Level 115 · Moth

Moth is level 115 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 1292 blocks in 8 colors, the tray holds 65 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Expert.

Difficulty

Expert

Pacing

Hard middle

Blocks

1292

Colors

8

Ant boxes

65

Mechanics

5 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 115

About the dish

A moth that circles the lamp at night. The eye-like spots on its wings are there to scare off predators.

How the picture comes apart

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

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

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 65 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 2 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: gold (has to wait), gold (has to wait), dark red (bites now) and navy (bites now).

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

Locked boxes start in column 4, row 9.

13 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 60 taps. The chart shows how many boxes were still parked in the 5 slots, waiting for their color, just before each tap.

Opening (taps 1–14): 34% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 2 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 15–34): 34% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 35–60): 32% 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 8. Chained pairs are taken at taps 27, 33, 34, 35 and 41.

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 24% of the time, and a look-ahead one that tries each option before committing cleared it 75% 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 115 questions