Memory Game

How to play the memory game online

1. Choose a Board size in the toolbar. 4×3 (6 pairs) is the smallest, 4×4 (8 pairs) is the default, and 6×4 (12 pairs) and 6×6 (18 pairs) are the largest.
2. Choose the Cards theme: Animals (the default), Fruit, Shapes and colours, or Numbers.
3. Choose the Players setting: 1 player (the default) or 2 players.
4. Click or tap a card to turn it over. You can also focus a card and press Enter or Space.
5. Turn over a second card. If the two pictures match, they stay face up with a green frame. If they differ, both stay visible for a moment and then turn back down.
6. Keep turning over pairs until every pair is found. In 1 player mode, the Time chip starts with your first card. The win dialog shows your moves and time.
7. Press New game at any time to start again.

Changing Board size or Players starts a new game. Changing Cards only changes the faces of the game in progress, so nothing is lost. Press Fullscreen for a larger board. The keyboard shortcuts are N for a new game, F for fullscreen, and Esc to close a dialog or leave fullscreen. Arrow keys move between cards, and Tab moves into and out of the board. Adding ?seed=123 to the page address makes the first deal the same every time, which lets you share a deal.

What are the memory game rules?

Every card starts face down. A move is two cards turned over, and a pair is any two cards that show the same picture. Each picture appears exactly twice in every deal, so every card has exactly one partner. A pair stays face up and gets a green frame. If the two cards differ, they stay visible for 0.8 seconds, then turn back down. You can also turn the mismatched cards down at once by picking the next card.

The move counter goes up when the second card is turned over, whether the two cards match or not. The game does not score points or take away moves for a bad pick. The only measure is the number of moves, so the fewer moves you need, the better. On a 4×3 board with 6 pairs, a perfect game takes exactly 6 moves, because every move must find a pair.

In 2 player mode, Player 1 starts. Finding a pair means the same player goes again. A mismatch passes the turn to the other player when the cards turn back. The game is won when every pair has been found. The player with more pairs wins, and equal pairs make a tie. Cards found by Player 2 show a small “2” badge, and cards found by Player 1 show a “1” badge, so you can see who found what without relying on colour.

The pictures are chosen at random for each deal. A 4×3 game uses 6 different faces out of the 18 available in the theme, so the same board is rarely identical twice unless you use the same seed.

What is a good memory game strategy?

The main strategy is to remember where each picture is as soon as you see it. Because the game does not give hints or an undo, every card you have seen is useful information. When you turn over a card that does not match, try to note its position and the picture before you turn it down.

When you turn over a card, pick a second card that you have not seen before. This gives you a chance to learn a new picture. If the second card matches a picture you saw earlier, turn over its partner next. Taking a known match gives you a pair and keeps your move count low.

Watch the move counter as well as the board. On a 4×3 board, a perfect game is 6 moves, so every extra move shows a pair you missed or a card you needed to see again. In 1 player mode, the Best chip shows the fewest moves and shortest time you have reached on the selected board size. Try to beat your best moves on a smaller board before moving up to 6×6, where there are 18 pairs to remember.

In 2 player mode, a found pair gives you another turn. Keep track of which pictures have been seen, even when they are not your turn.

Frequently asked questions

Is memory game free, and do I need to sign up?

Yes, it is free, and there is no sign-up or account. The game runs in your browser and saves your progress only on your device; nothing is sent elsewhere.

Can I play memory game on a phone?

Yes. The card grid scales to the width of the screen. A 6×6 board fits a 375 px wide phone without sideways scrolling, and you can tap the cards to turn them over.

Is my memory game saved if I close the page?

Yes, in the same browser on the same device. The game in progress is saved after every card, so reloading the page returns you to the same game. A mismatched pair that was showing is turned back down first. Your board size, theme, number of players, and best moves and time are also saved. Progress does not move to another device or browser.

Does memory game have hints or an undo button?

No. The game has no Undo or Hint button. A bad pick only counts as a move, and the game does not take away points or time.

How many moves does a perfect memory game take?

On a 4×3 board with 6 pairs, a perfect game is 6 moves. Each move turns over two cards, so you need one move for every pair. Larger boards have more pairs, so a perfect game on 4×4 takes 8 moves and on 6×6 takes 18.

Why do the emoji look different on my device?

The emoji are drawn by your device’s own emoji font. Apple, Android and Windows each have their own designs, so the same picture can look slightly different from one device to another. The pairs still match.

Can two people play memory game on one computer?

Yes. Choose 2 players, and the two of you take turns on the same device. There is no computer opponent and no online play, so both players share one screen.

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