How to Play Sortcery — Full Rules & Strategy Guide

Sortcery is a free daily puzzle that layers two mechanics on each other: grouping and ordering. If you have played Connections you already understand half of Sortcery. The other half — ordering each group — is what makes Sortcery feel different.

The setup

Each daily Sortcery puzzle gives you sixteen items in a four-by-four grid. Four hidden categories each contain four items, and within each category there is a specific correct order. The category labels stay hidden, so you have to infer both what links the items and how to sort them.

How to play step by step

1. Find a group. Select four items you think belong to the same category and submit.
2. Confirm or retry. If wrong, the items unlock; if right, they enter sort mode.
3. Sort the group. Drag items into the correct order.
4. Continue with the remaining three groups until all four are sorted correctly.

Common sort criteria

The sort criterion changes from set to set. Watch for:

• Chronological — invented, born, or released earliest to latest
• Size — smallest to largest
• Intensity — mildest to strongest (spice, brightness, volume, etc.)
• Frequency — rarest to most common
• Logical sequence — life stages, recipe steps, or alphabetical order

Strategy

• Solve the most obvious group first. It thins the field and helps you see the others.
• When two items obviously go together but the third is unclear, scan the harder-to-categorize tiles for the missing one.
• For ordering, anchor at the most extreme item — biggest, oldest, or first.
• If you cannot decide between two interpretations of a group, lock in your best guess. Sortcery is forgiving.

Play today's puzzle: /daily/sortcery.