Level 87

Level Overview: The Moonlight Train Challenge

Welcome to the guide for Sand Loop Level 87. This stage represents a significant jump in difficulty, acting as a gatekeeper for the mid-game logic puzzles. You aren't just filling a simple template here; you are constructing the "Moonlight Train" scene, a complex pixel-art composition that tests your ability to manage resources under extreme constraints.

The primary difficulty of Level 87 lies in the discrepancy between the canvas and the supply tray. While the painting surface—featuring a night sky, a reflective body of water, and a vintage train—appears spacious, your supply tray is clogged with massive Ice Blocks. These blocks, specifically the high-count variants (25, 15, and 35 HP), act as space hogs that limit your conveyor belt capacity to a dangerously low level.

Technically, this is a "Key Unlocking" scenario. You cannot access the primary colors for the train (Purple) and the sky (Dark Blue) until you clear a path to the Red Key. This turns the level into a race against grid lock. If you prioritize the wrong colors, you will fill your conveyor belt with unusable paint, leading to a deadlock where no moves are possible. Success requires a strict adherence to the "Bottom-Up" filling order and aggressive management of the ice wall on the right side of the tray.

The "Ice Wall" Obstacle

The defining feature of this level is the cluster of Ice Blocks on the right side of the tray. Unlike standard levels where ice is scattered, Level 87 concentrates it into a "fortress." A massive 35-count Ice Block guards the critical Red Key, supported by 25 and 15-count blockers. This configuration forces you to play defensively; you must constantly cycle "safe" colors to chip away at the ice without clogging your limited 5-slot conveyor belt.

Complexity of the Train Scene

The visual target is deceptive. The train itself requires a "fill-in-the-blank" approach where the Purple body must be painted without obscuring the Yellow windows. This requires interrupting your flow of Purple cups with precise insertions of Yellow cups. Furthermore, the reflection in the water (bottom half) mirrors the sky, meaning you cannot simply rush the bottom section; you must match the Cyan and White placement to the top Dark Blue section to pass the similarity check.

Resource Scarcity

At the start, you are effectively resource-starved. The colors you need most (Dark Blue for the sky, Purple for the train) are buried behind the ice. This creates a high-pressure start where you are forced to use Cyan and White—colors for the background and clouds—just to break the ice. This indirect path is where most players fail, as they run out of conveyor space while waiting for the high-value colors to unlock.

The Split Background Hazard

The canvas is divided horizontally. The top 50% is the Dark Blue sky, and the bottom 50% is the Cyan water. The danger lies in the thin train tracks separating them. It is dangerously easy to accidentally pour Dark Blue into the Cyan zone or vice versa if you are rushing. The game's color matching logic is strict here; a single pixel of Dark Blue in the Cyan water can result in a failed accuracy rating, requiring you to restart the level.

Clear Objectives for Level 87

To conquer the Moonlight Train challenge, you need to move beyond random clicking and execute a calculated strategy. Your goal is not just to paint, but to manage the "economy" of your conveyor belt slots.

Acquire the Red Key

This is your number one priority. The Red Key is the bottleneck for the entire level. It is locked behind the 35-count Ice Block on the right. Until you retrieve this key, the center lock remains closed, and the Purple cups (essential for the train) remain inaccessible. Do not focus on the sky or the train details until the key is in your possession.

Manage the 5-Slot Conveyor Limit

Never let your conveyor belt reach maximum capacity (5/5 slots) unless you have an immediate move ready. If the belt is full and you unlock the Red Key, the resulting flood of new Blue and Purple cups can get stuck behind existing cups, causing a deadlock. You must always maintain at least 1 to 2 empty slots to allow for the rotation of cups.

Establish the Background Foundation

Before you can detail the train or the moon, you must fill the large monochromatic areas. Your objective is to fill the bottom Cyan area and the top Dark Blue area to roughly 80% completion. This clears the tray of the basic "filler" cups, making room for the detailed work required for the train windows and the moon.

Execute Precision Window Fills

The train has 3-4 distinct Yellow windows. Your objective is to paint these Yellow spots without spilling over into the Purple train body. This requires you to stop sending Purple cups, queue up Yellow cups, paint the windows, and then immediately switch back to Purple. A failure to toggle these colors quickly will result in a "merged" color mess that fails the level validation.

Perfect the Moon and Reflections

The final 10% of the level is the most dangerous. You must place the Yellow Moon in the top left corner and ensure the White clouds in the sky match the White reflections in the water. A common failure point is running out of White paint for the bottom reflections because it was all used up in the top sky clouds.

Step-by-Step Walkthrough

This section provides the exact rhythm and sequence needed to beat Level 87. Follow these steps in order, and do not skip ahead.

