diff --git a/2022/day13.py b/2022/day13.py
index df5c21f..d717412 100644
--- a/2022/day13.py
+++ b/2022/day13.py
@@ -10,37 +10,25 @@ pairs = [tuple(json.loads(p) for p in block.split("\n")) for block in blocks]
 
 
 def compare(lhs: list[int | list], rhs: list[int | list]) -> int:
-    if len(lhs) != len(rhs):
-        m = min(len(lhs), len(rhs))
-        r = compare(lhs[:m], rhs[:m])
 
-        if r != 0:
-            return r
+    for lhs_a, rhs_a in zip(lhs, rhs):
+        if isinstance(lhs_a, int) and isinstance(rhs_a, int):
+            if lhs_a != rhs_a:
+                return rhs_a - lhs_a
         else:
-            return 1 if len(rhs) > len(lhs) else -1
-    else:
-        for lhs_a, rhs_a in zip(lhs, rhs):
-            if isinstance(lhs_a, int) and isinstance(rhs_a, int):
-                if lhs_a != rhs_a:
-                    return 1 if rhs_a > lhs_a else -1
-            elif isinstance(lhs_a, list) and isinstance(rhs_a, list):
-                r = compare(lhs_a, rhs_a)
-                if r != 0:
-                    return r
-            else:
-                if not isinstance(lhs_a, list):
-                    lhs_a = [lhs_a]
-                else:
-                    assert isinstance(rhs_a, int)
-                    rhs_a = [rhs_a]
-                assert isinstance(rhs_a, list)
-                r = compare(lhs_a, rhs_a)
-                if r != 0:
-                    return r
-        return 0
+            if not isinstance(lhs_a, list):
+                lhs_a = [lhs_a]
+            elif not isinstance(rhs_a, list):
+                rhs_a = [rhs_a]
+            assert isinstance(rhs_a, list) and isinstance(lhs_a, list)
+            r = compare(lhs_a, rhs_a)
+            if r != 0:
+                return r
+
+    return len(rhs) - len(lhs)
 
 
-answer_1 = sum(i + 1 for i, (lhs, rhs) in enumerate(pairs) if compare(lhs, rhs) == 1)
+answer_1 = sum(i + 1 for i, (lhs, rhs) in enumerate(pairs) if compare(lhs, rhs) > 0)
 print(f"answer_1 is {answer_1}")
 
 dividers = [[[2]], [[6]]]