Level 152 · Ducklings

Ducklings is level 152 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 1292 blocks in 7 colors, the tray holds 108 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Hard.

Difficulty

Hard

Pacing

Hard ending

Blocks

1292

Colors

7

Ant boxes

108

Mechanics

8 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 152

About the dish

A line of ducklings followed their mother into the creek, their yellow fluff never seeming to get wet. I ran along the bank after them for ages.

How the picture comes apart

From the frame to the center the picture is 18 layers deep. The outer ring is mostly light blue, the middle band is mostly light blue and yellow, and the core is mostly yellow and gold. 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 and yellow.

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 30 cells in the middle band of the picture and needs 54 bites from soldier ants.

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 108 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 4 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: light blue (bites now), light blue (bites now), light blue (bites now) and light blue (bites now).

Chained pairs start in column 1–2, row 19, column 1–2, row 26, column 1–2, row 27, column 2–3, row 21, column 3–4, row 18, column 3–4, row 22, column 3–4, row 23 and column 3–4, row 25.

Locked boxes start in column 3, row 7.

31 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 100 taps. The chart shows how many boxes were still parked in the 5 slots, waiting for their color, just before each tap.

Opening (taps 1–38): 34% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 2 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 39–76): 34% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 2 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 77–100): 33% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 3 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

A key comes out before tap 26. The web breaks before tap 60. Chained pairs are taken at taps 71, 73, 76, 87, 91, 92, 95 and 99.

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.

This level tightens toward the end and the last third jams most easily. Don't fill all five slots early; keep room for the inner colors that appear layer by layer at the finish.

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 152 questions