What is the safest first move in Colony Flow Level 38?

The safest opener is the blue 25 stack in the second cell of row 1, then the orange 34 stack in the third cell of row 1, then the orange 14 stack in the fourth cell of row 1. This opens the blue background and starts the orange body of the octopus in the first three beats, and leaves the white 20 buffer, the black 32, and the yellow 6 untouched so they can be staged for the second half of the run.

Why does the black or yellow stacks jam the route in Colony Flow Level 38?

The black 32 in row 3 and the yellow 6 in row 3 use the same dirt path as the blue 25 wave, and the thin black outline plus the small yellow accent cells only sit in cells that are still open while the orange body is filling. If black or yellow ants are sent before the orange body is at least half-closed, they stall on the still-empty outline or accent cells and block the orange 30, 30, 30, 32 stacks in row 2 that need to climb that path next. Save the black 32, the yellow 6, and the late purple 5 refill for the second half of the run.

Colony Flow! level guide

Colony Flow! Level 38 Walkthrough

medium 6 colors

Colony Flow Level 38 is a wide 4x4 octopus board where a rounded orange body, four short tentacles, two purple eyes, three small white head highlights, a thin black outline, and small yellow accents all share the same two ant holes under the pixel art, and the only real staging space is the white 20 buffer slot in the top-left of the grid.

Board Notes

Layout: The board opens in portrait view. The top half holds a pixel-art octopus on a blue background: a large rounded orange body with two big purple/violet eyes, a small frowning mouth line, four short orange tentacles hanging below, and three small white highlight cells on the head. Below the dirt strip the working area is a 4-row, 4-column stack grid. The grid opens as row 1 white 20, blue 25, orange 34, orange 14; row 2 orange 30, orange 30, orange 30, orange 32; row 3 black 32, yellow 6, orange 30, orange 36; row 4 orange 30, orange 30, orange 30, orange 30.
Goal: Orange cubes from the orange 34 and 14 in the top row, the four orange 30/30/30/32 in row 2, the orange 30 and 36 in row 3, and the four orange 30 stacks in row 4 must fill the rounded orange body, the four tentacles, and the small mouth line. Blue cubes from the blue 25 in the top row must fill the blue background cells around the silhouette. Black cubes from the black 32 in row 3 must trace the thin dark outline wrapping the octopus. White cubes from the white 20 buffer in the top-left must close the three small white highlight cells on the head. Yellow cubes from the yellow 6 in row 3 must close the small yellow accent cells on the body. A late purple 5 refill that rises into the active row must close the two purple eye cells.
Opening: The first clean move is the blue 25 stack in the second cell of row 1. Blue ants leave the ant holes immediately and start walking the dirt path up to the blue background of the pixel art, and the blue 25 count drops to 3 in one beat. The second confirmed tap is the orange 34 stack in the third cell of row 1, which sends a long line of orange ants up to the orange body of the octopus and drains that stack to zero. The third confirmed tap is the orange 14 stack in the fourth cell of row 1, which sends a smaller orange wave up to the same orange body cells and drains that stack to zero. The 21 and 29 refill stacks then rise from the lower rows into the empty row 1 cells. The white 20 buffer, the black 32, and the yellow 6 are all held for at least one beat so the blue 25 wave can clear the perimeter of the art first.
Danger Zone: The route most often collapses around the white 20 buffer slot in the top-left of the 4x4 grid. The video shows that slot staying empty through the early beats while the blue 25, the orange 34, and the orange 14 are being drained, and the correct play is to leave that slot open so the late white refill can land in it for the three white highlight cells on the octopus head. If the player fills the white 20 buffer with an orange or yellow click too early, that color is stranded in the top-left cell, the white highlight cells never close, and the later white refill has nowhere to land. The other trap is firing the black 32 in row 3 while blue ants are still walking the dirt path up to the blue background, because black ants use the same dirt path as the blue ants and a premature black click strands black ants on the still-empty outline cells and blocks the orange wave that needs to climb that path in the next beat. Tapping the yellow 6 in row 3 before the orange body is at least half-closed is also bad, because yellow ants cross the orange body cells and stall on the still-empty yellow accent cells. Tapping the four orange 30/30/30/32 stacks in row 2 in random order can leave one orange column stranded behind a wave of blue background ants and force the player to wait an extra beat for the orange body to close.
Mechanics: Level 38 is a multi-stack color-routing board combined with a pixel-art completion goal and a perimeter-traffic flavor, with a one-large-orange-target octopus scene. The 4x4 stack grid is wider than the boards in Levels 1-5 but the color palette is much narrower than the later garlic-bulb or castle boards: orange dominates the play area, with one blue 25, one white 20 buffer, one black 32, one yellow 6, and a late purple 5 refill. The octopus pixel art has six color families (orange body, blue background, purple eyes, white highlights, black outline, yellow accents) but the orange body needs so many cubes that the four orange columns in row 2 and the four orange stacks in row 4 are the real engine of the run. The two ant holes under the pixel art are a return to the two-hole layout from earlier levels, so orange and blue ants use the same dirt path up to the art. The white 20 buffer slot is the only staging cell on the board, so the late purple 5 refill that rises into the active row still needs a clean delivery after the bottom of the grid looks clear. Compared to Level 35's garlic-bulb board, this octopus scene is shorter, has a single dominant orange body, and has a six-color palette that still requires the white buffer to be saved for the late white refill.

