Sand Loop Level 288 Solution Walkthrough

Sand Loop Level 288 Guide: The Neon Cat Puzzle

This level features a striking Blue Neon Cat with glowing green eyes, set against a radiating background of yellow, orange, pink, and green beams. Unlike previous levels that focus purely on locking mechanics, Sand Loop Level 288 is an "Ice Breaker" endurance test. You aren't just matching colors; you are chipping away at four distinct ice blocks with high hit-point values (25, 6, 35, and 28).

The real trap here isn't the cat itself—it's the color distribution. The background uses four different colors in equal measure, but your tray is heavily segmented. You have to balance clearing the massive Blue section for the cat's face while simultaneously trying to free up the bottom corners to access the colors needed for the background beams. If you ignore the ice blocks early on, you will run out of available cups and soft-lock the board.

Sand Loop Level 288 Solution: The Neon Cat

Let's break down the pixel art target. This image is distinct because it has a huge central block of color surrounded by stripes.

Color Palette Deep Dive: The image is dominated by a Deep Blue cat head. The eyes are a bright Neon Green. The background is a "starburst" pattern featuring Yellow, Orange, Pink, and Green stripes radiating outward.
The "Danger Zones": The eyes are the biggest risk. They are tiny green islands in a sea of blue. If you send a green cup down the line while the blue pour is active, or vice versa, you will ruin the face definition. You need a clean break between the blue face pours and the green eye pours.
Fill Order Prediction: You will almost certainly fill the Blue cat head first because the top of your supply tray is stacked with blue cups. The background stripes (Yellow/Orange/Pink) are secondary, but you need to start them early to clear the board space. The Green eyes are likely the last detail you finish, as the specific green cups you need are buried deep in the right-hand stack.

Tackling the Ice Blockade in Sand Loop Level 288

The primary obstacle in Sand Loop Level 288 is the formation of four Ice Blocks protecting the bottom of the tray. This isn't a standard lock; it's a grind.

The Left Block (25 HP): This block sits under the left column, guarding orange and pink cups. You need to make 25 matches adjacent to this block to break it.
The Right Blocks (6, 35, 28 HP): The right side is a mess. There is a weak 6 HP block that breaks quickly, but it's sitting next to a massive 35 HP block and a 28 HP block.
The Problem: The cups you need to finish the cat (Green for eyes, Orange/Yellow for background) are mostly trapped under or next to these ice blocks. You cannot just passively play; you must prioritize matches that touch these frozen zones. If you play from the top-middle only, you will never crack the ice, and you will run out of moves.

Sand Loop Level 288 Step-by-Step Walkthrough

This level requires aggressive play on the edges of the board. Do not clear the center just because it's easy.

1. Cracking the "Weak" Right Side

Your first priority is the right side of the tray. Notice the 6 HP ice block. This is your entry point.

Start by matching the Blue and Orange cups immediately above the 6 HP block.
Focus your first 5-10 moves entirely on this vertical column. You need that 6 HP block gone instantly. Once it breaks, the cups above it will fall, creating a cascade that helps chip away at the massive 35 HP block next to it.
Do not fill the conveyor yet. Keep your slot usage low (2/5 max) so you can rapidly cycle cups to break that ice.

2. The Blue Face Rush

While you are chipping the ice, you will inevitably be clearing top-row cups. Fortunately, many of these are Blue.

Send the Blue cups to the conveyor in groups of two or three. The cat's face is large and forgiving.
Critical Timing: Watch for the Green cups. You will see some Green cups available early in the top middle. Do NOT send them immediately after a Blue cup. The cat's eyes are small. If you send Blue-Blue-Green-Blue with no gaps, the sand might overlap, making the eyes look blurry or contaminated.
Let the Blue sand finish pouring completely before sending a Green cup for the eyes.

3. Demolishing the "35" and "28" Towers

By the time the cat's face is mostly done, you will likely still be stuck with the 35 HP and 28 HP blocks on the right, and the 25 HP block on the left.

The game shifts now. You are no longer painting; you are mining.
Look for Yellow and Orange matches specifically touching the 35 HP block. This is the hardest block to break because it's tucked in the corner.
If you have a choice between matching two pink cups in the open or two yellow cups touching the ice, always choose the ice match.
The 25 HP block on the left often breaks naturally as you clear the pink/blue cups above it, so worry less about the left side and focus entirely on the right.

4. Finishing the Starburst Background

Once the ice shatters, the bottom rows become available. This is where you get the bulk of your Yellow, Orange, and Pink cups needed for the radiating background beams.

These colors are safe to pour in rapid succession. The background stripes are distinct, but because they radiate from the center, the dispensers usually handle the separation well.
You can load the conveyor to full capacity (5/5) during this phase. Just alternating colors (Pink, Orange, Yellow, Pink) works fine here because they are painting different sections of the canvas simultaneously.
The final few cups will likely be the stragglers from the bottom of the 28 HP block. Just ensure you don't leave a single tiny spot unpainted by rushing the very last cup. Wait for the dispenser to stop before sending the final fill.

Sand Loop Level 288 Solution Walkthrough | Sand Loop 288