Comparison

The Needle in the Haystack 2 vs Needle Quest

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

Head to head
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
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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.

About

Needle Quest

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One lost needle. A haystack full of secrets. Where would you start? Step onto a colourful little farm and search a giant haystack from a first-person view. Pick up your first handful, sell it at the Hay Market and turn small discoveries into better tools. Every straw you remove opens another little pocket. Dig a hollow, carve a tunnel and uncover what is hiding inside. BUILD YOUR TOOLKIT Start with your bare hand, then work through a glove, mini rake, scoop, pitchfork and shovel to a powerful vacuum. Improve your carrying capacity, gathering speed and hay value as you go. Each tool digs in its own shape. FOLLOW THE COLOUR Green, purple, red and orange rare straws give you crystals for tools. Look for blue tech crystals and hidden treasures to develop your engineering kit. Use a collecting bomb to clear a patch or follow scanner echoes towards a find. Your drone carries its own hay to market and earns coins while you keep exploring. FILL YOUR COLLECTION Find seven distinctive campaign needles as the haystacks grow from 50,000 to 3 million straws. Finish the campaign to unlock Free Play, choose a haystack size and search for secret needles. Discover curious farm treasures and collect all four Sewing Kit pieces for a bonus. DAILY WORD HUNT Find hidden 3D letters and collect the word of the day across several haystacks. Complete the word to earn bonus tech crystals. PLAY AT YOUR PACE Simple touch controls, portrait and landscape layouts, and progress saved on your device let you return to your search. The core game works offline. Optional rewarded advertisements need a connection and availability may vary. Every handful brings you closer. What will you uncover next?

Screenshots

The Needle in the Haystack 24 screens
Needle Quest4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Needle Quest at none against The Needle in the Haystack 2's 4. Needle Quest also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 2 days) and iOS requirement (15.4 vs 17.0). On price, ads 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. The Needle in the Haystack 2 sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Needle Quest asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Needle in the Haystack 2 ships an update every 2 days, Needle Quest daily. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
The Needle in the Haystack 2 versus Needle Quest: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Needle in the Haystack 2Needle Quest
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.0 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews30.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 daysDaily — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size333 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlessandro BrningNikita Ermachkov

In-app purchases

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
None

Needle Quest

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The Needle in the Haystack 2 free?
The Needle in the Haystack 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Needle Quest free?
Needle Quest is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do The Needle in the Haystack 2 or Needle Quest have ads?
Both The Needle in the Haystack 2 and Needle Quest show ads.
Which is updated more often, The Needle in the Haystack 2 or Needle Quest?
The Needle in the Haystack 2 ships an update every 2 days, and Needle Quest daily. Most recently, The Needle in the Haystack 2 was updated on November 13, 2026 and Needle Quest on November 10, 2026.

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