--- 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 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 --- # Sorting and ordering id: puzzle--family-sorting type: mechanic key: mechanic/puzzle--family-sorting lang: en status: active url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/puzzle--family-sorting/ The player arranges objects by a required property using limited moves and temporary storage. ## At a glance ![Container shapes and heights suggest an order](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/adventure-little-to-left-03.webp) [A Little to the Left](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1629520/) · Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Publisher-distributed Steam screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0. 1. Object properties suggest a sorting criterion - Provide distinguishable attributes and consistent rearrangement limits. - [A Little to the Left](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1629520/) ## How it works Achieve a given distribution through constrained operations and buffers. ## Variants ### Variants and applications - Sorting by containers. Definition: Distribute elements according to characteristics with limited capacity of containers. Conditional example: Arrange balls by color. Terms: ball sort. - 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. - Stack sorting. Definition: Rearrange the order, having access only to the tops of the stacks. Conditional example: Rearrange books through one spare shelf. - Sorting through queues. Definition: Rearrange the order through operations with the beginning and end of queues. Conditional example: Divert cars through dead-end branches. - Order by neighboring exchanges. Definition: Restore the sequence by changing only adjacent elements. Conditional example: Arrange numbers in ascending order. - Order by dependency. Definition: Arrange elements with the conditions “earlier”, “later”, “between”. Conditional example: Determine the order of five operations. - 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. - Hidden classification. Definition: Find the principle of dividing a set into groups. Conditional example: Combine words according to non-obvious meanings. - Sorting by several criteria. Definition: Satisfy different distribution criteria at the same time. Conditional example: Arrange parts according to shape and material. ## Context and limits 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. ## Connected materials ## Sources and 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. - [A Little to the Left](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1629520/) (id: source-95d2f8a833d53db8) CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors