Level 40 · Twin Hot Pot

Twin Hot Pot is level 40 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 776 blocks in 13 colors, the tray holds 56 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Expert.

Difficulty

Expert

Pacing

All the way

Blocks

776

Colors

13

Ant boxes

56

Mechanics

5 chained pair(s) · 2 golden key(s) · Ice · Spider web (40 bites) · Number blocks · Mystery boxes

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

Play level 40

About the dish

A divided hot pot with a fiery red chili broth on one side and a mild white broth on the other, loaded with vegetables, meat and tofu.

How the picture comes apart

From the frame to the center the picture is 14 layers deep. The outer ring is mostly light blue and black, the middle band is mostly white and red, and the core is mostly red 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 white, light blue and black.

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.

The spider web covers 24 cells in the core of the picture and needs 40 bites from soldier ants.

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

14% of the blocks are frozen and take two bites each.

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 56 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 4 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: grey (bites now), brown (bites now), light blue (bites now) and light blue (bites now).

Chained pairs start in column 1–2, row 14, column 2–3, row 5, column 2–3, row 8, column 2–3, row 9 and column 3–4, row 6.

Locked boxes start in column 1, row 9 and column 4, row 3.

13 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 51 taps. The chart shows how many boxes were still parked in the 5 slots, waiting for their color, just before each tap.

Opening (taps 1–12): 35% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 1 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 13–24): 32% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 25–51): 33% 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 7. A key comes out before tap 24. The web breaks before tap 44. Chained pairs are taken at taps 16, 18, 24, 31 and 50.

How hard is it?

Two test players attempted this level many times: a cautious one that only sends colors it can use right away cleared it 28% of the time, and a look-ahead one that tries each option before committing cleared it 23% of the time. Most of their failed attempts jammed in the middle.

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.

Tight from start to finish. Only take boxes that can send ants immediately, watch the second and third rows of the tray, and plan the next tap ahead.

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.

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.

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.

Chained boxes need both halves in the front row and two free slots. Take the boxes in front of them first and free two neighboring slots in advance.

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 · Chained boxes · Locks and golden keys · Ice blocks · 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 40 questions