About Shelf Sort
Shelf Sort is a stockroom tidying puzzle. The shelves are loaded with a jumble of goods: apples, milk cartons, cookies, cheese wedges, teacups, gift boxes and more. Each shelf has three slots at the front. Get three of the same item onto one shelf and they get packed away. Clear every shelf before the clock runs out and you move on to the next level.
What makes it more than a simple matching game is that shelves can be deep. From level 3 onward, many shelves have one or two more rows waiting behind the front row. You can see the next row as small, dimmed items on the back board, with a +1 or +2 badge showing how many rows are waiting. When all three front slots of a shelf are empty, the row behind steps forward. Clearing a shelf’s front row can bring out exactly the item you need, or it can flood the shelf with three new problems.
A few specifics of our version:
- 20 kinds of goods, all drawn by us as simple shapes, so they stay readable even on a small phone screen.
- Levels grow gradually. Level 1 has 6 shelves, 4 sets of three to pack and 86 seconds on the clock. Every three levels add two more shelves, up to 12. The number of different goods grows too, from 4 kinds at the start to all 20 in the high levels.
- Every level is checked before you see it. Our level generator deals a layout, and a solver then has to clear that exact layout using only legal moves. If it can’t, the layout is thrown away and a new one is dealt. If a full-size layout won’t come out, the generator deals one with a couple fewer sets (and a shorter clock) instead. You will never get a level that can’t be won.
- Your progress is saved. The level you’re on and your best level are stored in your browser, so you can pick up where you left off.
How to play
Moving goods. Tap an item to pick it up (it lifts and its slot glows), then tap any other shelf with a free slot. Tap a specific free slot and the item goes there; otherwise it takes the first free one. You can also drag an item onto a shelf. Only front-row items can move.
Packing. As soon as a shelf’s front row holds three identical items, they pop and are packed away. The “To pack” counter at the top shows how many sets of three are left.
Back rows. When a shelf’s front row is completely empty and there is a row behind it, that row steps forward. You can’t pull items from a back row directly; you have to empty the front first.
The clock. Each level gives you 50 seconds plus 9 seconds for every set to pack. The bar under the stats drains as time runs out, and the timer turns red in the last ten seconds.
Getting stuck. If every front slot on every shelf is full, you can’t move anything. You get one Shuffle per level. It gathers every item still on the shelves and re-deals them into a layout our solver has confirmed can be finished. If the shelves were completely jammed, the shuffle also packs one set for you so there is room to work. You can press Shuffle at any time, not only when you’re stuck.
Winning and losing. Clear all the goods to win and unlock the next level. If the timer reaches zero, or you’re stuck with no shuffle left, the level ends. “Play again” deals a fresh layout of the same level.
How the levels grow
| Level | Shelves | Rows per shelf | Sets to pack | Clock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1:26 |
| 3 | 6 | up to 2 | up to 6 | up to 1:44 |
| 5 | 8 | up to 2 | up to 8 | up to 2:02 |
| 10 | 12 | up to 3 | up to 13 | up to 2:47 |
| 20 | 12 | up to 3 | up to 23 | up to 4:17 |
“Up to” is there because a layout that would be too tight to finish gets dealt with fewer sets and a matching shorter clock.
Strategy tips
1. Look for twos before you move anything
The fastest pack is a shelf that already holds two of the same item and a free slot. Scan for those first and bring the third item over. Each pack frees three slots at once.
2. Don’t break up a pair
If a shelf holds two matching items, leave them alone and move the third item to them, never the other way around. When we playtested, broken pairs were the most common reason for running out of space.
3. Empty shelves are worth a lot
A shelf with three free slots is your workspace. You can park items there while you build sets elsewhere. Try to keep at least one mostly empty shelf around, and don’t fill it with three different items unless you have to.
4. Clear shelves with back rows first
A shelf with a +1 or +2 badge is hiding goods. Emptying its front row brings the next row forward, which gives you more options. Peek at the dimmed items on the back board: if the row behind contains something you need, that shelf is a good target.
5. Watch what’s coming forward
The flip side: if a back row holds three different items you have no partners for yet, emptying that front row just adds three orphans. Sometimes it’s better to leave that shelf alone until more matches appear elsewhere.
6. Save the shuffle
The shuffle is a lifesaver when you’re stuck. Using it early to “fix” a messy board usually wastes it.
FAQ
Is every level really solvable?
Yes. Before a level appears, a solver has to finish that exact layout with legal moves. Layouts it can’t finish are never shown. The same check is applied to the layout a shuffle produces.
What happens when I lose a level?
Nothing is taken away. You replay the same level number with a new layout, and your saved progress stays where it was.
Can I start over from level 1?
Yes. When you return to the game, the start screen offers “Continue” and a “Start over from level 1” button.
Is there a limit to the number of levels?
No. Past level 30 the boards stay at their maximum size of 12 shelves and 20 kinds of goods, and every layout is still freshly dealt and checked.
