Preview
What is Aqua Sort?
Aqua Sort is a browser water-sort puzzle where you pour colored liquid between glass test tubes until every tube holds a single color. Its 36 levels climb from 3 to 8 colors across four lab chapters, and each par is the true fewest pours, found by the same solver that powers the hints. Levels take a few minutes, need only taps and have no timer, so it suits a calm break on a phone or a desktop.
Key facts
- Genre
- Puzzle
- Players
- 1 (single player)
- Objective
- One color per tube
- Tube capacity
- 4 layers, 2 spare tubes per level
- Levels
- 36 levels, 3 to 8 colors
- 3 stars
- Clear in par pours, no +1 Tube
- Session length
- Under 5 min
- Platform
- Web browser
- Devices
- Desktop, tablet, mobile
- Price
- Free
- Sign-up
- Not required
How do you play Aqua Sort?
Tap a tube to lift it, then tap another tube to pour. Liquid only pours onto the same color or into an empty tube, and all matching layers on top move together as far as there is room. A tube filled with four layers of one color gets a cork and is finished. The level is clear when every tube is one color or empty. Stuck? Undo steps back one pour, Hint shows the next pour of a shortest route, and +1 Tube adds a spare tube once per level.
Tips & strategy
- Keep a spare tube empty as long as you can: on 8-color levels there are only 2, and filling both early usually means reaching for Undo.
- Pour onto a matching color before using an empty tube, since an empty tube is the only place where any color can go.
- Build each color on a tube whose bottom layer is already that color, so the tube never has to be emptied again.
- Save +1 Tube for real dead ends: it caps the level at 2 stars, while Restart removes the tube and lifts the cap.
What are the controls in Aqua Sort?
| ACTION | INPUT |
|---|---|
| Select and pour test tube | Tap or Click two tubes |
| Quick select tubes by index | Keys 1 – 9, 0 |
| Move between tubes and lift or pour | Arrow keys, Enter or Space |
| Undo previous pour | Z or Backspace |
| Request solver hint | H key |
| Restart current puzzle | R key |
Plays with keyboard, mouse, and touch. Fullscreen works in desktop and mobile browsers.
Aqua Sort FAQ
How is par set in Aqua Sort?
Par is the fewest pours that can clear the level. Every one of the 36 levels was searched with an A* solver under the in-game rules, so par is a proven minimum rather than an estimate. It rises from 6 pours on level 1 to 27 on level 36, and matching it takes planning a few pours ahead.
How many pours earn 3 stars in Aqua Sort?
Clear the level in par pours or fewer without using +1 Tube. Up to 3 pours over par gives 2 stars, and any other clear gives 1. Your best stars and fewest pours are saved for each level, so you can come back and improve.
What does +1 Tube do in Aqua Sort?
It adds one empty tube, once per level, which can open a board where every tube is blocked. The spare tube stays even if you undo past the moment you added it. A level cleared with it gives at most 2 stars; Restart removes the tube and lifts that cap.
Does Undo lower the move count in Aqua Sort?
No. Undo is free and unlimited and puts the board back one pour at a time, but every pour you made still counts toward the move total. To try for 3 stars from zero pours, use Restart, which resets the board and the count.
How does the Hint work in Aqua Sort?
Hint searches from the board as it is now and shows the next pour of a shortest route: the tube to lift glows gold and an arrow marks the tube to pour into for about four seconds. It never makes the move for you. If no winning route is left, it says so, and Undo or +1 Tube is the way out.
Why can't I pour from a corked tube in Aqua Sort?
A cork means the tube is full with four layers of one color, which is exactly what the level asks for. Corked tubes are finished and locked, so a tap only gives them a small shake. Undo removes the cork again if you step back past the pour that filled the tube.
What do the color symbols in Aqua Sort show?
Turning on Color symbols in Settings puts one shape on every layer, a different shape for each color, such as a circle on ruby, a triangle on amber and a heart on pink. Matching shapes means matching colors, so the puzzle can be solved without telling hues apart.
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