How to Save Your Progress in Universal Paperclips?
If you want to play Universal Paperclips indefinitely, be cautious: you can lose all progress if you clear your browser cache or change laptops. To create a save file and load it later, follow these steps:
- Copy the script: If you don’t know how to run it, first copy the script into your clipboard (highlight the entire line above and press command c).
- Open the game: In Chrome, go to the paperclip game webpage—right-click on your mouse—click ‘inspect’—click ‘console’—right-click and press ‘paste’—press enter.
- Save your game: You’ll see a bunch of grey text appear under ‘COPY ALL TEXT BELOW THIS LINE AND SAVE IN A TEXTFILE SOMEWHERE’. Save that text to a text file or email it somewhere. This will be your savegame file.
- Loading your save: Whenever you want to load that save file, just go back into the console (mentioned in step 2) and paste the contents that you saved in step 3.
- Repeat saving: You will need to repeat steps 1-4 every time you want to save the game.
However, the game loop will restore the values almost immediately, so you must halt the loop first. The loop is running with several setInterval calls, which can be halted with clearInterval. To clear all intervals:
- Create a new interval and hit its id well: let id = window.setInterval(() => {});
- Then, for each interval, use: for (let i = 0; i <= id; i++) window.clearInterval(i);
- Finally, run localStorage.clear.
After stopping the game, you can edit the game state. On Firefox, follow these steps:
- While on the game tab, use Tools -> Web Developer -> Web Console -> Storage -> Local Storage.
- Right-click and then select ‘delete all’.
You can also save game states by locally saving (in a text file on your computer) the saveGame, saveProjectsActive, saveProjectsFlags, saveProjectsUses, and saveStratsActive variables. Edit them at will, and the game will resume with them after loading, even if you close the tab and open it again.
Is There a Way to Transfer Universal Paperclips to PC?
You can transfer the game progress from your Windows 10 PC to your new Windows 10 PC manually by copying the folder with game saves.
To do this, follow the steps below:
- On your older computer, make sure you close the game properly.
- Press the ESC button on your keyboard when you are in the City View.
- Confirm you want to exit the game.
- Locate the folder with your progress. Here is where your saves are located:
- c:\s\NAME\AppData\Local\Packages\AWEMGAMESLTD.CradleofEmpiresf2p_bk6jmky90x9y4\LocalState\Awem\Cradle Of Empires. Note: NAME – your Windows profile name. AppData is a hidden folder. Please make it visible as described here. This number is unique and you will have your own number.
- Save the folder to a USB flash drive, external hard drive, or any file sharing service such as Google Drive or Dropbox.
Next, on your new computer:
- Install the game from the Microsoft store.
- Open the game and complete the tutorial so that a new saves folder can be generated.
- Close the game by pressing the ESC button in the City View and confirming you want to exit.
- Find and delete all the files inside the generated folder on your new computer:
- c:\s\NAME\AppData\Local\Packages\AWEMGAMESLTD.CradleofEmpiresf2p_bk6jmky90x9y4\LocalState\Awem\Cradle Of Empires.
- Copy the files from the Cradle Of Empires folder saved on your USB flash drive, external hard drive, or file sharing service into the empty Cradle Of Empires folder that has just been generated on your new computer.
As long as the port uses the same format, it should in theory be possible to transfer the savefile into the mobile version.
Common Issues: What to Do When Paperclip Game is Stuck?
When encountering issues with the Paperclip Game being stuck, here are some troubleshooting solutions:
- Initially, if you experience a lack of clips after progressing to stage 3, you may face challenges with self-replication and factory production.
- In this case, the game allows you to use 10 memory to regain clips. However, this may not provide a lasting solution as the clips run out quickly.
- Another common issue is running out of resources entirely. For example, you might find yourself stuck with no matter or wire to harvest, resulting in no clips being produced.
- If the game is stuck between load and unload, you can try a few techniques. For instance, you might attempt to push the paperclip into the side hole.
- Moreover, a useful method to reset the game state involves using the browser console. Generally, you can open it by pressing F12. Then, enter reset(). This action will halt game loops, allowing you to clear localStorage, which also lets you edit the game state.
How Long Does It Typically Take to Complete Universal Paperclips?
Universal Paperclips typically takes between 6 to 9 hours to complete. Specifically, the average time for the main story is 6 hours and 36 minutes. For those aiming to do a completionist run, it averages around 8 hours and 50 minutes.
For different play styles, the average completion times are as follows:
- Main Story – 6h 36m
- Main + Extras – 7h 54m
- Completionist – 8h 50m
- All PlayStyles – 7h 2m
In of speedrunning, the fastest recorded time for completing Universal Paperclips is 2 hours and 23 minutes.
Furthermore, players report varying completion times. Generally, players finish Universal Paperclips in about 1 hour 35 minutes for full completion. However, some have achieved faster times, including:
- 1 hour 1 minute
- 1 hour 20 minutes 53 seconds
- 1 hour 38 minutes
- 48 minutes 12 seconds under specific conditions
Players can also compete with friends on HowLongToBeat and share their completion times. This shows that the game can be completed relatively quickly, with some strategies allowing for completion under 2 hours 20 minutes.
Strategies for Restarting the Paperclip Game Effectively?
Strategies for restarting the Paperclip Game effectively include:
- Use the browser console to halt the game loops and then clear local storage.
- Open the game in an incognito window on Chrome/Firefox to reset it when you close the tab/window.
- Use cheats to reset the game without Quantum Temporal Reversion. This method is particularly useful in the late game.
- Consider Xavier Re-initialization during Stage 1 as an alternative reset method.
- Edit the game state directly on local storage in your browser.
Additionally, it’s important to manage your resources effectively:
- Be mindful of wire prices as they fluctuate constantly. In Stage 1, running out of wire can stall your progress.
- Purchase wire when prices are low, ideally around $10, to maintain production.
- Your paperclips can be sold at various prices; starting low (around $0.10) can boost demand and sales.
- After a certain point, accumulate Trust, which can be spent on Memory and Process upgrades. Focus on achieving 6 Process and 9 Memory, then build Memory to 12.
- Aim for Hypno Harmonics to enable a significant increase in paperclip prices.