Water Sort is a free online colour sorting puzzle. It runs in your browser with no download or sign up, works on phones and computers, and keeps working offline once the page has loaded. Pour water between tubes until every tube holds a single colour. Every level can be solved.
Inspired by: Colour sorting puzzles that became popular on phones around 2020.
How to play Water Sort
- Tap a tube to pick it up, then tap another tube to pour the top colour into it.
- You can only pour onto the same colour, or into an empty tube, and only if there is room.
- Several layers of the same colour move together.
- Sort all the colours so each tube is full of one colour.
- Use Undo to take back a move, Restart to begin the level again, or + Tube to add one extra empty tube.
- Finish all 10 levels. Fewer moves and not using the extra tube give a higher score.
Controls
- Keyboard: Arrow keys move the highlight. Space picks up and pours. X undoes the last move.
- Mouse: Click a tube, then click where to pour. Use the buttons below for Undo, Restart and + Tube.
- Touch screen: Tap a tube, then tap where to pour. Use the buttons below for Undo, Restart and + Tube.
Tips to score higher
- Make an empty tube early. It gives you room to move things around.
- Pour onto a tube that already has the same colour at the top.
- Look at which colour is buried under others before you start pouring.
- Think two moves ahead before you use the extra tube.
- Each colour has a small symbol, which helps if two colours look alike.
The story behind Water Sort
Sorting puzzles are an old idea, from sorting beads to arranging coloured balls into jars. Phone developers brought the pouring version to a huge audience around 2020, when many people were looking for calm games to play at home. It rewards planning more than speed, so there is no timer and no pressure. It is easy to play for five minutes while chai is brewing or you are waiting for a lift, which is why so many people kept a sorting puzzle on their phone.
Questions players ask
Is Water Sort free to play?
Yes. It is free with no sign up and no download.
Can every level be solved?
Yes. Levels are built by mixing a solved board with legal moves, so a solution always exists.
Can I undo a move?
Yes. Press Undo as many times as you like.
What does the + Tube button do?
It adds one extra empty tube. You can use it once per level.
Is there a time limit?
No. Take as long as you need.