Water Sort GamesHow to Play Water Sort
In a classic water sort puzzle, move the top color between bottles until every non-empty bottle contains a single color. This guide explains the standard rules; individual games may add their own variations.
Updated
What is the goal?
Your task is to separate mixed water into groups of matching colors. You do not choose a color from the middle of a bottle: the layers above it have to move first.
In the standard puzzle, the finished board contains bottles of one color and any unused empty bottles. Check the rules inside a particular game for its exact completion condition.
Which pours are allowed?
A classic pour needs a source bottle with water and a destination with free capacity. The destination must be empty or have the same color on top as the source.
- You can move only the color at the top of the source bottle.
- An empty bottle can receive any top color if it has enough space.
- A non-empty bottle normally receives only its existing top color.
- A full bottle cannot receive more water. Some games pour the whole connected top-color group; others may limit the amount.
Your first four steps
1. Study the bottles: Look at the colors and the empty spaces before your first move. The goal is to gather each color into its own bottle.
2. Select a source bottle: Choose the bottle you want to pour from. Only the color at the top can move.
3. Pour into a legal destination: Under classic rules, pour into an empty bottle or onto the same top color, provided the destination has room.
4. Finish each color: Repeat until every non-empty bottle contains a single color. Keep spare space available so you can reach colors buried below the surface.
A simple example of a legal move
Imagine bottle A has blue on top of red. Bottle B has blue on top and one free space. Under classic rules, blue can move from A into B: the top colors match and B has capacity.
If B has yellow on top, the same move is blocked. If B is empty, the blue can move there instead. This example explains the rule; it is not a solution for a numbered level.
Why do empty bottles matter?
Empty bottles let you move a blocking color out of the way and reveal the layers underneath. Filling every empty bottle can remove that flexibility.
Before using the final empty bottle, plan how you will free space again. Try to reveal useful matching colors rather than making a move only because it is currently legal.
Controls and game variations
Most versions use two selections: choose a source, then a destination. On touch devices these are taps; desktop versions often use clicks. Follow the controls displayed by the game you are actually playing.
Undo, hints, automatic saving, difficulty choices, and special bottles are game-specific features. This guide does not assume they are available in every Water Sort version.