What opening order works best in Colony Flow Level 17?

Begin with the 11 black stack in slot 1 of the 5-cell buffer row, then the 30 black stack in slot 2, then the 35 white stack in slot 3. The dark outline is the largest single region of the sundae cup, and opening with the small black stack frees the buffer slot for the white refill wave and starts drawing the cup, scoops, cherry, waffle stick, and saucer outline at the same time. Hold the 35 white until the outline is at least half-closed.

Why should I hold the 35 white stack in Colony Flow Level 17?

The 35 white stack fills the thin white saucer/plate and the small white highlight cells on the cup, and both shapes sit directly inside the dark outline. If white ants are sent before the dark outline is at least half-closed, the white ants stall on the still-empty outline cells, the small 2 gray waffle-stick accent cells never fill, and the late 6 white, 5 white, 13 black, 26 cyan, 1 white, 9 black, 29 black, 25 black, 16 cyan, 28 cyan refill waves cannot find a clean staging space.

Colony Flow! level guide

Colony Flow! Level 17 Walkthrough

easy 8 colors

Colony Flow Level 17 is an ice cream sundae cup pixel-art board where a tall pink top scoop, a soft cyan middle scoop, a thin white saucer/plate, a blue striped cup, a small red cherry, a slim orange waffle stick with a gray tip, and a dark black outline around the whole silhouette all share the same single ant hole.

Board Notes

Layout: The board opens in portrait view. The top of the screen holds a pixel-art ice cream sundae cup: a tall pink/magenta top scoop, a soft cyan middle scoop, a thin white saucer/plate, a blue cup with darker blue horizontal stripes, a small red cherry/berry on the very top, a slim orange waffle/cookie stick leaning out of the right side of the cup, and a dark black outline wrapping the cup, the scoops, the cherry, the waffle stick, and the saucer. A single dark round ant hole sits on a dirt strip directly below the pixel art. Below the dirt strip, the working area has a 5-cell top row of buffer slots, and a 4-column, 3-row grid of numbered cube stacks. The 5-cell buffer row opens with the 11 black stack in slot 1, the 30 black stack in slot 2, and the 35 white stack in slot 3, with the right two buffer slots empty. The grid reads, top to bottom and left to right, 4 yellow / 6 red / 20 white / 30 white on the first row, 16 pink / 30 black / 26 brown / 2 gray on the second row, and 38 white / 20 white / 20 pink / 5 yellow on the third row.
Goal: Black cubes must fill the dark outline that wraps the cup, both scoops, the cherry, the waffle stick, and the saucer. White cubes from the 20 white, 30 white, 35 white, and 38 white stacks must fill the thin white saucer/plate, the white highlight cells on the cup, and the small white cells on the pink scoop. Cyan cubes from the 12 cyan, 17 cyan, 26 cyan, 18 cyan, 30 cyan, and 13 cyan refill waves must fill the soft cyan middle scoop and the lighter blue stripes on the cup. Pink cubes from the 16 pink, 19 pink, and 20 pink stacks must fill the large pink top scoop. Red cubes from the 6 red stack must fill the small red cherry on top. Yellow cubes from the 4 yellow and 5 yellow stacks must fill the slim yellow body of the waffle stick, and the small 2 gray stacks must close the gray tip accent on the waffle stick.
