How to play water sort: rules, empty bottles and getting unstuck
Bottle Harmony is a water sort and color sorting puzzle. Tap the source bottle, then the receiving bottle, to bring matching colors together. There is no countdown, so you can plan each pour at your own pace.
Three rules for a legal pour
- The receiving bottle must be empty, or its top color must match the color you are pouring.
- The receiving bottle needs room. A full bottle cannot accept more water.
- A pour moves the continuous top run of one color, stopping when that run ends or the receiving bottle fills. You cannot take a color from under another layer.
A complete example in three moves
This is an independent teaching example, not a numbered game level. Red and blue each have four portions; each of the three bottles holds four portions.
1 Red2 Blue
Starting board
A has blue on top, B has red on top, and C is empty.
01 · A → C
Tap A, then C. The two blue portions on top of A move together into C, exposing the red below.
02 · B → A
Tap B, then A. Their top colors match, and A has two spaces. The two red portions from B fill A with red.
03 · C → B
Tap C, then B. Move the two blue portions into B. A is all red, B is all blue, and C is empty: the puzzle is solved.
How to use an empty bottle
Treat empty space as a place to work, not something to fill immediately. Before pouring, check which color the move will uncover and where that color can go next. Compare two possible moves instead of using the first match you see.
What if you get stuck?
Stop and look at the top colors and available space. Undo a recent move to try a different order, or restart the current level to reconsider the opening. Undo and restart are free. Filling every spare space can leave fewer options, even when the previous move was legal.
One-step hints or a full solution?
Bottle Harmony offers one-step hints for the current board, rather than a published full walkthrough. The first successful hint on each new classic puzzle is free; further hints use credits, while classic Premium includes unlimited one-step hints. Replay hints are free. A walkthrough from another app may not match your board or its rules.
Can I play offline without ads?
Installed levels work offline and the game has no ads or countdown. Downloads, purchases and restoring purchases need an internet connection. Progress and preferences are saved on your device; restoring a purchase does not recover deleted progress or move it to another device.