Level 231 · Potion Cauldron

Potion Cauldron is level 231 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 1292 blocks in 10 colors, the tray holds 89 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Hard.

Difficulty

Hard

Pacing

Hard opening

Blocks

1292

Colors

10

Ant boxes

89

Mechanics

1 golden key(s) · Number blocks · Mystery boxes

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

Play level 231

About the dish

A black iron cauldron over the fire, its green potion bubbling and steaming over the rim.

How the picture comes apart

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

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.

1 number block(s) take 23 bites in total.

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 89 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 4 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: black (bites now), black (bites now), orange (bites now) and black (bites now).

30 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 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 1–30): 37% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 3 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 31–58): 30% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 59–89): 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 54.

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 opening is the hardest part here: the outer ring needs several colors at once and the front rows are scrambled. Only send colors that can bite right away during the first taps, even if it feels slow.

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.

Number blocks take many bites; the number is how many remain. They can be bitten as soon as any side is exposed, and several boxes of that color can work on one at once.

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 · Locks and golden keys · Number blocks · 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 231 questions