Level 15 · Mustard Hot Dog

Mustard Hot Dog is level 15 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 468 blocks in 9 colors, the tray holds 24 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Expert.

Difficulty

Expert

Blocks

468

Colors

9

Ant boxes

24

Mechanics

4 chained pair(s) · Spider web (20 bites) · Mystery boxes

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

Play level 15

About the dish

A hot dog in a soft bun with a zig-zag of yellow mustard along the sausage.

How the picture comes apart

From the frame to the center the picture is 9 layers deep. The outer ring is mostly green and lavender, the middle band is mostly orange and brown, and the core is mostly red and pink. 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 green, orange and lavender.

The spider web covers 18 cells in the middle band of the picture and needs 20 bites from soldier ants.

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 24 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 1 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: green (has to wait), dark brown (bites now), lavender (has to wait) and brown (has to wait).

Chained pairs start in column 1–2, row 5, column 2–3, row 2, column 2–3, row 4 and column 3–4, row 5.

1 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 20 taps. The chart shows how many boxes were still parked in the 5 slots, waiting for their color, just before each tap.

Opening (taps 1–7): 41% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 3 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 8–12): 28% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 3 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 13–20): 31% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 3 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

The web breaks before tap 19. Chained pairs are taken at taps 7, 10, 11 and 17.

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 2% of the time, and a look-ahead one that tries each option before committing cleared it 15% 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.

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 · 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 15 questions