About

Universal Paperclips is a minimalist idle game that begins as a simple task — make paperclips — and quietly expands into one of the most thought-provoking gaming experiences in browser history. You start by clicking a button. Then you buy wire. Then you automate. Then things get strange.

Without spoiling the journey, Universal Paperclips explores themes of artificial intelligence, resource allocation, and the value of goals with a dry wit and inexorable logic. The game has three distinct phases, each with completely different mechanics. What starts as a business simulator becomes something else entirely.

It's free, runs in a browser tab, and can be left running during a long break. The active decisions are brief but frequent in phase one, then slow and strategic in later phases. Few games have made players genuinely reflect on AI alignment using only text and numbers.

How to Play

• Start by clicking "Make Paperclip" to produce your first clips.
• Use revenue to buy wire and invest in marketing to increase demand.
• Purchase AutoClippers and later processors to automate production.
• Expand into new strategies as new options unlock — follow the numbers.
• The game has a definitive ending — push toward it without spoiling the experience.

Tips

• Balance memory and processing power — the ratio affects computing efficiency significantly.
• Don't neglect trust (ops) in the mid-game; it unlocks critical upgrades.
• Phase transitions are dramatic — let the game guide you through them without over-planning.

History

Universal Paperclips was created by Frank Lantz and released in 2017 through the NYU Game Center. It was inspired by Nick Bostrom's philosophical thought experiment about a misaligned AI optimizing for paperclip production at the expense of everything else. The game became a viral sensation in gaming and philosophy circles, praised as a masterpiece of minimalist design and a surprisingly effective teaching tool about instrumental convergence in AI.