Level 297 · Upturned Pork Belly

Upturned Pork Belly is level 297 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 1292 blocks in 11 colors, the tray holds 99 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Expert.

Difficulty

Expert

Pacing

Hard middle

Blocks

1292

Colors

11

Ant boxes

99

Mechanics

1 golden key(s) · Spider web (54 bites) · Number blocks · Mystery boxes

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

Play level 297

About the dish

Pork belly fried, then steamed over preserved greens and turned out like a glossy little hill; the fat melts in the mouth and the lean pulls apart in threads.

How the picture comes apart

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

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.

The spider web covers 30 cells in the middle band of the picture and needs 54 bites from soldier ants.

1 number block(s) take 36 bites in total.

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 99 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 4 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: black (bites now), grey (bites now), black (bites now) and grey (bites now).

Locked boxes start in column 2, row 22.

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

4 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 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 1–21): 34% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 2 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 22–61): 36% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 62–89): 30% 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 49. The web breaks before tap 39.

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.

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.

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 · Spider webs and soldier ants · 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 297 questions