many hours. The graphics is excellent, the interface intuitive, and the jigsaw itself is fascinating once completed. If you enjoy jigsaw games, you will probably like this fun PC version of a very cool 3D jigsaw. Recommended, but check out later games in the series if you want something with longer play value and varied puzzles.