Find the Needle

Find the Needle

Clear the hay for coins, hire farmhands and build machines until you find the needle.

How to play Find the Needle

Find the Needle is an idle game about searching a haystack for a needle. You start by hand: tap or swipe the hay to clear it, and every pile you clear pays coins.

Spend the coins on farmhands, wheelbarrows and machines such as the Hay Conveyor. They clear hay for you, so coins keep coming in while you do something else. Every purchase raises your income, and the extra income pays for the next one.

Needles hide in the hay. When a pile glints, pull it out: each needle you find is a bonus and adds to your count. At the bottom of every stack waits a big heap of hay. Break it open to find that stack’s needle and move down to a bigger stack. The last heap hides the needle you are looking for.

Clear, find, hire, go deeper

  • Clear. Tap or swipe the hay. Every pile pays coins.
  • Find needles. A glint in the hay means a needle. Pull it out for a bonus.
  • Hire help. Farmhands and wheelbarrows clear hay for you, and you can hire more as you earn.
  • Build machines. Hay Conveyors, Balers and Harvesters clear hay much faster.
  • Go deeper. Break the big heap at the bottom of each stack to reach the next one.

Hay Fever

Hay Fever is a bonus that comes from digging fast. Keep tapping while it is active to get the most out of it.

Tips for finding the needle faster

  • Hire a helper as soon as you can. A helper earns while you tap, so the sooner you have one, the more hay you collect.
  • Spend coins when you have them. Coins you keep do not dig. Buy the cheapest thing you can afford, then the next one.
  • Dig in bursts. A fast streak of digging builds up Hay Fever. Use it while you are already tapping.
  • Watch for what lights up. Anything you can afford is highlighted, so a quick look tells you what to buy next.

About this game

Find the Needle on this site is made by TinyArcadia, an independent studio that makes small browser games. It is a separate game with no connection to the Steam game of the same name. The FAQ and the About page explain the difference.

Frequently asked questions

Is Find the Needle free to play?

Yes. Find the Needle is free and runs in your browser on phones, tablets and computers. There is nothing to download and no account to create.

Do I need to download or install anything?

No. Press Play and the game loads in the page. It runs in a current version of Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Edge.

Is this the Find the Needle game from Steam?

No. This is a separate browser game made by TinyArcadia. It is not an official site and has no connection to the Steam game Find the Needle or its developer. We built our own game on the idea of finding a needle in a haystack. To play the Steam game, go to its Steam page or the Steam demo.

Can I download the Find the Needle demo here?

No. This site has no downloads. The demo of the Steam game is on Steam, for Windows PC. The game on this site runs in your browser, so you can play it right now.

Are there codes for Find the Needle?

This game has no codes. If you are looking for codes, you may mean a Roblox game with a similar name. This site has no connection to it.

Is my progress saved?

Yes. The game saves in your browser on this device. Clearing your browser data, or playing in a private window, starts a new game.

Can I play on a phone, a tablet or a school computer?

Yes. It runs in any current browser on phones, tablets, laptops and Chromebooks. Whether a school or office network allows the site depends on that network's filter.

How do I find the needle faster?

Hire farmhands early, spend your coins as soon as something lights up, pull out every pile that glints, and keep clearing while Hay Fever is on. The tips on this page explain each one.

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