Level 303 · Mantis Shrimp

Mantis Shrimp is level 303 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 1296 blocks in 10 colors, the tray holds 84 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Hard.

Difficulty

Hard

Pacing

Hard middle

Blocks

1296

Colors

10

Ant boxes

84

Mechanics

Ice · Mystery boxes

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

Play level 303

About the dish

Spring mantis shrimp are the plumpest; boil them in salted water, crack the shell, and a firm piece of meat slides out.

How the picture comes apart

From the frame to the center the picture is 18 layers deep. The outer ring is mostly black and teal, the middle band is mostly tan and black, and the core is mostly black and tan. 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, tan and salmon.

3% of the blocks are frozen and take two bites each.

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 84 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 3 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: black (bites now), black (bites now), black (bites now) and salmon (has to wait).

18 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 84 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 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 21–52): 33% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 53–84): 33% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

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.

Ice blocks take two bites, so one block uses two ants. Icy areas are eaten slowly and the matching boxes stay in their slots a little longer.

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 · Ice 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 303 questions