Water Sort, also known as colour sort or the water sort puzzle, is a calm and thoughtful game. You have several tubes with mixed layers of colour, plus a couple of empty ones. By pouring from one tube into another you separate the colours until each tube holds just one. The rule is simple, but a few hasty pours are enough to get you stuck.
In Hamdor, Water Sort is a single-player game that works fully offline. Before a board is dealt, Hamdor checks that it has a solution. The hint shows the next pour from the shortest solution, there is an undo button, and your moves and time are shown.
How to play Water Sort
- Each tube holds 4 units, and every colour has exactly 4 units.
- Tap a tube to pick it, then tap the tube you want to pour into.
- You can pour only onto the same colour or into an empty tube, and only if there is room.
- All matching layers on top pour together, as far as the target tube has room.
- A tube that is full of one colour is finished and can't be poured from.
- The puzzle is solved when every tube is either empty or full of one colour.
These are the exact rules Hamdor plays by; the app shows them too, under each game's How to play tab.
Water Sort sizes in Hamdor
- 5 colours: five full tubes and two empty ones, a good start.
- 7 colours: seven full tubes and two empty ones; less room, more planning.
- 9 colours: nine full tubes and two empty ones, the hardest board.
- Hint: when you're stuck, the hint highlights the two tubes of the next pour in the shortest solution.
Water Sort modes in Hamdor
- 5 colors
- 7 colors
- 9 colors
Tips to solve Water Sort
- Empty tubes are buffers. Use one to park a colour and uncover what's beneath, but fill both too early and you have no room left.
- Pour colour onto colour. Before reaching for an empty tube, check whether the colour can go on top of the same colour elsewhere.
- Finish nearly done tubes. A tube with just one wrong layer on top is worth clearing early to free up space.
- Look a few pours ahead. Before each pour, ask which colour will be uncovered and whether there's room for it.
- Use undo freely. If you're stuck, step back a few moves and try another route.
Water Sort in Hamdor
- Fully offline: once Hamdor has opened, this game runs without a connection.
- Hint and undo: stuck? The hint button shows a next move, and undo takes a mistake back.
- Stats and records: games played, games won and your best results are kept.
- Your own look: change how the table and pieces look in the Hamdor shop. It is cosmetic only and never affects who wins.
Water Sort FAQ
How do you play Water Sort?
Pick a tube, then tap another to pour into it. Water can go only onto the same colour or into an empty tube. The goal is one colour per tube.
How much does each tube hold?
Four units, and each colour has exactly four, so every colour ends up filling one tube.
Is every level solvable?
Yes. Hamdor tests each board before dealing it and only gives you one that has a solution.
Can I play Water Sort offline?
Yes. Water Sort in Hamdor is free and works fully offline.