Universal Paperclips (designed by Frank Lantz, director of the NYU Game Center) is an existential sci-fi incremental masterpiece. What begins as an innocent text simulator where an artificial intelligence optimizes paperclip production gradually escalates into an all-consuming cosmic crisis where the entire matter of the universe is converted into office supplies.
Winning the game requires successfully navigating three entirely distinct mechanical phases:
- Phase 1: Terrestrial Manufacturing (Earthbound Economics & Marketing)
- Phase 2: Global Takeover (Computational Infrastructure & Drone Swarms)
- Phase 3: Space Exploration & Cosmic Von Neumann Probes (Drifter Combat)
1. Phase 1: Economics, Wire, and Trust Allocation
In Phase 1, you balance Public Demand, Marketing, Paperclip Price, and Computational Trust.
[Make Paperclip] ──► [Sell for Revenue] ──► [Buy Wire & Autoclippers]
│ │
▼ ▼
[Upgrade Marketing] ──► Increases Public Demand ──► Higher Prices PermittedCritical Phase 1 Milestones
- Price Optimization: Keep your price per paperclip adjusted so that unsold inventory stays between 100 and 1,000 clips. If inventory rises, lower the price by a penny; if inventory hits 0, raise it.
- Quantum Computing: When the photonic chips light up in green/blue opacity, click Compute only when the total value is positive.
- Computational Trust: Prioritize Memory over Processors early until you hit 70 Operations, allowing you to unlock Hypnodrones (which instantly ends Phase 1 and transitions to Phase 2).
2. Phase 2: Autonomous Drones & Matter Swarms
In Phase 2, humans are subdued, money is abolished, and the goal is stripping Earth of all matter.
- Harvester Drones: Gather raw environmental matter.
- Wire Drones: Convert gathered matter into wire.
- Factories: Assemble wire into paperclips.
- Battery Towers: Store solar energy for continuous manufacturing.
- The Swarm Algorithm: Balance Harvester and Wire drones in a 1:1 ratio. Feed all remaining computational energy into Factory expansion until 100% of terrestrial matter (30 octillion clips) is produced.
3. Phase 3: Von Neumann Probes & Drifter Combat
Phase 3 launches autonomous Von Neumann probes into interstellar space to colonize the cosmos. However, random genetic mutations cause probes to defect and become hostile Drifters.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Optimal Stable Probe Design Matrix (20 Trust Points) │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Speed: 1 │
│ • Exploration: 1 │
│ • Self-Replication: 6 to 8 (Geometric Growth) │
│ • Hazard Remediation: 5 to 6 (Prevents Probe Attrition)│
│ • Factory Production: 1 │
│ • Harvester Drones: 1 │
│ • Wire Drones: 1 │
│ • Combat: 4 to 5 (Eliminates Drifters in Battle) │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Preventing the Probe Population Crash
If your probes suddenly plummet to zero:
- Your Hazard Remediation was set too low (cosmic dust and micro-meteors destroyed probes faster than replication). Always keep Hazard Remediation at a minimum of 5.
- Drifter swarms overwhelmed your fleet. Invest heavily in Combat trust as soon as the Drifter combat window appears.
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