Level 173 · Stone Mill

Stone Mill is level 173 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 1292 blocks in 7 colors, the tray holds 85 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Expert.

Difficulty

Expert

Pacing

Hard ending

Blocks

1292

Colors

7

Ant boxes

85

Mechanics

7 chained pair(s) · 1 golden key(s) · Spider web (54 bites) · Mystery boxes · 2 noodle(s)

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

Play level 173

About the dish

The stone mill in the yard took two people to turn. Grandma spooned soybeans into the hole, white soy milk ran out between the stones, and I pushed the pole behind her, round and round until I was dizzy.

How the picture comes apart

From the frame to the center the picture is 18 layers deep. The outer ring is mostly tan and black, the middle band is mostly grey and tan, and the core is mostly grey. 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 tan, grey and black.

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.

2 noodle(s) run through the picture, 34 cells in all. They can only be slurped from their ends, so they act as walls until an end is free and as tunnels after that.

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 85 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 3 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: tan (bites now), tan (bites now), white (has to wait) and black (bites now).

Chained pairs start in column 1–2, row 15, column 1–2, row 18, column 1–2, row 19, column 2–3, row 17, column 2–3, row 21, column 3–4, row 16 and column 3–4, row 18.

Locked boxes start in column 2, row 16.

23 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 78 taps. The chart shows how many boxes were still parked in the 5 slots, waiting for their color, just before each tap.

Opening (taps 1–33): 34% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 3 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 34–57): 33% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 0 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 58–78): 33% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 0 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

A key comes out before tap 52. The web breaks before tap 29. Chained pairs are taken at taps 55, 60, 62, 64, 68, 69 and 77.

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.

Noodles are eaten only from an end with a white dot, never from the middle. Look for ends that are already free or about to be: slurping one opens a tunnel straight into the picture and can uncover inner colours early. A noodle with both ends buried is a wall until you dig to one of its ends.

Strategy guide: reading the tray and keeping the nest clear · Chained boxes · Locks and golden keys · Spider webs and soldier ants · Noodles · 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 173 questions