What Is Paper.io?

Paper.io is a territory-capture IO game developed by Voodoo, the French mobile studio known for creating some of the most-downloaded casual apps ever released. The concept is deceptively simple: you control a colored square on a grid, and you claim territory by drawing loops that connect back to your existing territory. The more land inside your loop, the more territory you capture. The catch: your trail is vulnerable while you're outside your territory — if another player crosses your trail before you close the loop, you're eliminated. Paper.io turned this concept into one of the most-played mobile games in history.

How to Play Paper.io

You start with a small colored square in one corner of the board. Move outward from your territory to draw a trail, then curve back into your existing territory to complete a loop and capture everything inside it. The bigger the loop, the more territory you claim — but the longer your trail, the more vulnerable you are. Other players can eliminate you by crossing your trail while you're outside your territory. Eliminate opponents by crossing their trails while they're away from home. The player controlling the most territory when time runs out (or when all others are eliminated) wins.

Controls

  • Arrow Keys — move your square
  • WASD — alternative movement
  • Mouse movement — swipe direction on mobile

Territory Strategy

Secure the corners first. Corners are only attackable from two sides instead of four. Claim a corner early and use it as a defensive anchor, then expand outward from that protected position.

Take small, frequent bites. Many beginners make massive loops gambling on huge territory gains. Experienced players take smaller but faster loops. A quick, small capture is far safer than a slow, giant one.

Cut opponents off from their base. If you see an opponent with a long trail far from home, draw a line between them and their territory. They'll be destroyed the moment their trail is crossed, and you'll inherit their land.

Watch for tail hunters. Some players ignore territory entirely and hunt other players' trails exclusively. If someone is following your trail repeatedly, stop making long loops and bait them into following you close to your territory before turning suddenly.

Advanced Techniques

The aggressive sweep involves crossing the center of the board with a large arc while your opponents are busy elsewhere. This can capture 20–30% of the total board in one move. High risk, massive reward.

Territory denial means sitting on the edge of the board and slowly filling in huge amounts of empty space near the border, where other players rarely patrol. Boring but extremely effective in longer matches.

The delayed close means pretending to extend your trail further before suddenly closing the loop. Opponents anticipating where you'll close are frequently caught off-guard by an unexpected earlier return.

Paper.io vs. Paper.io 2

Paper.io 2 added a 3D perspective, new visual effects, and a more aggressive multiplayer-focused design. The original Paper.io is cleaner and arguably fairer — the 2D top-down view gives you complete situational awareness, which rewards strategic play more heavily than reaction speed. Both are great games. Paper.io is the purer territory-strategy experience; Paper.io 2 is faster and more visually dynamic. For learning the mechanics, the original is the better starting point.