Level 10 · Watermelon Popsicle

Watermelon Popsicle is level 10 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 496 blocks in 10 colors, the tray holds 27 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Hard.

Difficulty

Hard

Blocks

496

Colors

10

Ant boxes

27

Mechanics

3 chained pair(s) · 2 golden key(s) · Ice · Mystery boxes

Like this pixel picture? BitBead can turn it into a printable fuse bead pattern.

Play level 10

About the dish

A watermelon ice pop: red 'flesh' with chocolate seeds, a pale green band and a green rind, on a wooden stick.

How the picture comes apart

From the frame to the center the picture is 9 layers deep. The outer ring is mostly light blue and lavender, the middle band is mostly green and lime green, and the core is mostly deep pink and red. Ants can only reach the next layer once the one around it is gone, so the core colors are the last to become useful.

By block count the biggest colors are light blue, deep pink and lavender.

The 2 golden key(s) are buried in the middle band of the picture, so the locks they open come into play around the middle of the level.

26% of the blocks are frozen and take two bites each.

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 27 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 1 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: black (bites now), red (has to wait), lavender (has to wait) and lavender (has to wait).

Chained pairs start in column 1–2, row 3, column 2–3, row 4 and column 3–4, row 5.

Locked boxes start in column 4, row 3 and column 4, row 7.

1 mystery box(es) only show their color when they reach the front.

How the verified run plays out

The solution further down was played to the end in the real game, with ants walking and real timing. It takes 24 taps. The chart shows how many boxes were still parked in the 5 slots, waiting for their color, just before each tap.

Opening (taps 1–9): 34% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 3 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 10–17): 42% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 0 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 18–24): 24% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 2 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

A key comes out before tap 10. A key comes out before tap 13. Chained pairs are taken at taps 9, 15 and 17.

How hard is it?

Two test players attempted this level many times: a cautious one that only sends colors it can use right away cleared it 5% of the time, and a look-ahead one that tries each option before committing cleared it 33% of the time. Most of their failed attempts jammed in the opening.

Strategy

Check the colors of the first three boxes in each column and compare them with the colors exposed on the outer ring of the picture. Always keep one slot free to catch a color that can't be eaten yet.

Keys are buried in the picture and must be dug out to open the locks in the tray. Prioritize colors that eat around the keys so locked boxes don't block the front row for long.

Ice blocks take two bites, so one block uses two ants. Icy areas are eaten slowly and the matching boxes stay in their slots a little longer.

Chained boxes need both halves in the front row and two free slots. Take the boxes in front of them first and free two neighboring slots in advance.

Mystery boxes show their color only when they reach the front. When you see one coming, don't fill every slot; leave room for it.

Strategy guide: reading the tray and keeping the nest clear · Chained boxes · Locks and golden keys · Ice blocks

Step-by-step solution

This order of taps is verified to clear the level. Columns are numbered 1–4 from the left; after each tap, wait until the ants are out before the next one. Two boxes shown together are a chained pair taken in one tap.

Level 10 questions