Level 12 · Salmon Nigiri

Salmon Nigiri is level 12 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 516 blocks in 9 colors, the tray holds 31 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Advanced.

Difficulty

Advanced

Blocks

516

Colors

9

Ant boxes

31

Mechanics

2 chained pair(s) · 1 golden key(s) · Ice · Spider web (36 bites) · Mystery boxes

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

Play level 12

About the dish

Two pieces of salmon nigiri: hand-pressed rice topped with salmon and tied with a band of nori, served on a plate with a dab of wasabi.

How the picture comes apart

From the frame to the center the picture is 10 layers deep. The outer ring is mostly blue and grey, the middle band is mostly grey and red, and the core is mostly red 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 blue, grey and white.

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

The spider web covers 20 cells in the core of the picture and needs 36 bites from soldier ants.

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

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 31 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 2 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: lavender (bites now), red (has to wait), grey (has to wait) and lavender (bites now).

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

Locked boxes start in column 2, row 7.

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

3 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 29 taps. The chart shows how many boxes were still parked in the 5 slots, waiting for their color, just before each tap.

Opening (taps 1–8): 35% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 3 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 9–22): 32% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 23–29): 33% 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 13. The web breaks before tap 21. Chained pairs are taken at taps 3 and 16.

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 7% of the time, and a look-ahead one that tries each option before committing cleared it 57% 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.

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.

Chained boxes · Locks and golden keys · Ice blocks · Spider webs and soldier ants

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 12 questions