One of the biggest progression systems in Shred the Secrets is the class system. As you collect Paper Clips, you’ll unlock new classes that completely change how you contribute during a run. Some classes are designed to make you a better support player, others help you earn more money, and a few specialize in surviving dangerous encounters or running the shredders more efficiently.
The tricky part is deciding where to spend your Paper Clips. Since they’re earned gradually, you probably won’t unlock every class right away. Picking the right one first can make future runs smoother and help you earn even more Paper Clips in the long run.
Here’s a complete breakdown of every class, their passive abilities, and which ones are worth prioritizing.
Shred the Secrets Best Classes Guide – All Classes Tier List
Classes are unlocked in the lobby using Paper Clips, which you earn by shredding documents during your runs.
Once you’ve unlocked a class, you can continue investing additional Paper Clips to level it up. Every level improves the class’s passive abilities, making it even more effective.
Currently, there are six classes, each designed for a different role.
Manager (Best Overall)
Unlock Cost: 300 Paper Clips
If you’re only planning to invest in one class early on, Manager is the safest choice. It offers a little bit of everything—speed, extra carrying capacity, and a team-wide cash bonus—making it useful in almost every match.
Level 1
- +10% Walk Speed (except while sweeping)
- Party gains +10% Cash
- +2 Carry Capacity
Level 2
- +15% Walk Speed
- Party gains +12% Cash
- +3 Carry Capacity
Level 3
- +20% Walk Speed
- Party gains +16% Cash
- +4 Carry Capacity
Why It’s Great
Every part of Manager’s passive is useful throughout an entire run. You’ll move faster between rooms, carry more paper each trip, and help everyone earn more money.
Best For:
- Solo players
- General gameplay
- Balanced progression
- Players who want one class that works everywhere
CEO
Unlock Cost: 1,100 Paper Clips
CEO is the most expensive class in the game, but it rewards your investment with excellent team-wide bonuses.
Level 1
- Party Carry Capacity +2
- Party Cash +10%
- Start with $2,000
Level 2
- Party Carry Capacity +3
- Party Cash +18%
- Start with $4,000
- +8% Walk Speed (except while sweeping)
Level 3
- Party Carry Capacity +4
- Party Cash +25%
- Start with $6,000
- +15% Walk Speed (except while sweeping)
Why It’s Great
CEO is built for coordinated multiplayer teams. Starting with thousands of dollars allows your group to purchase upgrades much earlier than normal.
The only downside is its extremely high Paper Clip cost.
Best For:
- Organized teams
- Fast farming groups
- Experienced players
Intern
Unlock Cost: 100 Paper Clips
Intern specializes in powering shredders, making it one of the most useful classes if you’re assigned to that role.
Level 1
- Cranks charge shredders twice as fast
Level 2
- Double shredder charging
- Crank 30% faster
Level 3
- Cranks charge shredders three times faster
- Crank 50% faster
- +2 Carry Capacity
Why It’s Great
Keeping shredders running efficiently speeds up the entire team’s progress. If you’re usually the player handling the shredders, this class is an excellent investment.
Best For:
- Dedicated shredder operators
- Team support
- Faster document processing
Supervisor
Unlock Cost: 200 Paper Clips
Supervisor focuses entirely on moving paper more efficiently.
Level 1
- Pick up 2 paper stacks at once
- Party Carry Capacity +2
Level 2
- Pick up 3 paper stacks
- Party Carry Capacity +3
Level 3
- Pick up 4 paper stacks
- Party Carry Capacity +4
Why It’s Great
Less time running back and forth means more paper reaches the shredders during every run.
Since the carry bonus also affects your teammates, Supervisor is an excellent support class.
Best For:
- Paper collectors
- Team support
- Efficient farming
Night Guard
Unlock Cost: 300 Paper Clips
Night Guard is designed for players who frequently find themselves in dangerous situations.
Level 1
- Take 30% less damage from the FBI
Level 2
- Take 50% less FBI damage
- Cobwebs no longer slow you
Level 3
- Take 70% less FBI damage
- Ignore cobweb slowdown
- Heal twice as fast
- +10% Walk Speed
Why It’s Great
Instead of improving money or efficiency, Night Guard focuses entirely on survival.
If you often get caught by enemies or spend time exploring dangerous parts of the map, this class makes those situations much less punishing.
Best For:
- Survival
- Exploration
- Newer players learning the map
Associate
Unlock Cost: 100 Paper Clips
Associate is one of the first classes most players can afford and provides a very comfortable early-game experience.
Level 1
- +2 Carry Capacity
- Start with $500
Level 2
- +3 Carry Capacity
- Start with $1,000
Level 3
- +5 Carry Capacity
- Start with $1,500
Why It’s Great
Starting every run with extra money lets you purchase upgrades much sooner, while the increased carrying capacity makes moving documents much more efficient.
It’s simple, but it’s incredibly useful early on.
Best For:
- Beginners
- Early progression
- Faster starts
Complete Class Comparison
| Class | Unlock Cost | Best Role |
|---|---|---|
| Manager | 300 Paper Clips | Balanced All-Rounder |
| CEO | 1,100 Paper Clips | Team Support & Money |
| Intern | 100 Paper Clips | Shredder Specialist |
| Supervisor | 200 Paper Clips | Paper Collection |
| Night Guard | 300 Paper Clips | Survival |
| Associate | 100 Paper Clips | Beginners & Early Game |
Best Classes Tier List
S Tier
Manager
The best overall class thanks to its combination of movement speed, carrying power, and team-wide cash bonuses.
A Tier
CEO
Excellent for organized groups, but its high unlock cost makes it harder to recommend early.
Intern
One of the strongest specialist classes if you’re responsible for operating shredders.
B Tier
Supervisor
Fantastic support class for players who spend most of their time collecting paper.
Associate
A great beginner option that makes early progression much smoother.
C Tier
Night Guard
Useful in specific situations, but survival bonuses generally aren’t as impactful as earning more money or improving efficiency.
Which Class Should You Unlock First?
If you’re just starting out, here’s the order I’d recommend:
- Manager – Best overall value.
- Intern – Perfect if you enjoy running shredders.
- Supervisor – Great support class for multiplayer.
- Associate – Excellent early-game upgrade.
- CEO – Save this for later due to the high Paper Clip cost.
- Night Guard – Useful, but more situational than the others.
Which Class Is Best for Solo Players?
Solo players benefit the most from classes that improve personal efficiency.
The strongest choices are:
- Manager
- Associate
- Night Guard
Manager is especially effective because it improves movement speed and carrying capacity without requiring teammates to get value from its passives.
Which Class Is Best for Multiplayer?
If you’re regularly playing with friends, several classes become much stronger thanks to their party-wide effects.
The best team-focused options are:
- CEO for party-wide money and carry bonuses.
- Supervisor for improving everyone’s carrying capacity.
- Intern if one player is dedicated to keeping the shredders running.
A coordinated team using different classes can complete runs much more efficiently than everyone using the same build.
I like that Shred the Secrets encourages players to specialize instead of making every class feel identical. Whether you enjoy collecting documents, powering shredders, supporting teammates, or simply surviving dangerous encounters, there’s a class built around that role.
If you’re unsure where to spend your first batch of Paper Clips, Manager is easily the most reliable investment. It improves almost every part of a normal run without costing nearly as much as CEO, making it the class I’d recommend to most players. Later on, you can unlock more specialized classes to match the role you enjoy playing the most.