How to play Paperclip
Paperclip is a free daily puzzle. You start with a red paperclip and a market full of traders, and you swap your way up to the day’s prize in as few trades as you can. A game takes two to five minutes.
The rules
- You start with one red paperclip in your bag.
- Each trader offers one swap: they want something, and they give something back. Some want two things, and some give two.
- Each trader trades only once.
- Get the day’s prize into your bag to win.
- Every market has a shortest route. On Mondays and Tuesdays it’s 5 trades, from Wednesday to Friday it’s 6, and at weekends it’s 7.
A tiny example
This is the practice market Paperclip shows first-time players. The prize is a hot-air balloon, and there are four traders:
- The potter gives a marble and wants a red paperclip.
- The florist gives a ribbon and wants a red paperclip.
- The tailor gives a kite and wants a ribbon.
- The baker gives a hot-air balloon and wants a kite.
Both the potter and the florist will take your paperclip, but only one of them leads anywhere. Start from the prize instead: the baker wants a kite, the tailor gives a kite for a ribbon, and the florist gives a ribbon for your paperclip. So the shortest route is florist, tailor, baker: three trades. Trade with the potter first and you’re stuck with a marble nobody wants.
Stars
- Three stars: the shortest route, with no undos.
- Two stars: the shortest route, with undos.
- One star: you reached the prize, the long way round.
Every daily solve adds the prize to your prize shelf, keeps your streak going, and can earn badges and complete collections.
Tips for finding the shortest route
- Work backwards. Find the trader who gives the prize, see what they want, then find who gives that. The route is usually easier to see from the end.
- Count the traders who want two things. You have to collect both items before they’ll swap, and every item costs a trade.
- Look for traders who give two things. One swap that hands you two items can save a whole step.
- Don’t stop at the first route you find. Every market hides a longer route that also reaches the prize, and a few trades that lead nowhere. Count your route against the shortest before you start.
- Take your time. There’s no timer, and using Undo costs the third star, so plan the whole route before your first trade.
- Shrink the market. Choose “Can trade now” to show only the traders who want something you have.
If a trade makes the prize impossible to reach, Paperclip tells you straight away. Undo last trade takes it back, and Start over resets the market.
Questions
Is Paperclip free?
Yes. The daily puzzle is free for everyone, with no ads and no sign-up. A one-time US$2.99 unlock adds unlimited practice markets, Expert markets, the archive of past puzzles and your full history. See pricing.
When does the new puzzle come out?
A new market opens every day at midnight, in your own time zone.
Do I need an account?
No. Your streaks, badges and prizes are saved in your browser. If you buy the unlock, signing in with Google or your email keeps them on every device.
Can I play past puzzles?
Yes, with the unlock. The archive has every daily puzzle since the first one on 16 October 2026.
What are Expert markets?
Bigger markets, part of the unlock, where the shortest route is 8 to 10 trades and the traps are nastier.
Does Paperclip work on phones?
Yes. It runs in the browser on phones, tablets and computers, with nothing to install. It also works with a keyboard alone and with screen readers: see the accessibility guide.
How do I share my result?
When you reach the prize, press Share result or Copy result. You get a short, spoiler-free summary of your stars and trades to paste anywhere.
Why a red paperclip?
In 2005 and 2006, Kyle MacDonald traded one red paperclip up to a house in 14 swaps. Read the whole story, trade by trade.
Something else? Ask me.