Identify whether the current desk wants container sorting, a neat photographed layout, or a reconstructed broken object before moving pieces.
The full release confirms three broad order structures: labeled-container sorting, knolling, and jigsaw reconstruction. Read the note and inspect the desk before acting, because a tidy row is the goal in one order while filling boxes is the goal in another.
Labeled-container sorting
These orders provide containers and a rule such as material, color, size, shape, or another visible category. The labels are part of the answer. The launch changes say color labels now print in the color they represent and include icons of what belongs inside, replacing an earlier warm/cool distinction that players found unclear.
Group only obvious matches into piles, then drop a confirmed pile over its box. Keep ambiguous items separate until the labels and remaining set make the relationship clear. The developer's demo notes specifically mention shell orders by color, size, and shape, but that is evidence of supported rule families—not a complete list of every live order.
Knolling orders
Knolling does not use the normal “everything into a box” finish. The official full-version notes say these orders ask you to lay all objects out in neat rows, after which the result is photographed for the album. Start by separating objects into visual families, then align each family consistently. Do not hide a difficult piece inside a container just because a sorting order used boxes on the previous day.
Jigsaw orders
Jigsaw orders present torn or broken things that need to be reconstructed. Place a piece near the position where edges and image details align. The developer says a correctly placed piece sticks and waits for the rest of the set. That visible “stick” is the success signal; if a piece still moves freely, it is not confirmed.
Avoid forcing an unverified rotation or exact arrangement from a demo video. The full game has new and changed orders, and the store does not publish a universal solution sheet. Work from matching contours and the live placement feedback.
How to recover when the type is unclear
Re-read the client note, look for labeled boxes, and check whether the interface is waiting for a photograph or a reconstructed set. Use Spread Out only to expose buried pieces; it does not change the order type. For grouped movement in a standard order, use piles and Spread Out. For an old video that does not match the desk, check demo versus full game.
Sources
QUICK ANSWERS
Questions players ask next
What is a knolling order in The Sorting Bureau?
It asks you to lay objects out in neat rows rather than place them in boxes; the finished arrangement is photographed for the album.
How do jigsaw orders work?
They use torn or broken objects. The official notes say a correctly placed piece sticks in position and waits for the rest of the set.
Are all orders color sorting?
No. Official material also describes sorting by size or shape, container-based categories, knolling, and jigsaw reconstruction.
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