Level 215 · Black-and-White TV

Black-and-White TV is level 215 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 1292 blocks in 8 colors, the tray holds 103 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Expert.

Difficulty

Expert

Pacing

All the way

Blocks

1292

Colors

8

Ant boxes

103

Mechanics

1 golden key(s) · Mystery boxes · 2 noodle(s)

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

Play level 215

About the dish

The neighbours' black-and-white TV had two antennae sticking up from the top, and half the kids on the street crowded round their door to watch. Whenever the picture went snowy I ran up to twist the antennae while everyone behind me shouted: That's it, don't move!

How the picture comes apart

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

The 1 golden key(s) are buried in the outer ring of the picture, so the locks they open come into play early.

2 noodle(s) run through the picture, 41 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 103 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 1 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: grey (has to wait), brown (has to wait), white (has to wait) and black (bites now).

Locked boxes start in column 4, row 15.

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

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

Opening (taps 1–36): 34% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 37–69): 33% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 70–103): 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 10.

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.

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 · Locks and golden keys · 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 215 questions