Hexa Sort

My Experience with Hexa Sort

My roommate Sarah kept playing this game on her phone during lectures, and she finally convinced me to try it. I downloaded it on a Tuesday night when I was procrastinating on an essay. I figured it would be a basic time-waster, but I got hooked fast. For the last few months, it’s been my go-to for short breaks. I’ll play a level or two while waiting for my coffee in the morning or during the 15-minute bus ride to campus. The puzzles start super easy, lulling you into a false sense of security, but by level 30 or so, you really have to stop and think. I remember one level, I think it was 72, that had me stuck for days. I’d try it on the bus, fail, close the app in frustration, and then open it again later because I couldn’t stop thinking about the solution. Finally solving it felt like a genuine accomplishment, which is more than I can say for most free mobile games.

Features Worth Noting

The best thing about Hexa Sort is how simple and stress-free it is. There are no timers counting down or a limit on how many moves you can make. You can just sit and stare at the tubes, planning your next five moves without any pressure. I love that. The haptic feedback on my OnePlus 11 is really satisfying—every time you move a block, you get a little tap, which makes the whole process feel more deliberate. The colors are bright and distinct, which is important when you’re trying to tell similar shades apart. They also slowly add new twists, like blocks that are locked and need a matching color placed on top to free them. It keeps the game from getting stale. The interface is super clean with no clutter, so you just jump right into the puzzles.

What Needs Work

My main gripe is the ads. They pop up after you finish a level, which is fair for a free game, but sometimes they’re 30 seconds long and unskippable. It really kills the flow when you’re in a puzzle-solving groove. I’ve also had the game bug out on me maybe three times total. Once, the screen just froze mid-move and I had to force close the app and restart the level, losing my progress. It was annoying, especially because I was sure I had finally figured out that particular puzzle. While I love the new level packs they add, some of the later puzzles do start to feel a bit samey. The challenge is still there, but the visual theme doesn’t change much.

Pricing

It’s completely free to download and play all the core puzzles, which is huge for me as a student. The ads are the trade-off. They do offer a one-time purchase to remove ads permanently, and I’ve been seriously considering it because I play so much. There are also optional buys for hints or coin bundles, but I’ve never felt forced to get them. You can absolutely finish every puzzle without spending a cent, which is how it should be. The value for a free game is honestly great.

Developer Notes

I had one issue where my progress didn’t sync after I got a phone update. I emailed support not really expecting a reply. It took about four days, but they did get back to me with clear steps to fix it, which worked. So they are helpful, just not super fast. I’ve also noticed they drop big updates with new levels every couple of months. Seeing that “100 New Puzzles!” notification is always a nice surprise and shows they’re still putting work into the game long after release.

Security & Privacy

I got it from the Play Store like everyone else. The privacy policy says it collects some data for the ads you see, which is pretty standard for any free app. I haven’t noticed anything weird with my phone or account since installing it. The permissions it asks for seem reasonable for a game. I don’t feel sketched out by it, but I’m also not putting any personal info into the app.