Level 177 · Brick Stove

Brick Stove is level 177 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 1292 blocks in 8 colors, the tray holds 96 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Expert.

Difficulty

Expert

Pacing

Hard middle

Blocks

1292

Colors

8

Ant boxes

96

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 177

About the dish

Grandma's stove was built of red brick, with a big iron wok on top and the fire crackling inside. At dinnertime a thread of smoke rose from the chimney, and from the edge of the village I knew it was time to go home and eat.

How the picture comes apart

From the frame to the center the picture is 18 layers deep. The outer ring is mostly tan and white, the middle band is mostly white and tan, and the core is mostly white 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 tan, white 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, 42 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 96 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 2 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: grey (bites now), white (has to wait), black (bites now) and white (has to wait).

Chained pairs start in column 1–2, row 13, column 1–2, row 16, column 3–4, row 11, column 3–4, row 12, column 3–4, row 13, column 3–4, row 15 and column 3–4, row 16.

Locked boxes start in column 3, row 10.

18 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 89 taps. The chart shows how many boxes were still parked in the 5 slots, waiting for their color, just before each tap.

Opening (taps 1–29): 34% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 2 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 30–61): 37% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 0 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 62–89): 29% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 2 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

A key comes out before tap 34. The web breaks before tap 40. Chained pairs are taken at taps 43, 48, 52, 53, 54, 57 and 58.

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.

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 177 questions