Level 111 · Longhorn Beetle

Longhorn Beetle is level 111 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 1292 blocks in 5 colors, the tray holds 96 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Expert.

Difficulty

Expert

Pacing

Hard ending

Blocks

1292

Colors

5

Ant boxes

96

Mechanics

7 chained pair(s) · 1 golden key(s) · Ice · Spider web (54 bites) · Mystery boxes · 2 noodle(s)

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

Play level 111

About the dish

A black longhorn beetle with white spots and jointed antennae longer than its body.

How the picture comes apart

From the frame to the center the picture is 18 layers deep. The outer ring is mostly tan and dark brown, the middle band is mostly tan and black, and the core is mostly black and white. 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 tan, black and dark brown.

The 1 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.

The spider web covers 30 cells in the middle band of the picture and needs 54 bites from soldier ants.

12% of the blocks are frozen and take two bites each.

2 noodle(s) run through the picture, 94 cells in all. They can only be slurped from their ends, so they act as walls until an end is free and as tunnels after that.

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 96 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 1 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: green (has to wait), dark brown (has to wait), tan (bites now) and green (has to wait).

Chained pairs start in column 1–2, row 16, column 1–2, row 20, column 1–2, row 21, column 1–2, row 23, column 1–2, row 24, column 3–4, row 22 and column 3–4, row 24.

Locked boxes start in column 3, row 19.

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

5 soldier box(es) carry the bites for the web.

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 89 taps. The chart shows how many boxes were still parked in the 5 slots, waiting for their color, just before each tap.

Opening (taps 1–32): 35% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 3 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 33–69): 34% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 2 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 70–89): 31% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 1 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

A key comes out before tap 76. The web breaks before tap 21. Chained pairs are taken at taps 61, 70, 79, 83, 86, 88 and 89.

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 36% of the time, and a look-ahead one that tries each option before committing cleared it 100% 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.

This level tightens toward the end and the last third jams most easily. Don't fill all five slots early; keep room for the inner colors that appear layer by layer at the finish.

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.

Nothing under the spider web can be eaten. Wait until the edge of the web is exposed before sending the soldier box (the leafy green one), or it just occupies a slot.

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.

Noodles are eaten only from an end with a white dot, never from the middle. Look for ends that are already free or about to be: slurping one opens a tunnel straight into the picture and can uncover inner colours early. A noodle with both ends buried is a wall until you dig to one of its ends.

Strategy guide: reading the tray and keeping the nest clear · Chained boxes · Locks and golden keys · Ice blocks · Spider webs and soldier ants · Noodles · Difficulty curves

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 111 questions