Terms of Use
Short version: have fun, play fair, be kind, pick a friendly name. The game is free, coins and diamonds are only for fun and have no money value, and we can't promise the game will always be online.
1. About these terms
These terms apply to the browser game Needle in a Haystack at needleinahaystack.io (the "Game"). The Game is run by Timur Atmaca, a private person in Germany (see the Legal Notice). "We" and "us" mean the operator; "you" means the player. By playing, you agree to these terms. How we handle personal data is explained in our Privacy Policy.
If you are a child, please read these terms together with a parent or guardian.
2. Playing as a guest
Anyone can play the Game for free without an account. As a guest, your farm is saved only in your own browser. If you clear your browser data, change browser or device, or your browser deletes its storage, the save can be lost and we cannot bring it back.
3. Accounts
- An account is optional. You must be 13 or older to make one. If you live in the EU and are under 16, or if your local law requires it, ask a parent or guardian first.
- One person, one account for races and leaderboards. Do not share your account and do not use someone else's.
- Keep your password secret. Tell us at support@needleinahaystack.io if you think someone else is using your account.
- You can delete your account at any time in the game (Account → Delete Account…). This deletes your cloud saves too.
4. Player names
Your player name is visible to other players. Please choose a friendly name and:
- do not use your real name, your address, school, phone number or any other personal information;
- do not use rude, hateful, violent, sexual or bullying words;
- do not pretend to be another person, a moderator or the game team;
- do not use names that advertise something or infringe someone else's rights.
The Game blocks many bad words automatically. We may still rename or remove a name that breaks these rules, or suspend the account.
5. Fair play
Races and leaderboards are only fun when everyone plays fair. You must not:
- use cheats, hacks, bots, macros, scripts, modified game files or tools that give you an unfair advantage (for example teleporting, speed hacks or reading where the needle is);
- exploit bugs on purpose instead of telling us about them;
- make several accounts or use a second tab or device to "farm" wins;
- attack, overload or try to break into the Game, its servers or other players' accounts;
- bother, threaten or bully other players, for example through friend requests.
The race server checks races, Daily Event finds, diamond rewards and cloud saves automatically. Results that look impossible (for example a player who jumps across the map) do not count. If you break these rules, we may cancel results and wins, remove you from leaderboards, and suspend or delete your account. Please report bugs and cheaters to support@needleinahaystack.io.
6. Coins, diamonds and other virtual items
- Coins, diamonds, hay, tools, upgrades, boosts, outfits and other in-game items are virtual items only for playing the Game. You get a personal, non-transferable right to use them in the Game. You do not own them.
- Virtual items have no cash value. They cannot be exchanged for real money, goods or anything outside the Game, and cannot be sold, traded or given to other people outside what the Game allows.
- We may change prices, balance, rewards and items to keep the Game fair and fun. Progress can also be lost if a save is deleted or damaged.
- Prestige: when you Prestige, your farm starts over on a new pile: coins, tools and upgrades are reset. You keep your diamonds, Renown, looks, the Hay Drone, race wins and event items. With "Keep after Prestige" you can spend diamonds to keep some upgrades; the Game shows the price before you confirm.
- Diamonds and accounts: if you play with an account, your diamonds, looks, the Hay Drone and your daily reward streak are stored on our server, and the server's record counts. As a guest, they are stored only in your browser; diamonds you collect as a guest do not move to an account later, but rewards for stages and rare hay can be collected again under the normal rules.
- Rewards and events: the daily login reward, the welcome gift, stage rewards and Daily Event items can only be collected as the Game allows (for example once per day). Daily Event items are limited to the day of the event and can not be collected later.
- Right now the Game has no real-money purchases. Offers in the Store marked "Coming soon" can not be bought. If we ever add them, we will show the price clearly before you buy, and extra terms (including your legal consumer rights) will apply.
7. A free game, as it is
The Game is a free hobby project. We work hard to keep it running well, but we provide it "as is" and "as available". We may change, pause or stop the Game or parts of it (for example online races, leaderboards or cloud saves) at any time, and there may be bugs, downtime or lost data. Online features are marked "Beta" while they are new.
8. Liability
Because the Game is free, we are liable only for intent and gross negligence. This limit does not apply to injury to life, body or health, to claims under the German Product Liability Act, or where the law does not allow a limit. For players outside Germany, to the extent the law allows, we give no warranties of any kind, express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement.
9. Ending the use
You can stop playing and delete your account at any time. We may suspend or delete an account if these terms are seriously broken, if the law requires it, or if the Game is shut down. If we shut down the online services, we will try to tell players in the Game in good time so that everyone can download their cloud save.
10. Our content
The Game, its graphics, sounds, texts and code belong to us or our licensors. You may play and share links to the Game, and take screenshots and videos of your own play. Please do not copy, sell or re-publish the Game itself. Open-source parts are used under their own licenses, listed in the files LICENSE and THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md shipped with the Game.
11. Changes to these terms
We may update these terms, for example when new features arrive. The date at the top shows the latest version. For important changes, we will tell account players in the Game before the changes apply. If you do not agree, you can stop playing and delete your account.
12. Law and disputes
German law applies. If you are a consumer, you also keep the protection of the mandatory laws of the country where you live. We are a private person and do not take part in dispute resolution procedures before a consumer arbitration board. If something goes wrong, please just write to us first. We are happy to help.
13. Contact
Email: support@needleinahaystack.io. Postal address: see the Legal Notice.