{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/puzzle--family-sorting","type":"mechanic","id":"puzzle--family-sorting","lang":"en","title":"Sorting and ordering","summary":"The player arranges objects by a required property using limited moves and temporary storage.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/puzzle--family-sorting/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/puzzle--family-sorting.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/puzzle--family-sorting.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Puzzles","Mechanics catalog"],"sourceIds":["source-95d2f8a833d53db8"],"sources":[{"id":"source-95d2f8a833d53db8","title":"A Little to the Left","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/1629520/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"Achieve a given distribution through constrained operations and buffers."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants and applications\n\n<a id=\"family-sorting-variants\"></a>\n\n- Sorting by containers. Definition: Distribute elements according to characteristics with limited capacity of containers. Conditional example: Arrange balls by color. Terms: ball sort. <a id=\"variant-container-sort\"></a>\n- Layer-by-layer transfusion. Definition: Transfer the available top layer, taking into account compatibility and free volume. Conditional example: Collect each color in a separate flask. Terms: water sort. <a id=\"variant-liquid-sort\"></a>\n- Stack sorting. Definition: Rearrange the order, having access only to the tops of the stacks. Conditional example: Rearrange books through one spare shelf. <a id=\"variant-stack-sort\"></a>\n- Sorting through queues. Definition: Rearrange the order through operations with the beginning and end of queues. Conditional example: Divert cars through dead-end branches. <a id=\"variant-queue-sort\"></a>\n- Order by neighboring exchanges. Definition: Restore the sequence by changing only adjacent elements. Conditional example: Arrange numbers in ascending order. <a id=\"variant-adjacent-sort\"></a>\n- Order by dependency. Definition: Arrange elements with the conditions “earlier”, “later”, “between”. Conditional example: Determine the order of five operations. <a id=\"variant-precedence-order\"></a>\n- Nesting by size. Definition: Move nested or composed elements, respecting the order of sizes. Conventional example: Move a tower of disks to another rod. Terms: Tower of Hanoi. <a id=\"variant-nesting-order\"></a>\n- Hidden classification. Definition: Find the principle of dividing a set into groups. Conditional example: Combine words according to non-obvious meanings. <a id=\"variant-category-discovery\"></a>\n- Sorting by several criteria. Definition: Satisfy different distribution criteria at the same time. Conditional example: Arrange parts according to shape and material. <a id=\"variant-multi-attribute-sort\"></a>"},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"A wide catalog of mechanics for digital puzzles, paper logic problems and physical puzzles. Each position contains an action or rule and a conditional example of application."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"puzzle","id":"family-sorting","title":"Puzzles","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/puzzle/#family-sorting","categoryIds":["section-1"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Sorting and ordering","description":"The player arranges objects by a required property using limited moves and temporary storage.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/adventure-little-to-left-03.webp","width":1440,"height":810,"game":"A Little to the Left","sourceUrl":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/1629520/","originalUrl":"https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1629520/ss_fd61e2eff377c9ecae9ea5ade13876d88eef9e47.1920x1080.jpg?t=1791454263","credit":"Max Inferno / Secret Mode","rights":"Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Publisher-distributed Steam screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.","caption":"Container shapes and heights suggest an order","alt":"Container shapes and heights suggest an order","markers":[{"x":52,"y":63,"label":"Object properties suggest a sorting criterion"}]},"tips":["Provide distinguishable attributes and consistent rearrangement limits."],"examples":[{"title":"A Little to the Left","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/1629520/"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/puzzle"}}