Level 72 · Laba Porridge

Laba Porridge is level 72 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 576 blocks in 6 colors, the tray holds 52 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Advanced.

Difficulty

Advanced

Pacing

Hard middle

Blocks

576

Colors

6

Ant boxes

52

Mechanics

3 chained pair(s) · Spider web (22 bites) · Mystery boxes · Gift wrapping

Play level 72

About the dish

A bowl of Laba porridge, eaten in China on the eighth day of the last lunar month, cooked with red dates, lotus seeds, peanuts and goji berries.

How the picture comes apart

From the frame to the center the picture is 12 layers deep. The outer ring is mostly dark green and mint, the middle band is mostly blue and brown, and the core is mostly brown and blue. 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 blue, mint and dark green.

The spider web covers 12 cells in the middle band of the picture and needs 22 bites from soldier ants.

The whole picture starts gift-wrapped in gold and purple paper, with a light blue ribbon on top. The wrapping tears from the edges inward and the paper under the ribbon opens last; only uncovered blocks can be eaten.

Reading the tray

The tray starts with 52 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 1 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: light blue (has to wait), black (has to wait), light blue (has to wait) and purple (bites now).

Chained pairs start in column 1–2, row 9, column 3–4, row 6 and column 3–4, row 7.

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

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 49 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 4 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 22–34): 35% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 3 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 35–49): 32% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 2 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

The web breaks before tap 25. Chained pairs are taken at taps 24, 26 and 31.

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 20% of the time, and a look-ahead one that tries each option before committing cleared it 57% 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.

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.

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 whole picture starts gift-wrapped. The wrapping tears from the edges inward on its own, and only uncovered blocks can be eaten, so keep the unwrapping one step ahead of the eating. The ribbon is an extra layer: the paper under it stays shut until the ribbon is off, and that is where the level keeps its pressure.

Chained boxes · Spider webs and soldier ants · Gift wrapping · 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 72 questions