Level 112 · Firefly

Firefly is level 112 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 1292 blocks in 9 colors, the tray holds 68 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Hard.

Difficulty

Hard

Pacing

Hard middle

Blocks

1292

Colors

9

Ant boxes

68

Mechanics

7 chained pair(s) · 1 golden key(s) · Mystery boxes

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

Play level 112

About the dish

A firefly blinking in the summer grass at night, its tail glowing a cold yellow-green.

How the picture comes apart

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

The 1 golden key(s) are buried in the core of the picture, so the locks they open come into play late.

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 68 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 3 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: navy (bites now), lime green (has to wait), black (bites now) and navy (bites now).

Chained pairs start in column 1–2, row 7, column 1–2, row 10, column 2–3, row 9, column 3–4, row 7, column 3–4, row 8, column 3–4, row 11 and column 3–4, row 12.

Locked boxes start in column 3, row 17.

9 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 61 taps. The chart shows how many boxes were still parked in the 5 slots, waiting for their color, just before each tap.

Opening (taps 1–22): 34% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 2 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 23–38): 35% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 39–61): 30% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

A key comes out before tap 25. Chained pairs are taken at taps 22, 23, 29, 31, 33, 34 and 37.

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 37% of the time, and a look-ahead one that tries each option before committing cleared it 63% of the time. Most of their failed attempts jammed in the middle.

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.

The start is easy and the pressure builds in the middle. Use the calm opening to sort out the back rows and try to have two slots free before the middle phase.

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.

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 · 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 112 questions