Level 179 · Radio

Radio is level 179 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 1292 blocks in 8 colors, the tray holds 98 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Expert.

Difficulty

Expert

Pacing

Waves

Blocks

1292

Colors

8

Ant boxes

98

Mechanics

7 chained pair(s) · 1 golden key(s) · Spider web (54 bites) · Mystery boxes · 3 noodle(s)

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

Play level 179

About the dish

Grandpa's wooden radio sat on the cabinet in the main room, and it took ages of turning the dial to find a station. After dinner he listened to the storytellers, and I pulled up a little stool and listened beside him.

How the picture comes apart

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

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.

3 noodle(s) run through the picture, 54 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 98 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 3 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: black (bites now), dark brown (has to wait), mint (bites now) and black (bites now).

Chained pairs start in column 1–2, row 8, column 2–3, row 5, column 2–3, row 7, column 2–3, row 9, column 2–3, row 18, column 2–3, row 21 and column 3–4, row 8.

Locked boxes start in column 4, row 19.

28 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 91 taps. The chart shows how many boxes were still parked in the 5 slots, waiting for their color, just before each tap.

Opening (taps 1–21): 36% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 3 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 22–57): 32% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 3 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 58–91): 33% 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 52. The web breaks before tap 50. Chained pairs are taken at taps 17, 20, 21, 29, 30, 65 and 70.

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.

Pressure comes in waves: the opening and the ending are tight, the middle is a breather. Use the middle to clear slots and bring chained or locked boxes to the front.

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 179 questions