Water sort looks the same on level 1 and level 300: tubes, colors, pour. What changes is how much you have to keep in your head. Here's how Pourfold's levels grow, why each one can be solved, and how to play comfortably if you find some colors hard to tell apart.
How levels get harder
Every level has a number of colors, four layers of each, and two empty tubes to work with. As you progress:
- Levels 1 and 2 use 3 colors, so you learn the rule.
- The color count grows steadily, one color every so often, up to 12 colors on the biggest boards.
- With more colors there are more tubes, more mixed layers, and longer chains of moves to plan.
Boards are dealt so that no tube starts finished and no tube starts with three of one color in a row, which keeps every level a real puzzle.
Every level is checked
Each Pourfold level is dealt from its own fixed number (a seed) and then checked by a solver before it's shown. If the solver can't find a way through, the board is thrown away and another is dealt. Two things follow:
- Every level can be solved. If you're stuck, a different order of moves works.
- Everyone plays the same level 57. You can compare notes with a friend.
Playing with color blindness
Many players find some pairs of colors hard to tell apart, for example red and green, or blue and purple. Water sort depends on telling colors apart at a glance, so Pourfold has a setting for it.
Turn on Color-blind shapes in Settings and every color gets its own white symbol: a circle, square, triangle, diamond, ring, cross, star and so on. Two layers match only when both the color and the shape match, so you can play by shape alone if you prefer.
A few more things help:
- Dark theme makes the bright colors stand out more for some people.
- Large tubes on tablets give each layer more room.
- Screen reader support: each tube is read out with its colors from bottom to top, and whether it's finished.
Pace yourself
There's no timer and no lives in Pourfold, so harder levels are about patience, not speed. If a level is taking a while, step away and come back; your progress is saved.
For strategy on the big boards, read our water sort tips, and if you're new, start with how to play water sort.
