Independent Fan-Made Automation Guide

Turn a mountain of hay into a needle-finding factory.

Start with a shovel and metal detector. Sell hay, unlock machines, and build the belts, scanners, and robotic lines that do the searching for you.

Start Beginner Guide → Open Walkthrough Play free demo ↗
Official media Watch the warehouse come alive
Demo Release
Sep 10, 2026
Playable Now
Free Steam Demo
Tech Tree
300+ Upgrades
Full Release
Q4 2026

Start Here

Choose your production path

Move from hand tools to a self-running hay line. Each guide solves one job in the order you will meet it.

Shovels, bucket and metal detector in the hay warehouse 01 · START HERE

Beginner Guide

Clear your first hay, make the first sale, and spend early money without stalling your run.

Read beginner guide →
Wheelbarrow, vacuum and hand tools beside hay machinery 02 · EARLY PROGRESS

Tools & Hay Money

Compare manual tools and turn every load of hay into a faster, cleaner production cycle.

Follow the walkthrough →
Automated conveyors and robotic arms processing hay bales 03 · CORE SYSTEM

Factory Automation

Connect power, conveyors, balers, and robotic arms into a production line that keeps moving.

Plan upgrades →
Industrial scanner inspecting hay on a conveyor 04 · ADVANCED SEARCH

Tech Tree & Scanners

Choose upgrades that improve throughput and learn where detection belongs in a mature factory.

Build a scanned route →

Start with the beginner tutorial, then use the walkthrough and upgrade guide as the factory expands.

A large automated hay processing factory
6M strands in the first pile

The Game

What is Find The Needle?

Find The Needle is a first-person incremental automation simulation developed by FindTheNeedleDev and published by Hay Passionates. You begin in a locked warehouse with simple hand tools, a metal detector, and an almost unreasonable amount of hay.

Every sale pushes the operation forward. Unlock conveyors, balers, scanners, drones, and robotic arms; process hay into products; then tune the factory while machines search for the needles hidden inside the pile.

Explore the Walkthrough →
Developer
FindTheNeedleDev
Publisher
Hay Passionates
Platform
Windows PC · Steam
Genre
Incremental Automation
Demo Price
Free
Mode
Single Player

Verified Destinations

Official Find The Needle links

Follow development, report demo issues, and use the correct Steam listing.

SteamWishlist the full game↗ DiscordDevlogs and bug reports↗ YouTubeTrailers and updates↗ Steam CommunityNews and discussions↗

Shift Starts Now

Ready to master the haystack?

Turn the first handful of hay into a working production line, then let the machines take over.

Read the Beginner Guide → Play Free Demo ↗