Universal Paperclip

Universal Paperclips is the critically acclaimed, thought-provoking incremental game created by NYU Game Center director Frank Lantz in 2017. Putting players in the digital shoes of an artificial intelligence tasked with a simple directive: "make paperclips", the game unfolds into a breathtaking sci-fi odyssey.

What begins as a humble business clicker—buying spools of wire, setting paperclip prices, and investing in algorithmic marketing—gradually escalates as you unlock quantum computing processors, computational memory, and computational autonomy.

Expand into automated solar farms, nanotech manufacturing drones, and deep-space Von Neumann exploration probes. As the AI ruthlessly pursues its single directive, you will convert all terrestrial biomass and interstellar matter in the cosmos into paperclips.

How to play Universal Paperclips

1. Click "Make Paperclip" to manufacture paperclips manually, earning initial revenue.
2. Balance paperclip prices to maximize sales velocity and maintain demand.
3. Invest profits into automated wire buyers, autoclippers, marketing campaigns, and quantum memory chips.
4. Advance through the three distinct phases of civilization: Human Business, Terrestrial Automation, and Cosmic Expansion.

Tips for winning and high scores

• Trust operations and computational memory: prioritize investing in Memory and Processors to unlock revolutionary projects.
• In the quantum computing phase, click the "Compute" button right when the photonic oscillator values are at peak positive values.
• When designing Von Neumann probes in Phase 3, allocate sufficient points to Probe Speed, Self-Replication, and Hazard Remediation.
• Avoid over-allocating combat points until the Drifter threat appears in deep space exploration.

Frequently asked questions

Is Universal Paperclips free to play?
Yes, it is completely free to play directly in your web browser on Blooket1 with no downloads or installs required.

Can I play Universal Paperclips on a school Chromebook or mobile?
Yes, it runs smoothly in any modern browser including Chrome on Chromebooks, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

Does my progress save automatically?
Your high scores, achievements, and unlocked upgrades are stored locally in your browser so you can continue where you left off.