Level 233 · Owl

Owl is level 233 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 1288 blocks in 11 colors, the tray holds 77 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Hard.

Difficulty

Hard

Pacing

Hard middle

Blocks

1288

Colors

11

Ant boxes

77

Mechanics

2 golden key(s) · Mystery boxes

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

Play level 233

About the dish

An owl perched on a bare branch, staring with big round eyes and hooting under the moon.

How the picture comes apart

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

The 2 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.

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 77 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 3 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: navy (bites now), black (bites now), navy (bites now) and brown (has to wait).

Locked boxes start in column 2, row 8.

34 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 77 taps. The chart shows how many boxes were still parked in the 5 slots, waiting for their color, just before each tap.

Opening (taps 1–28): 36% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 29–56): 32% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 3 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 57–77): 32% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 3 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

A key comes out before tap 25. A key comes out before tap 61.

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.

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 · 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 233 questions