Sorta Game — the daily ordering puzzle
Put the world in order… sorta.
Three quiet rounds, five things each, and one hidden way to arrange them. Trust your instinct and see how close your order comes to the truth.
Sorta Game puzzle #16 · July 26, 2026
Three rounds of five things, each with a hidden scale to sort them by — then one last guess at the theme tying all three together. Here’s what this puzzle asks.
Round 1
Order these from lowest to highest total physical or chemical capacity to do work (measured in joules or calories).
- A standard stick of dynamite
- One liquid gallon of regular gasoline
- One gram of Uranium-235 (undergoing fission)
- A typical fast-food burger
- A standard AA alkaline battery
Round 2
Order these from lowest to highest average operating wattage (rate of doing work).
- A typical digital wristwatch
- A commercial diesel freight locomotive
- A resting human brain
- A commercial passenger elevator in motion
- A standard household toaster
Round 3
Order these from lowest to highest percentage of their input source converted into their primary intended output.
- Photosynthesis in a typical green leaf
- A traditional incandescent lightbulb
- A modern coal-fired power plant
- A large electrical power grid transformer
- A modern electric vehicle motor