The Needle in the Haystack
Alessandro Brning Games iPhoneiPadiPod touchApple Watch
The Needle in the Haystack is a free Games app for iPhone and iPad by Alessandro Brning. Requires iOS 18.0. Updated October 31, 2026.
- Price
- Free
- on the App Store
- Size
- 51 MB
- Age 4+
- Updated
- Oct 31
- 2026 · v1.12.1
Screenshots
About The Needle in the Haystack
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.
What’s new
Version 1.12.1 · Updated October 31, 2026
Version 1.12.1: Dragging with your finger and camera moves are no longer cut short when the world updates in the background. Plus small fixes and improvements.
Play today's Sudoku puzzle
A quick 6×6 Sudoku every day; levels grow to the classic 9×9. A free daily puzzle from Fiplay, same board for everyone. It plays right here, no download.
App privacy
The developer, Alessandro Brning, reported these privacy practices to Apple.
Data Used to Track You
The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies:
- Location: Coarse Location
- Identifiers: Device ID
- Usage Data: Advertising Data
Data Linked to You
The following data, which may be collected and linked to your identity, may be used for the following purposes:
- Location: Coarse Location
- Usage Data: Advertising Data, Product Interaction
- Diagnostics: Performance Data
- Other Data: Other Data Types
- Purchases: Purchase History
- User Content: Gameplay Content
- Identifiers: User ID, Device ID
Used for: Third-Party Advertising, Analytics, App Functionality
Data Not Linked to You
The following data, which may be collected but is not linked to your identity, may be used for the following purposes:
- Identifiers: Device ID
- Usage Data: Advertising Data
- User Content: Customer Support
Used for: Third-Party Advertising, Analytics, App Functionality
Alternatives to The Needle in the Haystack
Looking for apps like The Needle in the Haystack? Here are 6 similar apps on the App Store. The highest rated is Fish Away: Idle Fishing (4.5/5), and all 6 are free to download.
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10 Million Hay Hunt
-
Windies
3.0
-
Fish Away: Idle Fishing
4.5
-
Countryballs: Power Protocol
4.5
-
Idle Ball Escape: Smash Rings
4.5
-
Galactic Merge Idle
4.3
| App | Rating | Price | Last updated | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Needle in the Haystack | – | Free | October 31, 2026 | |
| 10 Million Hay Hunt | – | Free | Oct 28, 2026 | Compare |
| Windies | 3.0 / 5 (2) | Free | Sep 18, 2026 | Compare |
| Fish Away: Idle Fishing | 4.5 / 5 (290) | Free | Oct 27, 2026 | Compare |
| Countryballs: Power Protocol | 4.5 / 5 (931) | Free | Jun 11, 2026 | Compare |
| Idle Ball Escape: Smash Rings | 4.5 / 5 (2,831) | Free | Sep 12, 2026 | Compare |
| Galactic Merge Idle | 4.3 / 5 (1,825) | Free | Oct 24, 2026 | Compare |