What should you do first in Magic Sort Level 23?

Start in the colored middle and ignore the shell bottles until the first standard bottle can finish on the next move.

What usually goes wrong in Magic Sort Level 23?

The board loses shape if both shell sides are opened while the colored middle is still asking for the same lower lane.

Magic Sort level guide

medium Target: 15 moves 5 colors

Magic Sort Level 23 scatters shell bottles on both tiers, so the board only stabilizes after the colored middle section wins one anchor bottle.

Layout: Two shell bottles sit high on the right, three more shell bottles line the lower left, and the colored center bottles carry almost all the real traffic.
Goal: Clear the middle colored chain until one standard bottle can anchor both shell sides.
Opening: Start in the colored middle and ignore the shell bottles until the first standard bottle can finish on the next move.
Danger Zone: The board loses shape if both shell sides are opened while the colored middle is still asking for the same lower lane.
Mechanics: This level stops being generic when you notice this: Two shell bottles sit high on the right, three more shell bottles line the lower left, and the colored center bottles carry almost all the real traffic. Clear the middle colored chain until one standard bottle can anchor both shell sides.

Do this before anything else: Clear the middle colored chain until one standard bottle can anchor both shell sides.
Best opening line: Start in the colored middle and ignore the shell bottles until the first standard bottle can finish on the next move.
The board goes wrong when: Opening shell bottles on both sides before the middle has an anchor.

Start in the colored middle and ignore the shell bottles until the first standard bottle can finish on the next move.
Use that anchor bottle to absorb one shell-side spill, then reopen the middle again before touching the opposite shell side.
Do not drift into side cleanup yet: Clear the middle colored chain until one standard bottle can anchor both shell sides.
Wrap up the board by keeping this failure state out: Opening shell bottles on both sides before the middle has an anchor.

Colors in this level:

Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, Purple

What should you do first in Magic Sort Level 23?
Start in the colored middle and ignore the shell bottles until the first standard bottle can finish on the next move.
What usually goes wrong in Magic Sort Level 23?
The board loses shape if both shell sides are opened while the colored middle is still asking for the same lower lane.