Level 50 · Fish and Chips

Fish and Chips is level 50 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 616 blocks in 10 colors, the tray holds 43 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Expert.

Difficulty

Expert

Pacing

All the way

Blocks

616

Colors

10

Ant boxes

43

Mechanics

4 chained pair(s) · 2 golden key(s) · Ice · Spider web (28 bites) · Mystery boxes · Conveyor tray (every 3 taps)

Play level 50

About the dish

British fish and chips: a golden battered fillet and thick chips with a lemon wedge and a dollop of mushy peas.

How the picture comes apart

From the frame to the center the picture is 12 layers deep. The outer ring is mostly navy and red, the middle band is mostly black and cream, and the core is mostly cream 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 navy, red 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 20 cells in the core of the picture and needs 28 bites from soldier ants.

11% of the blocks are frozen and take two bites each.

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 43 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 1 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: tan (has to wait), gold (has to wait), black (bites now) and red (has to wait).

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

Locked boxes start in column 1, row 1 and column 3, row 11.

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

The tray is a conveyor: every 3 taps the front row shifts one column to the right, and the rightmost box wraps around to the left.

3 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 39 taps. The chart shows how many boxes were still parked in the 5 slots, waiting for their color, just before each tap.

Opening (taps 1–11): 35% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 3 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 12–20): 32% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 3 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 21–39): 33% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

A key comes out before tap 4. A key comes out before tap 13. The web breaks before tap 36. Chained pairs are taken at taps 5, 11, 14 and 24.

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 13% of the time, and a look-ahead one that tries each option before committing cleared it 33% of the time. Most of their failed attempts jammed in the ending.

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.

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.

The conveyor moves the front row one column to the right every few taps. Before a turn, take the color you need if it is about to slide away; a box you don't want yet may be moved aside for you. Locked boxes and chained pairs stay put.

Strategy guide: reading the tray and keeping the nest clear · Chained boxes · Locks and golden keys · Ice blocks · Spider webs and soldier ants · Conveyor tray · 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 50 questions