Opening: The first confirmed tap in the video is the 11 black stack in slot 1 of the 5-cell buffer row. It is the safest opener because the dark outline is the largest single color region on the board and the 11-stack is the smallest stack in the buffer at start, so draining it first clears the buffer slot for the white refill wave that rises almost immediately. The second confirmed tap is the 30 black stack in slot 2 of the buffer, which dispatches a wave of black ants up the dirt path to keep drawing the dark outline across the cup, the scoops, the cherry, the waffle stick, and the saucer. The third confirmed tap is the 35 white stack in slot 3 of the buffer, which starts filling the white saucer/plate and the small white highlight cells on the cup in parallel with the dark outline. As the 11 black and 30 black drain, a 7 black refill, an 18 black refill, and a 16 black refill rise into the buffer in turn, and a 12 cyan stack appears in the buffer in the meantime. The four empty white buffer slots stay open so the rising refill stacks (35 white, 7 black, 12 cyan, 18 black, 16 black, 19 pink, 17 cyan, 4 black, 30 cyan, 13 cyan, 18 cyan, 4 black, 12 cyan, 8 cyan, 3 black, 4 black, 10 white, 2 cyan, 7 cyan, 1 cyan, 13 white, 6 white, 5 white, 13 black, 26 cyan, 1 white, 9 black, 29 black, 25 black, 16 cyan, 28 cyan) can land cleanly.
Danger Zone: The danger zone is the 35 white stack in slot 3 of the buffer row, paired with the 30 black stack in slot 2. The dark outline wraps the entire sundae cup and the white saucer/plate sits directly inside that outline, so both colors use the same dirt path to the ant hole. If the player taps the 35 white stack before the dark outline is at least half-drawn, the white ants stall on the still-empty outline cells around the saucer and the small 2 gray waffle-stick accent stacks waiting behind them are blocked. The 26 brown stack in the third column of the grid is the other trap: the brown cells are a small brown band at the top of the sundae cup, and tapping brown before the pink top scoop is at least half-closed sends brown ants up the same dirt path as the pink ants and stalls them on the still-empty pink cells. The four empty white buffer slots are the third trap: the video shows a long sequence of refill waves rising into the buffer in order (35 white, 7 black, 12 cyan, 18 black, 16 black, 19 pink, 17 cyan, 4 black, 30 cyan, 13 cyan, 18 cyan, 4 black, 12 cyan, 8 cyan, 3 black, 4 black, 10 white, 2 cyan, 7 cyan, 1 cyan, 13 white, 6 white, 5 white, 13 black, 26 cyan, 1 white, 9 black, 29 black, 25 black, 16 cyan, 28 cyan), and parking the wrong color in any of those slots strands the next refill wave before it can rise into the active row. Tapping the 2 gray stack in the fourth column of the grid too early is also bad, because gray ants cross the cup cells that the cyan stripes still have to fill and stall on the still-empty gray tip accent on the waffle stick.
Mechanics: Level 17 is a multi-stack color-routing board with a single ant hole, a 4-column, 3-row starting grid, a 5-cell buffer row, and a pixel-art completion goal. Unlike the red-cloaked character in Level 16 which had a single dominant red cloak color and a single body color, this board has a tall pink top scoop that is the largest single color region and a soft cyan middle scoop that sits directly underneath it, so the pink 16 / 19 / 20 stacks and the cyan 12 / 17 / 26 / 18 / 30 / 13 stacks have to alternate so neither color floods the dirt path. The waffle stick on the right side of the cup has a tiny 2 gray tip and a slim 4 / 5 yellow body, so the gray and yellow stacks are the smallest stacks on the board and have to be slotted in at the very end, the same role the 1 black, 6 brown, 4 brown detail stacks played in Level 15. The dark outline wraps the entire silhouette and the white saucer/plate sits directly inside that outline, so black and white have to feed the art in parallel, just like the red and black parallel in Level 14's cherries. so the last small black, cyan, pink, and gray cubes still need a clean delivery after the bottom of the grid looks clear.