Phase 1: The Ice Breaker Start

The level begins with a grid full of Ice and a full tray of cups. Do not touch the Dark Blue or Purple cups yet, as they are likely inaccessible or blocked by the Ice Wall.

• Step 1: Immediately identify the 25-count Ice Block in the top center of the tray.
• Step 2: Start queuing Cyan cups. Look for Cyan cups that are adjacent to the Ice Blocks. Your goal here is not to paint the canvas yet, but to use these cups as "ammo" to break the ice.
• Step 3: Pour Cyan into the bottom water area (the safe zone) to clear these cups from the belt. Every pour clears space, allowing new cups to enter the tray and potentially hit the ice.
• Step 4: Monitor the 35-count Ice Block on the right. You want to lower its HP from 35 to roughly 20 before you worry about anything else.

Phase 2: The Cyan and White Grind

Once the initial layer of ice is cracked, you will see a flood of White and Cyan cups. This is the "Grind" phase.

• Step 1: Focus entirely on the bottom half of the canvas (the Water/Cyan area). Fill this completely. This is safe space.
• Step 2: Look for White cups. Use them to fill the Clouds in the top sky. Do not use White for the bottom reflections yet.
• Step 3: Keep an eye on your conveyor belt count. If you hit 4/5 cups, stop queuing and wait for the painter to finish the current pour.
• Step 4: As you clear Cyan and White cups, you will inevitably hit the 35-count Ice Block adjacent to the Red Key. Keep chipping away.

Phase 3: The Red Key Rush

This is the critical turning point of the level. The Red Key is about to be exposed.

• Step 1: Ensure the 35-count Ice Block is destroyed. This will free the Red Key.
• Step 2: CRITICAL: Before you grab the Red Key, make sure your conveyor belt has 2 empty slots. If your belt is full of White cups, clear them first.
• Step 3: Pick up the Red Key. This unlocks the center chamber.
• Step 4: A massive supply of Purple and Dark Blue cups will flood the tray. Do not panic. Do not queue them all at once.

Phase 4: Building the Train Body

Now that Purple is available, the real challenge begins. You have a train body to paint, but you have windows to preserve.

• Step 1: Begin sending Purple cups. Fill the main body of the train.
• Step 2: As you approach the first window (a Yellow dot), STOP sending Purple.
• Step 3: Quickly queue Yellow cups to fill the window.
• Step 4: Immediately switch back to Purple. You are "sandwiching" the Yellow: Purple -> Yellow -> Purple.
• Step 5: Repeat this for all windows. Do not try to paint the whole train purple first; you won't be able to isolate the windows later.

Phase 5: The Sky and Moon Finale

With the train complete, you are in the cleanup phase.

• Step 1: Switch to Dark Blue. Fill the remaining top sky area.
• Step 2: Watch for the Moon icon in the top left. It is a large Yellow circle. Ensure you have saved 2-3 Yellow cups for this.
• Step 3: Check the water area. Do you see White reflections? Use your remaining White cups to match the cloud pattern above.
• Step 4: Verify the track line. Ensure the thin purple line separating sky and water is distinct.

The Correct Color Order Strategy

Understanding the logic of the filling order is what separates a lucky win from a consistent strategy. In Level 87, you cannot follow a linear "left-to-right" path.

Why Cyan Goes First

Cyan is your "utility color." It occupies the largest area (the water) and, crucially, the Cyan cups in the tray are positioned to strike the Ice Blocks. By prioritizing Cyan, you are simultaneously clearing 40% of the canvas and breaking the obstacles that hide the Red Key. If you start with Dark Blue, you will likely get blocked by the ice and clog your conveyor with unused paint.

The "Purple Lock" Mechanic

Purple is the highest-value color in this level because it defines the main subject (the train). The game intentionally locks Purple behind the Red Key to force you to prove your grid management skills first. You must not attempt to force Purple into the conveyor until the Key unlocks that section of the tray. Attempting to "save space" for Purple early is a mistake; that space is better used for cycling ice-breaking colors.

Yellow as a Precision Tool

Yellow paint is scarce in Level 87. It is used for the windows (small dots) and the Moon (large circle). You must treat Yellow as a "precision tool." Do not waste Yellow cups on large areas. Queue them only when the nozzle is directly hovering over a window or the moon slot. If you queue Yellow too early, it might arrive on the belt when you are painting the Purple train body, causing you to accidentally paint the train yellow.

White Clouds vs. Reflections

There is a temptation to paint all the White elements at once. However, you should prioritize the Sky Clouds first. Why? Because the water reflections are dependent on where the clouds are. If you paint the reflections first, you might misalign them with the clouds you paint later. Always paint the "source" (the sky) before the "reflection" (the water).

