Level 55 · Pho

Pho is level 55 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 572 blocks in 11 colors, the tray holds 54 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Hard.

Difficulty

Hard

Pacing

Hard opening

Blocks

572

Colors

11

Ant boxes

54

Mechanics

4 chained pair(s) · 1 golden key(s) · Ice · Mystery boxes · Conveyor tray (every 3 taps)

Play level 55

About the dish

A bowl of Vietnamese pho: rice noodles in clear beef broth with sliced beef, herbs, bean sprouts and lime.

How the picture comes apart

From the frame to the center the picture is 12 layers deep. The outer ring is mostly brown and black, the middle band is mostly orange and cream, and the core is mostly orange 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 orange, brown and black.

The 1 golden key(s) are buried in the outer ring of the picture, so the locks they open come into play early.

12% of the blocks are frozen and take two bites each.

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 54 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 4 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: brown (bites now), grey (bites now), brown (bites now) and brown (bites now).

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

Locked boxes start in column 2, row 13.

4 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.

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

Opening (taps 1–14): 35% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 15–33): 33% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 34–50): 31% 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 8. Chained pairs are taken at taps 3, 8, 18 and 19.

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 7% of the time, and a look-ahead one that tries each option before committing cleared it 45% of the time. Most of their failed attempts jammed in the opening.

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 opening is the hardest part here: the outer ring needs several colors at once and the front rows are scrambled. Only send colors that can bite right away during the first taps, even if it feels slow.

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.

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 · 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 55 questions