Visual memory online

How does the visual memory game work?

In the visual memory game, a grid lights up some tiles for a moment, then goes dark. Next you tap the tiles that lit up. Each right answer makes the pattern bigger, on grids from 3 by 3 up to 6 by 6. After two slips in a row, the game goes back one step. Each game has ten patterns.

How to play

1. Tap Start game. Some tiles on the grid light up in blue, with a diamond in the middle.
2. Look closely at where they are. After a moment, they all go dark.
3. When you see "Your turn", tap the tiles that lit up. Each right tile turns green with a check mark.
4. Tapped them all? The pattern is right and the next one is a little bigger.
5. Tapped a tile that did not light up? It turns pink with a cross, and the game shows the missing tiles in gold.
6. On a computer, you can move around the grid with the arrow keys and mark a tile with Enter or the space bar.
7. A game has ten patterns. At the end, the game shows how many you got right and the largest pattern you remembered.

Variations, modes and levels

• All at once: the whole pattern lights up together. You tap the tiles in any order.
• In order: the tiles light up one by one, with a number. You tap the tiles in the same order.
• Relaxed mode: there is no clock for your answer. Think as long as you like.
• Timed mode: the gold bar shows the time you have to answer. If it runs out, the pattern counts as a slip.
• Easy level: starts on a 3 by 3 grid, with just a few lit tiles.
• Medium level: starts on a 4 by 4 grid. Hard level: starts on a 5 by 5 grid.
• The difficulty adjusts by itself: it goes up one step with each right answer and down one step after two slips in a row.

Tips to play better

• Look at the center of the grid and take in the whole pattern, instead of looking tile by tile.
• Look for a shape: a letter, a staircase, a corner, a line. A shape is easier to keep than loose tiles.
• Count how many tiles lit up in each row: "two on top, one in the middle, two at the bottom".
• Start tapping the tiles you are sure about. Leave the doubtful ones for last.
• In the in-order variation, follow the path with your eyes, as if you were connecting dots.
• If the pattern got too big, do not worry: after two slips the game goes back one step.

Who this game is for

This game exercises visual memory and attention. There is no reading and no math, so children, adults and older adults can play on the same page. Since the difficulty adjusts by itself, each person plays at a pattern size that suits them.

The tiles are large and each state has a color and a mark: a diamond for a lit tile, a check for a right tap, a cross for a slip. Relaxed mode takes the clock away for anyone who prefers a calm game. It is a pastime, with no grade and no diagnosis.

Frequently asked questions