Quick Tips for Colony Flow! Level 38 (spoiler-free)

Tap the blue 25 in row 1 first, then drain the orange 34 and orange 14 right next to it, so the blue background and the orange body start closing together before any black, white, or yellow accent is allowed onto the dirt path. Hold the white 20 buffer, the black 32, and the yellow 6 for at least one beat so the blue wave can clear the perimeter of the octopus first.
Keep the white 20 buffer slot in the top-left of the 4x4 grid open for the late white refill. The video shows that slot staying empty while the blue 25, orange 34, and orange 14 are being drained, and the three white highlight cells on the octopus head can only be filled from a clean white 20 buffer at the end of the run.
Save the black 32, the yellow 6, and the late purple 5 refill for the second half of the run. They are the outline, accent, and eye colors, and the win cue is the full octopus image with both purple eyes filled, not an empty play area.

How to Solve Colony Flow! Level 38 — Full Solution

Tap the blue 25 stack in the second cell of row 1. Blue ants walk the dirt path up to the blue background of the octopus pixel art, and the blue cells closest to the art start closing in the first beat. Wait for the first blue ants to clear the bottom edge of the art before tapping the next stack. The blue 25 count drops to 3 in this beat.
Tap the orange 34 stack in the third cell of row 1. Orange ants walk the same dirt path and start filling the rounded orange body of the octopus. Drain that stack to zero in this beat and wait for the orange ants to clear the perimeter.
Tap the orange 14 stack in the fourth cell of row 1. Orange ants continue filling the orange body and finish that column. Drain it to zero, then let the 21 and 29 refill stacks rise from the lower rows into the empty row 1 cells.
Tap the four orange 30/30/30/32 stacks in row 2 in roughly left-to-right order. Each tap sends a long line of orange ants up to the orange body. Leave one beat between taps so the previous orange wave can clear the perimeter before the next one starts.
Tap the orange 30 and orange 36 stacks on the right two cells of row 3, then the four orange 30 stacks in row 4. These are the bulk of the orange body cells and the four tentacles, and they need to be drained before any of the black, white, or yellow accent colors is allowed onto the dirt path.
Tap the black 32 stack in the first cell of row 3 once the orange body is at least half-closed. Black ants start tracing the thin black outline wrapping the octopus silhouette. Leave one beat between the black wave and the next orange or yellow refill.
Tap the white 20 buffer slot in the top-left of the grid once the orange body and black outline are mostly closed. White ants walk the dirt path up to the three small white highlight cells on the octopus head. Do not fill the white 20 buffer with any other color earlier in the run.
Tap the yellow 6 stack in the second cell of row 3, then wait for the late purple 5 refill to rise into the active row and tap that one last. Yellow ants close the small yellow accent cells on the body, and the purple 5 refill closes the two purple eye cells. The octopus is fully colored once the last purple cube is delivered and the level banner appears.

Colors in this level:

Orange, Blue, White, Black, Yellow, Purple

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Filling the white 20 buffer slot in the top-left of the 4x4 grid with an orange or yellow click before the blue 25 wave has cleared the perimeter of the octopus, which strands that color in the buffer, leaves the three white highlight cells empty, and gives the late white refill nowhere to land.
Firing the black 32 in row 3 while blue ants are still walking the dirt path up to the blue background, which strands black ants on the still-empty outline cells and blocks the orange wave that needs to climb that path in the next beat.
Tapping the yellow 6 in row 3 before the orange body is at least half-closed, which sends yellow ants across the still-empty orange body cells and stalls them on the still-empty yellow accent cells.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the safest first move in Colony Flow Level 38?
The safest opener is the blue 25 stack in the second cell of row 1, then the orange 34 stack in the third cell of row 1, then the orange 14 stack in the fourth cell of row 1. This opens the blue background and starts the orange body of the octopus in the first three beats, and leaves the white 20 buffer, the black 32, and the yellow 6 untouched so they can be staged for the second half of the run.
Why does the black or yellow stacks jam the route in Colony Flow Level 38?
The black 32 in row 3 and the yellow 6 in row 3 use the same dirt path as the blue 25 wave, and the thin black outline plus the small yellow accent cells only sit in cells that are still open while the orange body is filling. If black or yellow ants are sent before the orange body is at least half-closed, they stall on the still-empty outline or accent cells and block the orange 30, 30, 30, 32 stacks in row 2 that need to climb that path next. Save the black 32, the yellow 6, and the late purple 5 refill for the second half of the run.