Book Sort is a free bookshelf sorting game you play in the browser, with no download and no sign-up. A shelf of smiling books comes back jumbled, and you put it right one book at a time: drag a book out and drop it anywhere, or tap it and tap the spot it belongs in. Some shelves sort by the number on the spine, some by height alone with the spines left blank, and some alphabetically by author, where Bell, Bellamy and Bello sit side by side and the first letter is never enough. Every shelf shows a par, the exact fewest moves it can be sorted in, so three stars always means a perfect solve. There are 24 levels across the three kinds of shelf, plus a Daily Shelf that is the same for everyone each day. Undo is free, a bookworm helper cheers you on, and it plays just as well with a finger on a phone as with a mouse or the keyboard.
How to play Book Sort
- Read the line under the level name. It tells you what this shelf is sorted by: the number on the spine, the height of the book, or the author’s surname from A to Z.
- Drag a book out of the row and drop it where it belongs. An orange marker shows the exact spot it will land before you let go.
- Prefer tapping? Tap a book to lift it, then tap the spot it should go. Tap the lifted book again to put it back where it was.
- Each time a book lands somewhere new counts as one move. Putting a book back where it came from is free.
- On size levels the spines are blank. The book in your hand stays put and a dashed line marks its height, so anything poking above the line is taller.
- Beat the par shown at the top. Par is the exact fewest moves this shelf can be sorted in, and finishing on par earns three stars.
- Stuck? Hint lifts the next book of a perfect solution and points at the gap it goes in. Undo takes back a move for free.
- On a computer, use the arrow keys to pick a book, Space or Enter to lift and drop it, Z to undo and H for a hint.
Tips
- Before you move anything, find the longest set of books already in the right order relative to each other. Those books never need to move; every other book does, exactly once.
- That set does not have to sit side by side. On a shelf reading 3, 1, 4, 2, 5, the books 3, 4 and 5 are already in order, so only 1 and 2 need moving.
- Shelve the out-of-place books from smallest to largest. Each one then has settled neighbours to line up against.
- Watch the stars at the top while you play. They show the best you can still finish with, so a lost star tells you straight away that a move was wasted.
- On author levels read past the first letter: Bell comes before Bellamy, and Bellamy before Bello. The shortest name in a group goes first when the letters match.
- On size levels compare a book with its neighbours rather than the whole shelf, and use the dashed line on the book in your hand.
- Swapping two books looks like one action but costs two moves. If a shelf is nearly sorted, look for the single book that slides everything else into place.
- Hints are always right, but a shelf finished with a hint tops out at two stars. Undo is free, so try your own idea first.
FAQ
Is Book Sort free to play?
Yes. Book Sort runs in your web browser with no download, no sign-up and nothing to buy. All 24 levels and the Daily Shelf are free.
How do you play Book Sort?
Move one book at a time until the whole shelf is in order. Drag a book to its new spot, or tap it and then tap where it goes. Try to finish in the par number of moves shown at the top.
Can I play Book Sort on my phone?
Yes. The shelf is built for touch: drag books with your finger or tap to lift and drop them. It also works with a mouse, a trackpad or the keyboard.
How is par calculated?
Exactly, not by estimate. The fewest moves a shelf needs is the number of books minus the longest set already in order relative to each other, because every other book has to move once and moving just those is enough. The game works that out for every shelf.
What is the Daily Shelf?
A new shelf every day that is the same for everyone who plays it, so you can compare your moves with friends. It rotates between number, size and author shelves and keeps track of your daily streak.
Does undo cost a move?
No. Undo takes the move back and lowers your move count again, so experimenting never costs you a star. Only the moves left on the shelf when you finish count.
Why are some spines blank?
Those are the sort-by-size levels. A number on the spine would give the answer away, so the books carry nothing but their height. A dashed line shows the height of the book you are holding to help you compare.
Is Book Sort good for kids?
Yes. There is no timer and no way to fail a shelf, the early levels have only five books, and sorting by number, size and alphabetical order is good practice for young readers. Older players can chase three stars on the 12-book shelves.
How is this different from other book sorting games?
Many book sort apps ask you to group books by colour into containers. Book Sort is about order: one shelf, one row, and the puzzle is putting every book in its right place in the fewest moves.