Comparison

Firewood Splitting Simulator vs The Needle in the Haystack 2

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Firewood Splitting Simulator

Experience the peaceful and oddly satisfying act of splitting firewood. This game offers realistic sounds and visuals, with an optional purchase to unlock competitive features and track your progress.

Highlights
  • Realistic 3D wood splitting
  • ASMR sound effects
  • Automatic wood stacking
  • Offline gameplay
  • Global leaderboards
  • Achievements
Features
Read full description

Relax, split wood, and watch it stack. Free to play, and no ads - just oddly satisfying splits and sounds recorded from the real thing. I love splitting firewood so much that I 3D scanned my actual stump and axe and wood and recorded my axe motions and splitting sounds and made this 3D firewood splitting simulator so that you could experience exactly what I love about splitting firewood. Tap to split, and drag to rotate the camera. Satisfying splits every time, automatic wood stacking, and ASMR sounds - this is a simple relaxing game that aims to capture what makes splitting wood outside so peaceful. There are no ads and the game is completely free if you want to split wood purely for the joy of it. If you want to play for points, compete in global leaderboards, earn achievements, see a pile of all the wood you've ever split, and challenge your friends to see who can cut the most perfect shapes, there is an optional one-time purchase ($0.99 in the US) that unlocks the full set of features. This game works offline and does not require internet to play, but you will need internet to access Apple Game Center features.

About

The Needle in the Haystack 2

A cooperative multiplayer game where players search for a hidden needle in a massive haystack. Work together to gather resources, purchase upgrades, and utilize various tools and machines to aid your search. Play solo or with friends in private or public yards.

Highlights
  • Cooperative multiplayer gameplay
  • Resource gathering and management
  • Tool and machine upgrades
  • Private and public game yards
  • Solo play option
  • Hands-only challenge mode
Features
Read full description

One enormous haystack. One hidden needle. A crew that works together. Create a private yard for friends or join a public crew. Up to eight players collect hay, take it to the dealer and spend shared in-game money on tools, research and machines. You can also play solo. Start with your hands, use shovels and pitchforks, fill buckets and wheelbarrows, and build conveyor lines. Generators, balers, robot arms and scanners help your crew. Support excavated tunnels and recover the needle yourself. Then start a new search area. Choose hands-only mode for an extra challenge. The game needs an internet connection. You can play solo without signing in; shared online yards and account features use Sign in with Apple. Optional credit packs are available through in-app purchases. Credits buy selected permanent personal tools. Tools needed to reach the goal are also obtainable with money earned through play.

Screenshots

Firewood Splitting Simulator4 screens
The Needle in the Haystack 24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Firewood Splitting Simulator at 100% against The Needle in the Haystack 2's 22%. Firewood Splitting Simulator also leads on rating (4.9 vs 1.3) and ads (none vs shown). The Needle in the Haystack 2's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Firewood Splitting Simulator sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and The Needle in the Haystack 2 sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Firewood Splitting Simulator holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 1.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Firewood Splitting Simulator has 93 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Firewood Splitting Simulator's written reviews are positive against 22% of The Needle in the Haystack 2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Firewood Splitting Simulator ships an update fortnightly, The Needle in the Haystack 2 every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Firewood Splitting Simulator versus The Needle in the Haystack 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirewood Splitting SimulatorThe Needle in the Haystack 2
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (93 ratings) — better1.3 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better22.2% of reviews
Number of ratings93 — better4
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB342 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGavin ShapiroAlessandro Brning

Customer experience

Firewood Splitting Simulator

All ratings88 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews48 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

The Needle in the Haystack 2

All ratings4 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive22.2%
Neutral22.2%
Negative55.6%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Firewood Splitting Simulator

One-time1
  • Competitive Firewood Experience$0.99
4 purchases

The Needle in the Haystack 2

One-time4
  • 50 Credits$4.99
  • 100 Credits$9.49
  • 500 Credits$44.99
Show 1 more
  • 1,000 Credits$84.99

Questions

Is Firewood Splitting Simulator free?
Firewood Splitting Simulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Needle in the Haystack 2 free?
The Needle in the Haystack 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Firewood Splitting Simulator or The Needle in the Haystack 2?
Firewood Splitting Simulator is rated higher. Firewood Splitting Simulator averages 4.9 out of 5 from 93 ratings, while The Needle in the Haystack 2 averages 1.3 from 4 ratings.
Do Firewood Splitting Simulator or The Needle in the Haystack 2 have ads?
The Needle in the Haystack 2 shows ads; Firewood Splitting Simulator does not.
Which is updated more often, Firewood Splitting Simulator or The Needle in the Haystack 2?
Firewood Splitting Simulator ships an update fortnightly, and The Needle in the Haystack 2 every 2 days. Most recently, Firewood Splitting Simulator was updated on November 6, 2026 and The Needle in the Haystack 2 on November 8, 2026.

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