Memory Games
Nine bite-size memory games, from the Chimp Test and N-Back to Faces & Names. Each takes about a minute and gets harder as you get better.
The nine memory games
- Chimp Test: remember where the numbers were.
- Sequence: repeat the pattern of lights.
- Grid Recall: remember which squares lit up.
- Number Span: how many digits can you hold?
- N-Back: same place as N steps back?
- Pairs: find the matching cards.
- Word List: study the words, then spot them.
- Faces & Names: meet people, then remember who's who.
- Where Was It?: remember where things were on the shelf.
Do memory games improve your memory?
They make you better at the games, and they're a pleasant daily habit. Research on memory training finds that gains on the trained tasks are real but transfer little to other kinds of memory (Melby-Lervåg & Hulme, 2013). For everyday remembering, techniques like testing yourself, spacing your practice and sleeping well have the strongest evidence: see how to improve your memory.
Questions
Are these memory games free?
Yes. Today's workout, the Daily Workout and Focus are always free, and every memory game plays free from this page.
How long does each game take?
About a minute; a five-minute workout picks five games for you each day.
Related
Brain tests
Brain games by topic
Guides
Sources
- Melby-Lervåg, M. & Hulme, C. (2013). Is working memory training effective? A meta-analytic review. Developmental Psychology, 49(2). doi.org/10.1037/a0028228
Brainbay is for practice and fun. Your scores show how you do at these games; they don't measure IQ or diagnose anything.