Pieces can now only be placed inside the puzzle area. The extended workspace around the board has been removed, so unplaced pieces stay in the tray until you position them on the puzzle.
This was an intentional change, not a bug, and there’s no setting to restore the extra workspace.
We know many players used that space to sort pieces, especially on larger puzzles. We’ve heard this feedback and shared it with the team for consideration as the game continues to evolve.