What is Sortl?
Sortl is a daily liquid-sorting puzzle. Each day at midnight UTC, a numbered grid appears: a row of test tubes filled with colored layers. Your objective is to sort them into monochrome tubes. The puzzle displays a par, the minimum number of moves required to solve it, and your move counter runs beside it throughout the game.
How to play Sortl
- Click a source tube to pick up its top layer.
- Click a destination tube to pour that layer into it.
- Follow the two pouring rules: you may only pour onto a layer of the same color or into a completely empty tube.
- Complete the sort in as few moves as possible, because your score is measured against the day's par.
Why the par matters
Sortl measures how efficiently you solve each puzzle. Your result depends on how many moves you use beyond par. You get one attempt per day, so plan before you pour. The game gives you a label instead of a numeric grade: FLAWLESS SORT at par or below, CLEAN SORT at +1 to +3, DECENT SORT at +4 to +8, MESSY SORT at +9 and beyond, and UNSORTED if you remain stuck.
Reading the interface
The board header always shows “X moves · par N,” with your move count compared with the theoretical minimum. During play, two buttons appear: “↩ FREE” and “↺ RESTART.” Alongside the Daily tab, the game offers Levels mode and, once unlocked, Overflow and Blind Stack modes in the game bar.
Tips for reaching par
Use empty tubes as buffers instead of leaving pieces there permanently. The help panel recommends this approach.
Several identical layers stacked at the top move together in one move. Revealing a series before moving it can save moves against par.
Only the top layer can move. Buried layers do not count yet, so plan around what is currently exposed.
Common questions
Par is the minimum number of moves in an existing optimal solution. It is always achievable.
The puzzle changes at midnight UTC, and players worldwide receive the same published grid.
If you get stuck, the score table assigns the label UNSORTED.