About Water Sort
Water Sort is a pouring puzzle where several tubes hold layers of colored liquid all mixed up. You pour liquid from one tube into another to gradually separate the colors, and the goal is to end with every tube holding a single color.
It became a phone favorite because it is soothing and satisfying at once, taking a jumble and slowly resolving it into neat, tidy tubes. The catch is that liquid only pours onto a matching color or into empty space, so the order of your pours matters and a careless move can lock colors where you cannot reach them.
Every level here is generated and then solved by the computer before you ever see it, so a solution always exists, and you never waste time on an impossible board. You can play free in your browser with no download. It is easy to start, and the challenge grows as more colors join the tubes at higher levels.
Controls
You play by pouring between tubes. Tap a tube to pick it up, or click it with a mouse on a laptop, then tap or click a second tube to pour into it. The game handles the rest, pouring as much as it legally can.
Two rules govern every pour:
- Where liquid can go is limited. You can only pour onto liquid of the same color, or into a completely empty tube. Pouring red onto blue is not allowed.
- Only the top pours meaning only the topmost color of a tube moves, and if several layers of that color sit on top, they pour together into a matching or empty tube.
You finish a level when every tube is either empty or filled with a single color. Undo backs up your last pour if you change your mind.
The puzzles get harder across eight levels as more colors join the mix. Stuck with nowhere to pour? Watching a short ad through the +Tube button adds an empty tube to work with.
Tips
- Use empty tubes as workspace. An empty tube can hold any color, so treat it as temporary storage to shuffle layers around rather than filling it thoughtlessly with the first color you see.
- Pour into matching colors whenever possible. Combining the same color from two tubes into one frees up space and gets you closer to a completed tube, so prefer these merges over using an empty tube.
- Look before you pour. Because you can only move the top layer, burying a color you need under others can trap it, so scan the tubes and plan a few pours ahead.
- Try to complete one color at a time. Finishing a single color fully and setting that tube aside reduces the clutter you have to track and often opens up the next move.
- Don't fill your last empty tube carelessly. That spare space is your most valuable resource in tight levels, so hold it in reserve for when you truly need somewhere to unload a top layer.
- Undo and rethink when stuck. Since every level is solvable, a dead end means a wrong pour earlier. Backing up and trying a different order is usually all it takes to find the path.
Frequently asked questions
Is Water Sort free to play?
Yes. You can play as many levels as you want with no download and no account.
How do you play Water Sort?
You pour colored liquid between tubes to sort them. Liquid can only be poured onto the same color or into an empty tube, and only the top layer moves. You win when every tube holds just one color.
Is every level solvable?
Yes. Each level is generated and then solved by the computer before you see it, so a valid solution always exists. If you get stuck, it means a pour earlier in the level closed off the path.
Why can't I pour a color?
You can only pour a color onto a matching color or into an empty tube, and the receiving tube needs enough room. If neither is true, that pour is not allowed.
Can I play Water Sort on my phone?
Yes. It runs in any modern mobile browser with simple tap controls, so it works well on phones and tablets.
How do I get better at Water Sort?
Guard your empty tubes, merge matching colors to free up space, and plan a few pours ahead so you don't bury a color you need. Since every level has a solution, undoing and rethinking will always get you through.