Level 142 · River Shrimp

River Shrimp is level 142 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 1292 blocks in 7 colors, the tray holds 100 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Expert.

Difficulty

Expert

Pacing

Hard middle

Blocks

1292

Colors

7

Ant boxes

100

Mechanics

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

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

Play level 142

About the dish

Turn over a stone at the water's edge and there was often a river shrimp hiding underneath; its clear body flicked and it was gone. When we caught a few, Grandma fried them with salt until they turned bright red.

How the picture comes apart

From the frame to the center the picture is 18 layers deep. The outer ring is mostly light blue and green, the middle band is mostly light blue and dark red, and the core is mostly light blue and black. 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, black and dark red.

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.

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 100 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 4 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: light blue (bites now), green (bites now), green (bites now) and black (bites now).

Chained pairs start in column 2–3, row 10, column 2–3, row 11, column 2–3, row 12, column 2–3, row 13, column 2–3, row 14, column 3–4, row 15 and column 3–4, row 16.

Locked boxes start in column 1, row 24.

29 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 93 taps. The chart shows how many boxes were still parked in the 5 slots, waiting for their color, just before each tap.

Opening (taps 1–34): 34% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 35–57): 33% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 2 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 58–93): 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 38. The web breaks before tap 27. Chained pairs are taken at taps 38, 39, 40, 41, 52, 53 and 54.

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.

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.

Strategy guide: reading the tray and keeping the nest clear · Chained boxes · Locks and golden keys · Spider webs and soldier ants · 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 142 questions