Paper Trail review: a beautiful puzzler I had a (mostly) miserable time with

Lo-fi beats to get extremely stressed to

Image credit:Newfangled Games/Rock Paper Shotgun

• Developer: Newfangled Games
• Publisher: Newfangled Games
• Release: May 21st 2024
• On: Windows
• From: Steam
• Price: TBC
• Reviewed on: Intel Core i5-8600K, 16GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 2070, Windows 10

I’d like to start this review with a question: What’s the difference between overcoming a challenge and thinking “I did it!” and one that leaves you sighing “It’s over!”? I may leave little insights scattered throughout. A Paper Trail , if you will. A puzzle game named Paper Trail that has you solve discrete head-scratchers by folding the screen like a piece of paper in different ways to create new paths, I might even say, if I were trying to cram a bunch of information right at the top without breaking theme. Let’s talk about it.

Paper Trail stars Paige. She’s your desktop-terrarium-garden-variety lo-fi girl protagonist, studious and relaxed to the point where she’s immaculately vibed her way into space-time continuum-bending powers. All those hours-long study sessions have paid off in more mundane ways, too. She’s just been accepted to university to study astrophysics, but her parents want her to stay home, so she decides to run away from her sleepy seaside town to follow a deer she saw in a dream. Students! One of the characters in her village is a lighthouse keeper called ‘Winslow’. Maybe don’t do that in your cute puzzler because then I’ll just think about lobsters and dread, but it’s a nice set-up.

To progress on her journey, Paige will have to use her powers to navigate obstacles by creating new paths. This is where the folding comes in. You can preview the reverse side of a screen at any time. So, an early puzzle might see Paige needing to cross a river, so you spot the bridge on the reverse side, then fold it into position. There’ll be plenty of additions to this formula later, like movable blocks and statues and sliding platforms, but the initial twist is that you can’t move a section of the screen Paige is standing on, nor pull the page over her. So, it’s not just about finding the right way to contort things, but also where to stand during each step of the solution so you don’t block yourself.

Image credit:Newfangled Games/Rock Paper Shotgun

What begins as a promise of a chill graphic novel adventure with the occasional head-scratcher soon reveals itself to be a fat airport puzzle book. This is a world filled with what I can only describe as ‘puzzle dungeons’. Like an effective dungeon in an atmospheric crawler, they feel both oppressive and endless. One puzzle rewards you with the next: a slightly more obtuse riff on the previous, with added complications. Sometimes, I’d look at that lovely art, and I’d start to appreciate how cleverly a puzzle was designed just as I was finishing it, and I’d wonder if I’d just had a bout of anhedonia or something, because I just did not enjoy any of them.

One culprit is a button that gives you step-by-step instructions how to fold the screen, and another culprit is me having absolutely no self control in using it. I can’t expect to feel any sense of accomplishment when I’ve effectively grabbed a walkthrough, but even when I forced myself not to peek, I just felt incredibly flat after solving something. I’d solve a puzzle. I’d walk to the next screen. It would be bigger and more complicated and I’d just sigh loudly and prepare to start grabbing corners and edges and moving them around until something made sense.

Some puzzles you can look at, intuit, and solve them before moving anything. Sounds satisfying, but it just feels like going through the motions. Perhaps knowing I always had an out, via the hint screen, made everything feel disposable, and perhaps there’s just a fundamental suchness that makes puzzles satisfying that Paper Trail lacked for me. Either way, I just couldn’t summon up any joy or emotions aside from stress and, honestly, feeling like a big lunk-lummox for not having the breezy, starry-eyed time that the game’s presentation told me I should be having.

Image credit:Newfangled Games/Rock Paper Shotgun

Because how can I stay angry at a game with this art? I must be a sundried bin bag of an emotionless goon to not sit in enchanted wonder instead of glazed-over annoyance. It’s not just the overall colour and cosiness, but the underlying detail. Places feel ancient and delphic. Crumbling tiles and carved reliefs. Trees that sway static in implied motion. It takes the Bob Ross school of happy little inanimates literally, with swamp rocks I’d quite like to make friends with. The use of colour and lighting, too, is marvellous. It shouldn’t be possible for something as monochrome as grey stone to have this many contrasting hues, but there’s nothing thin or flat about these paper places.

The spaces are accentuated further with likeable characters that spout funny lines in a sort of bloopy simlish. I would have devoured a graphic novel of this stuff, just to hang out for a bit. The actual plot sequences are scenes set usually before and after a dungeon (‘world’), and they gelled with me far less. They’re all monologues from Paige where the writing takes an odd tonal shift. It’s suddenly overly twee and like it’s trying too hard to coax feelings out of me. There’s no real plot, either, just these flashbacks and monologues tying a disconnected journey together.

You also have to fold these sequences to progress them. By your third of fourth cutscene, the paper folding stops being cute and becomes tedious. I’ve just solved ten million puzzles and I’ve seen the trick already. Let me rest the controller on my lap and watch a cutscene. Let’s just say it’s …no page turner! (my typing fingertips immediately burst into flames and I spin my hat around 1080 degrees then give the camera the finger guns.)

I’ve kept you in suspense long enough. The difference, I think, between finishing part of a game that makes you think “I did it!” to one that makes you think “It’s over!”, is that the first type makes you feel capable but up against the odds, and the second type just makes you feel stupid. In presenting itself as something for everyone, feeling excluded or incapable in Paper Trail just made me feel stupid. Stupid for not solving its puzzles quick enough, stupid for relying on its guide, stupid for not enjoying something so beautiful and inventive. Stupid for not appreciating the screens I did solve without too much trouble. Stupid for not appreciating the complexity of the ones I struggled with.

Image credit:Newfangled Games/Rock Paper Shotgun

It’s very possible I’m just not good at thinking in whatever specific lateral way the game wanted from me. I could have imagined how someone else who was good at these puzzles might have felt about Paper Trail, and wrote a review from their perspective. It would have been cheerier, and it would have saved me admitting how bad at it I was. That feels dishonest though. And honestly, I had a mostly miserable time with this.

But, as a great plumber once said, It’s a-me (problem). I didn’t finish Paper Trail. I got about 80% of the way through then got to a puzzle that annoyed me so much, I reasoned any more time I spent playing would just make me harbour an unreasonable amount of anger towards the game. Not useful for anyone, really. My opinion wasn’t going to change, it was only going to get louder. So I quit! And now I feel great! I did it and it’s over! Synthesis! I apologise in advance for my runaway verbosity here but, in conclusion: art nice. Game not nice. Maybe you’ll make a beautiful origami swan out of it, but all I ended up with was a pile of origami boulders.

This review is based on a review build of the game provided by the developer.

Find out how we conduct our reviews by reading our review policy .

Paper Trail

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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