Find The Needle Demo: what you get

Which app is the Demo?

The playable free build is Find The Needle Demo, Steam app 5165210, released September 10, 2026. The parent listing is app 5160800, still coming soon for Early Access.

Windows only. Install through Steam; keep the Demo and the full game as separate apps.

What loop does the Demo teach?

The Demo runs the same loop as the full listing: dig a haystack of about six million strands by hand, sell the hay, then spend on belts and machines until the factory does more of the work. You start with a metal detector, then tools such as shovels, buckets, wheelbarrows, pitchforks and vacuums, then belts, balers, scanners and robotic arms.

Use the beginner guide for the first hour and sell hay and money once the booth is paying.

What V8 changed for an existing save

The Demo V8 notes (September 11, 2026) reworked conveyor snap and pathfinding, added F for No Snap Mode, let E on a power pole shut down the electricity network, introduced U-Splitters and U-Joiners, cut Vacuum Yard price by 80%, and added BRICKS / HAY indicators on the Pellet Disc Machine.

Demo versus Early Access

Topic	Demo (5165210)	Full / EA (5160800)
Price	Free	See Steam; price planned to rise after EA
Release	September 10, 2026	Early Access November 6, 2026
Ending target	Shorter demo build	Find all 24 needles (EA FAQ)

Keep the Demo save as its own: November 6 starts a fresh haystack. Hardware is on system requirements; purchase notes are in the buying guide.