Quick Tips for Colony Flow! Level 17 (spoiler-free)

Tap the 11 black stack in slot 1 of the 5-cell buffer row first. The dark outline is the largest single color region on the sundae cup, and the 11-stack is the smallest stack in the buffer at start, so opening with the small black frees the buffer slot for the white refill wave and starts drawing the cup, scoops, cherry, waffle stick, and saucer outline at the same time.
Hold the 35 white stack in slot 3 of the buffer row until the dark outline is at least half-closed. The white saucer/plate sits directly inside the black outline, and a premature white click sends white ants onto the still-empty outline cells around the saucer and strands the small 2 gray waffle-stick accent stacks and the late refill waves behind them.
Keep the four empty white buffer slots open through the first four beats. The video shows new white, black, cyan, pink, and yellow refill waves rising into the buffer in a fixed order, and parking the wrong color in any of those slots strands the next refill wave before it can rise into the active row.

How to Solve Colony Flow! Level 17 — Full Solution

Tap the 11 black stack in slot 1 of the 5-cell buffer row. Black ants leave immediately and walk the dirt path toward the dark outline of the cup, both scoops, the cherry, the waffle stick, and the saucer, where the outline cells start filling one by one. Wait for the first black ants to clear the perimeter before tapping the next stack.
Tap the 30 black stack in slot 2 of the buffer row. A second black wave joins the first and extends the dark outline across the top of the cup, the cherry, the waffle stick, and the back of the saucer. As the 30 black drains, a 7 black refill, an 18 black refill, and a 16 black refill rise into the buffer in turn, and a 12 cyan stack appears in slot 3 of the buffer in the meantime.
Tap the 35 white stack in slot 3 of the buffer row once the dark outline is at least half-drawn. White ants walk the same dirt path and start filling the white saucer/plate and the small white highlight cells on the cup. The 30 white and 20 white stacks in the first row of the grid are held in place for the next white beat.
Tap the 30 white stack in column 4 of the first row of the grid, then the 20 white stack in column 3 of the first row, then the 20 white stack in column 2 of the third row of the grid. White ants continue filling the saucer rim, the cup highlight cells, and the small white cells on the pink scoop. The 38 white stack in column 1 of the third row is held in place for the final white beat.
Tap the 12 cyan refill in the buffer row as soon as it appears, then the 17 cyan refill, the 26 cyan refill, the 18 cyan refill, the 30 cyan refill, the 13 cyan refill, and the small 12 cyan and 8 cyan refills that come in next. Cyan ants walk the dirt path and start filling the soft cyan middle scoop and the lighter blue horizontal stripes on the cup. The pink stacks in the second and third rows of the grid are held in place for the pink beat.
Tap the 16 pink stack in column 1 of the second row of the grid, then the 20 pink stack in column 3 of the third row of the grid. Pink ants walk the same dirt path and start closing the tall pink top scoop from the bottom up. A 19 pink refill rises into the buffer in this beat and is tapped next to keep the top scoop filling. The 6 red stack in column 2 of the first row is held in place for the cherry beat.
Tap the 6 red stack in column 2 of the first row of the grid once the pink top scoop is at least half-closed. Red ants walk the dirt path and close the small red cherry on the very top of the sundae. This is the smallest body color on the board and tapping it early strands the red ants on the still-empty pink cells.
Tap the 4 yellow stack in column 1 of the first row, then the 5 yellow stack in column 4 of the third row, to close the slim yellow body of the waffle stick. Tap the 2 gray stack in column 4 of the second row to close the small gray tip accent on the waffle stick. Finish by tapping the late refill waves (6 white, 5 white, 13 black, 26 cyan, 1 white, 9 black, 29 black, 25 black, 16 cyan, 28 cyan) as they cycle through the buffer. Black ants close the last dark outline cells, white ants close the last saucer and highlight cells, cyan ants close the last middle scoop and cup stripe cells, pink ants close the last top scoop cells, and the final yellow and gray cubes close the last waffle stick cells. The sundae cup silhouette is fully colored once the last cube is delivered and the level banner appears.

Colors in this level:

Black, White, Cyan, Pink, Red, Yellow, Brown, Gray

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Tapping the 35 white stack in slot 3 of the buffer row before the dark outline is at least half-drawn, which sends white ants onto the still-empty outline cells around the saucer and blocks every later gray and refill wave behind them.
Tapping the 26 brown stack in column 3 of the second row of the grid before the pink top scoop is at least half-closed, which dumps brown ants into scoop cells that the pink top scoop still has to fill and stalls them on the still-empty brown band at the top of the sundae cup.
Filling one of the four empty white buffer slots in the top row with the wrong color, which strands the next refill wave (35 white, 7 black, 12 cyan, 18 black, 16 black, 19 pink, 17 cyan, 4 black, 30 cyan, 13 cyan, 18 cyan, 4 black, 12 cyan, 8 cyan, 3 black, 4 black, 10 white, 2 cyan, 7 cyan, 1 cyan, 13 white, 6 white, 5 white, 13 black, 26 cyan, 1 white, 9 black, 29 black, 25 black, 16 cyan, 28 cyan) before it can rise into the active row.

Frequently Asked Questions

What opening order works best in Colony Flow Level 17?
Begin with the 11 black stack in slot 1 of the 5-cell buffer row, then the 30 black stack in slot 2, then the 35 white stack in slot 3. The dark outline is the largest single region of the sundae cup, and opening with the small black stack frees the buffer slot for the white refill wave and starts drawing the cup, scoops, cherry, waffle stick, and saucer outline at the same time. Hold the 35 white until the outline is at least half-closed.
Why should I hold the 35 white stack in Colony Flow Level 17?
The 35 white stack fills the thin white saucer/plate and the small white highlight cells on the cup, and both shapes sit directly inside the dark outline. If white ants are sent before the dark outline is at least half-closed, the white ants stall on the still-empty outline cells, the small 2 gray waffle-stick accent cells never fill, and the late 6 white, 5 white, 13 black, 26 cyan, 1 white, 9 black, 29 black, 25 black, 16 cyan, 28 cyan refill waves cannot find a clean staging space.