Ball Sort Puzzle, free online
Ball Sort is a calm color-sorting puzzle: lift a ball from the top of a tube and drop it on the same color or into an empty tube, until every tube holds one color. Levels start with three colors and build up to twelve.
Every level is checked to be solvable. Undo freely, tap Hint for the next move, and go full screen for bigger tubes.
Ball sort and water sort are the same puzzle
Ball sort and water sort look different, but mathematicians have shown they are the same puzzle underneath: a board can be sorted by moving single balls exactly when it can be sorted by pouring water. The only difference is speed. In water sort, one pour moves every layer of the top color that fits; in ball sort you move one ball at a time. Our water sort study found that, with two empty tubes, every one of 12,600 random boards could be solved, so the same holds here.
How to play here
Tap a tube to lift its top ball, then tap the tube where it should go. A ball can only land on a ball of the same color or in an empty tube, and each tube holds four balls. Undo and Hint are always available, and your highest level is saved.
Strategies that work
- Keep empty tubes for parking. An empty tube can hold any color. Park a ball there to free the ball below it, then clear the tube again.
- Collect the colors on top first. Colors already sitting on top of several tubes are the quickest to group.
- Don’t bury a color you need. Before dropping a ball, check that it isn’t covering the last ball of a color you are about to finish.
- Finish tubes early. A full tube of one color is done forever, and the rest of the board gets simpler.
- Think about the bottom balls. The bottom ball of each tube is the hardest to free. Plan where those colors will end up.
Why play ball sort?
It is calm, colorful and just challenging enough: early levels take a minute, later ones with 12 colors need real planning. For the pouring version, try Water Sort. For another classic sorting puzzle, try the Tower of Hanoi.
How to play Ball Sort Puzzle
- Each tube holds up to four balls.
- Tap a tube to lift its top ball, then tap the tube where it should go.
- A ball can only go onto a ball of the same color, or into an empty tube.
- The level is solved when every tube is empty or holds four balls of one color.
Ball Sort Puzzle tips
Use empty tubes as parking
An empty tube can hold any color. Park a ball there to free the one below it, then clear the tube again as soon as you can.
Build on colors near the top
Colors that already sit on top of several tubes are the quickest to collect. Gather them first to make room.
Don't bury a color you need
Before dropping a ball, check that it isn't covering the last ball of a color you are about to finish.
Frequently asked questions
Is every level solvable?
Yes. A solver checks each level before you play it, so there is always a solution. Use Undo or Hint if you get stuck.
What is the difference from Water Sort?
The puzzle is the same, but in Ball Sort you move one ball at a time, while in Water Sort a pour moves every layer of the top color that fits.
Does my progress save?
Yes. The highest level you reached is kept in your browser, and you can go back to any earlier level with the arrows.
