Level 160 · Water Wheel

Water Wheel is level 160 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 1288 blocks in 8 colors, the tray holds 117 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Expert.

Difficulty

Expert

Pacing

All the way

Blocks

1288

Colors

8

Ant boxes

117

Mechanics

8 chained pair(s) · 2 golden key(s) · Spider web (59 bites) · Mystery boxes

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

Play level 160

About the dish

The wooden water wheel in the bend of the creek creaked round and round, lifting the water into the fields one bucket at a time. I sat beside it and watched all summer, and it never once stopped.

How the picture comes apart

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

The 2 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 outer ring of the picture and needs 59 bites from soldier ants.

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 117 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 1 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: light blue (bites now), green (has to wait), green (has to wait) and green (has to wait).

Chained pairs start in column 1–2, row 7, column 2–3, row 2, column 2–3, row 5, column 2–3, row 19, column 3–4, row 11, column 3–4, row 18, column 3–4, row 26 and column 3–4, row 29.

Locked boxes start in column 1, row 15 and column 2, row 12.

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

6 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 109 taps. The chart shows how many boxes were still parked in the 5 slots, waiting for their color, just before each tap.

Opening (taps 1–37): 34% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 2 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 38–72): 33% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 2 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 73–109): 33% 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 34. A key comes out before tap 38. The web breaks before tap 17. Chained pairs are taken at taps 11, 16, 24, 35, 63, 64, 99 and 104.

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.

Tight from start to finish. Only take boxes that can send ants immediately, watch the second and third rows of the tray, and plan the next tap ahead.

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 160 questions