Memory game (matching pairs)

Find the matching pairs.

Cards
Play
Computer memory
Who starts

Click two cards to turn them over. A pair stays face up and the same player goes again. Tab and Enter work too.

Your fewest moves for each board size are kept on this device.

Runs in your browser. Nothing uploaded.

How to play the memory game

  1. Pick how many cards and whether to play alone, with a friend on the same screen, or against the computer.
  2. Turn over two cards. If they match, they stay face up and the same player goes again. If not, they turn back over.
  3. Remember where each picture was. Alone, clear the board in as few moves as you can. With two players, whoever finds the most pairs wins.

Tips for remembering more

  • Work in a pattern. Turn cards row by row instead of jumping around, so you remember positions by where they sit in the row.
  • Name what you see. Saying “moon, top left” in your head helps the picture and place stick together.
  • Use a known card first. When you turn over a card you’ve seen the match for, you already know the second card. If not, turn over a new card rather than guessing one you’ve seen.

Memory games are good practice for working memory, the short-term store you use to hold a phone number or a list. For a harder test of the same skill, try the visual memory test.