Visual Memory Test
Some squares light up together for a moment, then go dark. Tap all of them, in any order. Each clear round lights one more.
What it measures
This tests visuospatial working memory: holding a pattern of places in mind for a few seconds. It's related to the classic Corsi block-tapping test that psychologists use, where you repeat a sequence of blocks; in large samples most adults hold a span of around five or six blocks (Kessels et al., 2000).
How it gets harder
Each clear round lights one more square, and the grid grows from 3×3 to 6×6 as the count rises. A wrong square costs one of three lives and shows you the ones you missed.
Tips
- See the lit squares as a shape (an L, a zigzag, a face) rather than separate dots.
- Split a big pattern into two halves.
- Tap the shape's outline first, then the middle.
How to play
- Some squares light up for a moment.
- When they go dark, tap every one that was lit, in any order.
- Each clear adds a square, and the grid grows.
Scoring and levels
You have 3 lives. Each clear round makes the next one harder; a slip costs a life, and the round ends when they've gone. Your level is saved, so next time you start near your best. Every game shows a short demo before you start, and your last ten scores are on the result screen.
In everyday life
Remembering a pattern of places helps with finding your way, packing a bag, and setting a table the way someone showed you. It's also the memory you use when you look away from a screen and back again without losing your place.
Questions
Is this the same as the Corsi test?
It is a close cousin: Corsi asks for a sequence in order, this asks for a pattern in any order. Brainbay's Sequence game is the in-order version.
What is a good score?
Compare with yourself: your level saves and the grid grows with you.
Related
Brain tests
Brain games by topic
Guides
Sources
- Kessels, R. P. C. et al. (2000). The Corsi Block-Tapping Task: standardization and normative data. Applied Neuropsychology, 7(4). doi.org/10.1207/S15324826AN0704_8
- Cowan, N. (2001). The magical number 4 in short-term memory. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 24(1). doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X01003922
Brainbay is for practice and fun. Your scores show how you do at these games; they don't measure IQ or diagnose anything.