Level 291 · Fried Lotus Sandwiches

Fried Lotus Sandwiches is level 291 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 1296 blocks in 10 colors, the tray holds 96 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Hard.

Difficulty

Hard

Pacing

Hard middle

Blocks

1296

Colors

10

Ant boxes

96

Mechanics

Spider web (50 bites) · Mystery boxes

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

Play level 291

About the dish

Two slices of lotus root around a meat filling, battered and fried golden; bite in and you see the lotus's little holes, and fine threads pull out as you go.

How the picture comes apart

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

The spider web covers 30 cells in the middle band of the picture and needs 50 bites from soldier ants.

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 96 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 3 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: navy (bites now), navy (bites now), navy (bites now) and black (has to wait).

24 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 90 taps. The chart shows how many boxes were still parked in the 5 slots, waiting for their color, just before each tap.

Opening (taps 1–20): 34% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 1 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 21–62): 33% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 63–90): 33% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

The web breaks before tap 40.

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.

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.

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 · Spider webs and soldier ants · 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 291 questions