Escape your captivity in Search For The Needle Chapter 5 by collecting hay, uncovering ancient relics, and taking down a monstrous boss. The evil Farmer promises your release in exchange for a hidden potion, but fulfilling his request triggers a fierce battle at the farm gates.
Completing this chapter requires smart tool upgrades to dig through massive haystacks, solving an intricate stone sundial puzzle, and defeating The Farmer across two distinct combat phases. Following the optimal farming route and upgrade path keeps the entire run quick and manageable.
Search For The Needle Chapter 5 Walkthrough & Ending Guide
Gathering Hay and Unlocking Farm Upgrades
Your journey begins trapped behind the desert fence after the Farmer orders you to find his lost potion in the haystacks. Approach the nearest pile and start harvesting loose straw strands by hand.
Carry your harvested straw over to the camel trough marked Sell to convert your inventory into cash. Once you have a few dollars, walk into the wooden barn to purchase essential tool upgrades from the shop racks.
| Tool / Upgrade | Shop Cost | Practical Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Hand Speed / Hold | $0.25 – $1.00 | Enables continuous holding and accelerates single-grab speed. |
| Pitchfork | $8.00 | Stabs deep layers out of haystacks much faster than bare hands. |
| Bag Capacity | $2.50 – $10.00 | Increases your max carry space from 50 to 100, 150, and 250+ hay. |
| TNT | $25.00 | Clears large craters instantly when thrown directly onto a mound. |
| Vacuum | $69.99 | Rapidly suctions hay continuously, limited by an overheat heat bar. |
Prioritize unlocking the Pitchfork and increasing your bag size before buying explosives or high-tier machinery. Investing in carry capacity cuts down your travel time back and forth to the camel stall.
Digging Up the Three Sundial Tablets
Once you equip the Pitchfork and later the Vacuum, focus on thoroughly excavating every large haystack scattered around the yard. Hidden deep beneath the straw layers are three ancient stone tablets required for the courtyard mechanism.
A stone tablet uncovered inside the carved-out haystack
Use TNT to blast away dense top layers and quickly reveal whatever lies buried at ground level. Approach each discovered tablet and hold the interaction key to add it to your inventory before moving to the next pile.
- Tablet 1 (Sun Icon): Found buried near the central yard path beneath a tall mound.
- Tablet 2 (Moon Icon): Uncovered inside the haystack adjacent to the wooden paddock fence.
- Tablet 3 (Ankh Icon): Discovered near the perimeter rocks toward the mine shaft tunnel.
Continue selling excess straw while searching to afford the Vacuum. The continuous suction power lets you clear remaining mounds in seconds.
Solving the Sundial and Retrieving the Potion
Head to the circular stone sundial located in the yard near the painted vases. Place the three collected tablets onto the empty pedestal mounts surrounding the dial.
Interacting with the stone crank box beside the sundial
Each stone pedestal features a wooden crank handle that rotates the concentric puzzle rings on the sundial platform. Hold the interact prompt on each crank to rotate the inner and outer sections until the symbols match the corresponding tablet icons.
Golden beam shooting from the center of the completed sundial
When all symbols align correctly, a bright golden light erupts from the center of the dais and reveals the red potion bottle. Pick up the potion, slot it into your hotbar, and walk toward the front gates where the Farmer is waiting.
Boss Fight: Defeating The Farmer
Handing over the bottle triggers a cutscene where the Farmer drinks the concoction and mutates into a giant scarecrow beast sporting razor-sharp claws. He possesses 5,000 total health points, and the gate locks shut behind you.
During phase one, watch for red circle indicators on the dirt and sprint away whenever the on-screen warning shouts “RUN!” or “MOVE!”. Aim your Pitchfork, TNT, or active Vacuum stream directly at the purple bullseye targets on his chest and arms to disable his attacks.
Hitting the glowing target spots triggers a dazed state marked as DAZED! X1.5 DAMAGE. Unleash full damage with your best tools while his head droops and he is unable to retaliate.
When he summons regular scarecrow minions (“Up, scarecrows! Up!”), kite them in circles around the yard. Clear them out quickly with sweeping swings or explosive TNT so they do not trap you against the fences.
At half health, the boss enters an enraged state and knocks off his straw hat, increasing his movement speed and attack aggression. He tosses corrosive green puddles on the ground and sends swarms of crows your way.
If the Farmer manages to snare you with a grab attack, mash the jump button repeatedly to break free before taking lethal damage. Keep circling the arena, detonating dynamite sticks at his feet whenever his dazed window opens.
Chapter 5 Ending Cutscene
Reducing The Farmer’s health bar to zero completes the objective and flashes the victory banner across your screen. The defeated scarecrow collapses into the dirt as green magical mist evaporates from his clothes.
Your character drops their tools and safely slips past the wooden gate toward freedom. A brief cutscene shows your character’s companion safe in the wild grass as the screen fades out, teasing the upcoming chapter.
