Gel Glide vs The Needle in the Haystack
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Gel Glide
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Slide your gel block across the board and reach the star! Gel Glide is a fun and colorful sliding puzzle game where you swipe to move your block โ but once it starts sliding, it won't stop until it hits a wall or obstacle. Think ahead, plan your path, and try to reach the star in as few moves as possible! Features: - 1200+ levels across 40 colorful worlds โ from easy to mind-bending - New puzzle every day โ build your streak and earn stars - Seasonal challenges that change with the seasons - Earn up to 3 stars on every level โ can you perfect them all? - Stuck? Use a hint to get you moving in the right direction - Smooth animations, playful sounds, and a gel-tastic vibe - No internet needed โ play anytime, anywhere
The Needle in the Haystack
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The impossible search becomes a game: every new haystack hides exactly one needle among five million individually addressable straws. Circle the whole pile, zoom down to individual fibres and pull straws directly from the material. The haystack visibly reacts to every removal. No artificial hint automatically reveals the needle. The complete manual search is free and always solvable. Optional Haystack Credits (in-app purchase) unlock the Poke and timed power-ups. The app shows ads; you decide at first launch and any time in Settings whether they may be personalised. No subscriptions. Included: - a deterministically generated 3D haystack with exactly 5,000,000 straw IDs - direct searching on iPhone and iPad - a companion Apple Watch experience - VoiceOver, large text, Reduce Motion, and separate audio and haptic controls - local saves and optional private iCloud backup - no mandatory account; Sign in with Apple only for the optional credit purchase Patience game, technical simulation and performance art meet in one improbably large task.
Screenshots
Verdict
Gel Glide and The Needle in the Haystack are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters โ price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them โ neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Gel Glide sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and The Needle in the Haystack sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Gel Glide ships an update every 5 days, The Needle in the Haystack every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.
| Parameter | Gel Glide | The Needle in the Haystack |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | Every 4 days โ better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch โ better |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 | 18.0 โ better |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 72 MB | 42 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Chris Houston | Alessandro Brning |
In-app purchases
Gel Glide
- Hint Pack 1$0.99
- Hint Pack 2$1.99
- Remove ads$2.99
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- Hint Pack 3$4.99
- All Access$9.99
The Needle in the Haystack
- 100 Credits$0.99
- 300 Credits$2.99
- 500 Credits$3.99
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- 1,000 Credits$8.99
- 2,000 Credits$17.99
- 5,000 Credits$44.99
- 10,000 Credits$89.99
Questions
Is Gel Glide free?
Is The Needle in the Haystack free?
Do Gel Glide or The Needle in the Haystack have ads?
Which is updated more often, Gel Glide or The Needle in the Haystack?
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