Level 73 · New Year Dumplings

New Year Dumplings is level 73 of Crumb Colony. The pixel picture has 564 blocks in 3 colors, the tray holds 44 ant boxes, and the difficulty is Advanced.

Difficulty

Advanced

Pacing

Hard ending

Blocks

564

Colors

3

Ant boxes

44

Mechanics

3 chained pair(s) · 2 golden key(s) · Gift wrapping

Play level 73

About the dish

A plate of jiaozi, the dumplings families fold together on Chinese New Year's Eve, with a dish of vinegar for dipping.

How the picture comes apart

From the frame to the center the picture is 11 layers deep. The outer ring is mostly red and blue, the middle band is mostly light blue and cream, and the core is mostly cream and light 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 red, light blue and blue.

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 whole picture starts gift-wrapped in yellow and purple paper, with a deep pink 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 44 boxes in 4 columns. At the start 3 of the 4 front boxes can bite right away: purple (bites now), yellow (bites now), deep pink (has to wait) and purple (bites now).

Chained pairs start in column 1–2, row 10, column 2–3, row 8 and column 3–4, row 9.

Locked boxes start in column 2, row 9 and column 4, row 8.

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 41 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): 37% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 1 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Middle (taps 21–30): 34% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 1 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

Ending (taps 31–41): 29% of the blocks are eaten, with up to 1 of the 5 slots holding a box that is waiting.

A key comes out before tap 22. A key comes out before tap 35. Chained pairs are taken at taps 28, 31 and 37.

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 29% 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 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.

This level tightens toward the end and the last third jams most easily. Don't fill all five slots early; keep room for the inner colors that appear layer by layer at the finish.

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.

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.

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 · Locks and golden keys · 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 73 questions