Sorta Game — the daily ordering puzzle

Sorta Game puzzle #37 · August 16, 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.

1. Round 1

   Order these entities by the typical quantity of their primary constituent parts (such as levers, buttons, or individual islands), from fewest to most.

   • A standard full-size acoustic piano
   • A standard full-size Windows computer typing peripheral
   • A traditional manual typewriter
   • A standard modern flute
   • The coral cay archipelago extending southwest from the Florida peninsula

2. Round 2

   Order these historical breakthroughs, figures, and devices from their earliest to most recent origin or birth year.

   • The American lawyer who penned the lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner"
   • The Apple computer modifier button that frequently features a cloverleaf symbol
   • The transmission lever used by operators to tap out Morse code
   • The RSA public-private algorithm for secure data encryption
   • The granodiorite stele used to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs

3. Round 3

   Order these physical objects or spatial features by their typical length, from shortest to longest.

   • The painted rectangular restricted area under a regulation basketball hoop
   • The central wedge-shaped stone at the apex of a masonry arch
   • A standard brass tool cut to unlock a typical front door
   • A standard whole specimen of the small, tart citrus fruit famously used to bake a signature regional pie
   • A standard credit-card-sized magnetic hotel room entry card

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