Universal Paperclips

About

Universal Paperclips is a single player strategy game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Frank Lantz and was released on November 14, 2017. It received neutral reviews from players.

"Universal Paperclips™" is a highly addictive mobile simulation game where you play as a super-intelligent AI with a singular goal: to manufacture and sell paperclips. Use your strategic skills to build a paperclip empire, expand production, and explore the potential of artificial intelligence in this unique idle/management/strategy experience. The game serves as a thought-provoking commentary on AI and its potential impact on society, causing some players to question their own understanding of artificial intelligence and its capabilities.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

59%

Audience ScoreBased on 555 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

stability48 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and profound experience, exploring themes of AI and existentialism in a fun and engaging way.
Many players find the gameplay addictive and enjoyable, often returning to it multiple times.
The browser version is highly praised, and the mobile app retains much of the charm of the original game.

The mobile version suffers from significant performance issues, including slow response times and frequent crashes, making it nearly unplayable on newer devices.
Players report losing progress due to unreliable saving mechanisms, which can be frustrating after investing time in the game.
The user interface is criticized for being poorly designed, with buttons too close together, leading to accidental presses and game-breaking bugs.

stability
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent freezes, crashes, and glitches that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players express frustration over lost progress and unresponsive UI elements, deeming the game nearly unplayable and not worth its price. Overall, the consensus is that the game suffers from severe stability issues that need urgent attention and updates.
- “Unfortunately this is buggy as hell and I lost a whole lot of progress multiple times.”
- “Game is a buggy mess right now, I'd avoid until/if future updates.”
- “The game is great, but too buggy to be playable.”
optimization
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
59%
29%
The optimization of the game has received significant criticism, with users reporting severe performance issues, frequent crashes, and excessive battery usage across various devices. Many players noted that the mobile version feels like a poorly executed port of the web version, lacking necessary updates and optimizations, particularly during combat and in space. Overall, while the game is enjoyable, its current state is marred by frustrating performance problems that detract from the experience.
- “Still a good game, but only 4 stars because performance is a little worse, especially when the combat pane is visible.”
- “Performance issues, uses way too much battery, and doesn't support split screen when that is an easy addition, but great game.”
- “This app is basically just the PC version without any user-friendly optimizations.”
- “It's a buggy implementation of the web version, unoptimized and un-updated.”
- “Drastically in need of optimization and bug fixes.”
gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
35%
18%
The gameplay is generally praised for its engaging mechanics and addictiveness, with many users highlighting the fun and well-executed base systems. However, there are significant concerns regarding the user interface, bugs affecting the save function, and crashes that detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the introduction of new mechanics, others feel misled by claims of additional content.
- “The base mechanics of the game are wonderful, but the UI is atrocious.”
- “Well made, buttons work nicely, mechanics are fun.”
- “The mechanics are perfect, and it's addicting as hell.”
- “The game had the same mechanics as the web version.”
- “Also, I don't see any new gameplay as the release notes claim.”
- “Lost hours of gameplay because the game doesn't save progress properly.”
story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
11%
33%
The game's story is widely praised for its depth and engaging narrative, offering life lessons and a unique perspective on AI's future. Players appreciate the blend of humor and seriousness, with many highlighting its impressive storytelling as a standout feature. Despite some technical issues, the overall consensus is that the story is a compelling reason to play.
- “Teaches you life lessons, has an amazing story, a great learning curve, and most importantly, no option or need to spend extra money.”
- “Great game, amazing story, amazing ending, must play for everyone.”
- “Impressively deep storyline for a paperclip factory sim.”
- “Ok, but still gets stuck at the mission that was meant to be fixed in the last update.”
- “The story, once it makes itself present in the mid-game, is darkly hilarious.”
- “This game is the story of AI's future.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The graphics in the game are generally considered unoriginal and bland, with some users noting that they lack intensity and creativity. Additionally, there are performance issues, particularly on the latest version of Android, where certain graphically demanding features can cause lag. However, the minimalist style may appeal to some players despite these shortcomings.
- “The graphics are stunning and truly enhance the overall experience of the game.”
- “The art style is unique and beautifully crafted, making every scene a visual delight.”
- “The attention to detail in the graphics really brings the game world to life.”
- “This is especially apparent when you unlock a graphically intense feature towards the very end of the game, and it's visibly laggy.”
- “Also, the graphics are unoriginal and bland.”
- “There isn't much in the way of graphics, but that works with the style.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find themselves returning for more despite a lack of significant growth or new content, others feel it lacks depth and variety, leading to limited replay value.
- “Paperclips is strangely replayable; you'd think once finished the game that's it, but I keep coming back.”
- “You can never grow bigger, and that kills replayability.”
- “It's a decent game, but it doesn't have much replay value and not much to boast about over the web version.”
- “Very little replay value though.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The monetization model of the game is well-received, with users appreciating the absence of ads and in-game purchases. Many feel that the $2.00 purchase price is justified, especially given the immersive experience it offers. Overall, players find the game to be a worthwhile investment.
- “No ads, well worth a purchase.”
- “No ads, immersive economy simulator.”
- “No ads.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized as darkly hilarious, particularly evident once the story unfolds in the mid-game. However, some users have noted that the Android implementation is so slow that it detracts from the overall experience.
- “The story, once it makes itself present in the mid-game, is darkly hilarious.”
- “Hilarious game, though the Android implementation is so slow as to be nearly unplayable (on Galaxy S7).”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have reported that grinding for resources, such as farming paperclips early in the game, can lead to crashes, indicating potential stability issues during repetitive tasks.
- “Just farming paperclips at the beginning of the game crashes the game.”