Dark Blue Last (Mostly)

Dark Blue fills the sky, but it borders the Cyan water dangerously. By leaving Dark Blue until the end (after the Cyan water is 100% done), you eliminate the risk of "bleeding" Dark Blue into the water section. The only exception is if you need Dark Blue cups to break a specific Ice Block, but generally, keeping Dark Blue queued late is safer for maintaining accuracy.

Key Tips and Common Mistakes

Even with a strategy, small errors can compound into a loss. Here are the pro-tips to keep your run smooth.

Master the "1-Slot Buffer" Rule

The most common reason for failing Level 87 is a "Conveyor Deadlock." This happens when you have 5 cups queued, but the next cup you need is buried behind them, or the lock opens and new cups have nowhere to spawn.

The Fix: Always keep 1 slot empty. Only queue a new cup when the painter is 50% done with the current pour. This creates a "breathing rhythm" for your board and prevents gridlock.

Avoid the "Color Bleed" on Tracks

The train tracks are a thin purple line separating the Blue Sky and Cyan Water. It is very easy to accidentally drop a Dark Blue cup into the Cyan zone right next to the tracks.

The Fix: When filling the sky, stop pouring when you are 5 pixels away from the track line. Then, zoom in (if possible/using visual focus) and place single drops carefully, or switch to a smaller cup size if available (mechanic dependent), to finish the border without bleeding.

Don't Ignore the 25-Count Block

Many players focus solely on the 35-count block guarding the key. However, the 25-count block in the center is equally dangerous. If you ignore it, it will eventually block the flow of cups from the left side of the tray to the right, choking your supply of White paint.

The Fix: Alternate your ice-breaking hits. One hit on the 35-block (Right), one hit on the 25-block (Center). Keep their HP levels balanced so they break at roughly the same time, clearing the entire tray floor.

The "Yellow Moon" Trap

The Moon is located at the very top left. Players often waste their Yellow cups on the train windows early on, only to realize they have no Yellow left for the Moon when they reach the top left corner.

The Fix: Count your Yellow cups. If you have 6 Yellow cups total, save 2 of them strictly for the Moon. Do not use them for windows, even if it makes the train painting slightly slower.

Resetting the Ice Rhythm

If you find yourself staring at the tray for more than 5 seconds without making a move, you have lost the rhythm.

The Fix: Look for the color with the most cups currently available (usually Cyan or White). Pour that color immediately, even if it doesn't feel like the "most important" color. Clearing visual clutter on the tray helps you see the available moves for the key colors.

Stuck Solutions and Speed Run Tips

If you are still struggling to clear the level, or if you are aiming for a 3-star speed run, these advanced strategies will help.

What to Do If You Are Stuck (Deadlock)

If your conveyor is full and you cannot make a move because the colors you need are blocked by the wrong colors:

The Emergency Dump: You have no choice but to waste paint. Look for a large, already-filled area (like the Cyan water). Even if it's 99% full, you can "overfill" it slightly to dispose of unwanted cups and clear space on the belt. It is better to waste 5% of a cup than to restart the whole level.

Speed Running the "Ice Wall"

For a fast time, you cannot afford to wait for the slow "chip away" process.

The Chain Reaction: Try to queue cups so that the final drop of the current cup breaks the ice, which immediately places the next needed color (like the Red Key) onto the belt. This requires predicting exactly how many hits a block has left. If a block says "5", count your next 5 moves mentally to break it instantly.

Pre-Queueing the Train Windows

Speed running requires you to think 3 steps ahead.

The Sandwich Preview: While your painter is currently working on the Purple train body, visually locate the next window. Have the Yellow cup already queued and ready on the belt *before* the painter even reaches the window. As soon as the purple fill crosses the window's border, tap the Yellow cup. This minimizes the pause between colors.

Utilizing the "Pause" Buffer

This is a technical trick. The game processes physics while you are in menus.

The Strategy: If you see a massive flood of cups coming (e.g., right after unlocking the Red Key), pause the game immediately. Scan the board, identify exactly which 3 cups you need, and unpause just long enough to drag them to the queue. This prevents the "wrong" cups from auto-filling your limited slots.

Final Verification Before Completion

Don't let a speed run ruin your accuracy.

The 3-Second Check: Before you hit "Finish" or let the timer run out, spend 3 seconds scanning the borders. Check the top-left Moon, the bottom-right water corner, and the train tracks. 90% of failures in Level 87 happen because the player missed a single unpixelated corner in the bottom right while rushing to finish the sky.