Magic Sort level guide
Magic Sort Level 286 Walkthrough
Magic Sort Level 286 is a three-tier, twelve-bottle overflow board where every narrow mixed stack wears a dark "?" cap and six wide white magic bottles ring the perimeter — the whole run is popping eight "?" caps in the right order, then leaning on the six magic bottles as overflow until each one locks to a single trigger color and every mixed stack drains top-first.
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How to Solve Magic Sort Level 286 — Full Solution
- Tap both bottom-row empties as scratch flasks, then pop the top-row col-2 "?" cap by pouring red onto it — the hidden color drops into the stack (red / hidden / yellow).
- Pour red off the top-row col-2 stack into the bottom-right magic bottle (red marker); the magic pops its red marker and becomes the red overflow home.
- Pop the top-row col-3 "?" cap with pink — the hidden color drops into that stack (pink / hidden / dark / green).
- Pour pink off the top-row col-3 stack into the middle-left magic bottle (green marker); the magic pops its green marker and now primes itself for green.
- Peel the brown top off the middle-row col-2 mixer (brown / "?" / "?" / purple) into a bottom scratch flask, then pour that brown into the bottom-left magic bottle (red marker) so the bottom-left magic becomes the brown overflow home.
- Pop the middle-row col-2 "?" caps one at a time — pour the trigger color in, route the newly revealed color into the next open scratch slot, then direct the bottom purple segment onto the middle-left magic bottle (green marker) so it locks to purple + green for the final two lanes.
- Repeat the same peel-and-pop sequence on the middle-row col-3 mixer (pink / "?" / "?" / red) — pour pink into the top-left magic bottle (red marker) to lock that magic to pink, then route the bottom red segment into the bottom-row col-2 scratch flask so the second red lane is ready to fill.
- Drain every remaining top and middle mixed stack top-first into the now-locked magic bottles and the two scratch slots, popping any "?" caps that surface, until all twelve positions are single-color with no mixed segments left.
Colors in this level:
Red, Pink, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Brown, Cyan, Orange
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Pouring blue into the middle-row right-edge magic bottle (purple marker) instead of the top-row right-edge magic bottle (blue marker) — once two colors mix inside a magic, that overflow channel is gone and the blue lane has no home.
- Popping the lower "?" cap on a middle-row double stack before the upper cap is resolved, which strands the second hidden color on top of an unfinished stack and burns the move that was meant to land the bottom segment.
- Leaving color in the two bottom-row scratch flasks while a magic bottle still has an open trigger slot — the scratch flasks are temporary, and holding color in them while a magic needs to be locked strands the magic's trigger color in the wrong place.
Quick Tips for Magic Sort Level 286 (spoiler-free)
- Reserve the green-marker magic exclusively for green and purple, the red-marker mags exclusively for red and brown, the blue-marker mag exclusively for blue, and the purple-marker mag exclusively for pink — mixing colors inside a magic locks it.
- Pop the top-row "?" caps before the middle-row double-stacked "?" caps, because popping the lower cap on a middle-row stack strands the upper hidden color on top of an unfinished stack.
- The two bottom-row empties are scratch slots, not homes — drain them the moment a "?" pop opens a real lane so the empties stay available for the next cap.
Board notes 5 details
- Layout
- A three-tier board that resolves to four columns wide and twelve bottle positions. The leftmost and rightmost columns are both fully populated by six tall wide white/pink magic bottles (one in each corner and one in the middle of each row), each topped with a small "?" cap carrying a tiny color marker (red, green, red down the left edge and blue, purple, red down the right edge). The middle two slots of the top row are two narrow mixed bottles: a three-stack (red / "?" cap / yellow) and a four-stack (pink / "?" cap / dark / green), each hiding one extra color under the dark "?" cap. The middle two slots of the middle row are also two narrow mixed bottles, each topped with TWO dark "?" caps: brown / "?" / "?" / purple on the left, and pink / "?" / "?" / red on the right. The middle two slots of the bottom row are two transparent empties, the only scratch space on the entire board.
- Goal
- Pop all eight "?" caps on the four narrow mixed bottles in an order that never strands a hidden color on top of an unfinished stack, then route each magic-bottle trigger color (red, green, blue, purple, red, red) into its matching wide white magic so all six magic bottles resolve into narrow single-color homes. After every "?" cap has popped and every magic bottle is locked, drain the remaining mixed stacks top-first into the magic homes and the two bottom-row scratch slots.
- Opening
- Tap both bottom-row empties as scratch flasks, then pop the top-row col-2 "?" cap by pouring red onto it and route the revealed hidden color into the bottom-right magic bottle (red marker) so that magic locks to red. Pop the top-row col-3 "?" cap with pink and pour that pink into the middle-left magic bottle (green marker) so it primes for green. Peel the brown top off the middle-row col-2 mixer (brown / "?" / "?" / purple) into a bottom scratch flask, then pour that brown into the bottom-left magic bottle (red marker) to convert it into the brown overflow home.
- Danger Zone
- Mixing two different colors into any one of the six wide white magic bottles locks it permanently, and there is no undo inside the level. The right-edge col-4 magic bottles in the top and middle rows look interchangeable, but the top one is the only safe destination for blue and the middle one is the only safe destination for purple. Pour blue into the purple magic and the purple lane is gone for the rest of the run. The middle-row "?" caps are stacked two-high, so popping the top cap before the bottom color is sorted strands the second hidden color on top of an unfinished stack.
- Mechanics
- A six-magic-bottle overflow board with eight "?" caps on four mixed stacks. Six wide white/pink magic bottles ring the perimeter (corners + middle of each row) and the middle-row mixed bottles each carry a double-stacked "?" cap that hides two extra colors apiece. Only two transparent empties sit in the bottom row, so every pour that is not a "?" pop is fighting for one of those two scratch slots. The magic bottles start wide with a tiny color marker on top. Pour the matching trigger color and the marker pops, the bottle resolves into a regular narrow column, and that magic home is permanently locked to that single color.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pop the dark "?" caps on the mixed bottles in Magic Sort Level 286?
Each "?" cap pops when you pour its trigger color on top of it — the cap flies off and the hidden color drops into the stack beneath. For the top-row single caps, the trigger is the visible top color of that stack (red for col-2, pink for col-3). For the middle-row double caps, you pop the top cap with the visible top color and then pop the lower cap with whatever color is now exposed on top of the stack.
Why do the six wide white magic bottles need different trigger colors in Level 286?
Each magic bottle starts with a tiny color marker on top that names the single color it can absorb — pour that color in and the bottle resolves into a regular narrow column locked to that color forever. Pour any other color and the bottle refuses, or worse, mixes two colors and locks with both trapped inside. The right edge top magic is the only safe home for blue, the middle right magic is the only safe home for purple, and the left edge mags carry the red / green / brown lanes.