How to Play Memory Match: Rules and Memory Tricks
Memory Match (also called Concentration or Pairs) is a card game that trains your memory. All cards start face down. Each card has exactly one twin. Your goal is to find every pair in as few moves as possible.
The rules
- Flip two cards per move.
- If they match, they stay face up.
- If they don't match, they flip back over. Try to remember what they were!
- The game ends when every pair is found. Fewer moves is better.
Memory tricks
- Be systematic. Flip unknown cards in order, row by row, instead of randomly.
- Say it in your head. Naming the picture and its position ("dragon, top left") helps you remember it.
- Flip a new card first. On each move, open one card you've never seen. If you remember its twin, go get it. If not, open another new card to learn more.
- Group by area. Remembering "the crown is somewhere in the bottom row" is easier than exact spots.
About the game
Memory card games, also known as Concentration or Pairs, have been played with ordinary decks of cards for generations. They're a classic way to practice short-term memory and focus, and they're quick enough to play a round during a coffee break.
Levels and points
Easy has 6 pairs, Medium 8 and Hard 12. Finishing earns 1 point (2 on Hard), and your best number of moves is saved.
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