Memory Cards
Flip two cards and keep them if they match. Three board sizes, a move counter, and a clock that starts on your first flip rather than on load.
The clock starts on your first flip, not when the page loads, so a board you leave open while you make a cup of tea does not count against you.
What this tool does
The matching pairs game, on a board of six, eight or twelve pairs. Every card is face down; turn two over and if they match they stay up. The move counter and the clock both start on your first flip rather than on page load, which matters more than it sounds — a clock that runs from load punishes you for leaving the tab open, and the number it produces then says nothing about how you played.
A pair that does not match stays face up for about three quarters of a second before turning back, and clicks are ignored while it does. Without that lock, a fast double-click flips a third card into the comparison and the board gets into a state that was never a legal move. The best score is kept per board size, because six pairs and twelve pairs are different games and a single record across both would be meaningless. The symbols are geometric and typographic rather than emoji: emoji render at wildly different sizes and colours across platforms, and many of them come back as full-colour glyphs that ignore the text colour, which would make a matched pair look like an unmatched one.
How to use it
- Pick a board size: 6, 8 or 12 pairs. Changing size starts a new board and switches the best score to that size.
- Click or tap a card to turn it over. The clock starts on the first one.
- Turn a second card. A match stays face up; a miss turns back after a moment, and clicks are ignored while it does.
- Finish the board to see your moves and time. Press New game for a fresh shuffle at any time.
Common use cases
-
A short break
Six pairs takes under a minute and twelve pairs takes a few, so the size selector doubles as a difficulty setting.
-
Playing with a child
Six pairs on a four-column board is small enough for young children to hold the whole layout in their head.
-
Testing your memory properly
Moves and time together are the honest measure. Few moves means good memory; a low time with many moves means guessing.
-
Coming back to beat a score
The best score per size persists in your browser, so there is something to return to.
Frequently asked questions
When does the clock start?
On your first flip, not when the page loads. A clock that ran from load would count the time you spent reading the page or making a cup of tea, and the number it produced would not be about your memory at all.
Why did a card not flip when I clicked it?
You clicked while a mismatched pair was still showing. Input is locked for about three quarters of a second after a miss, because otherwise a fast double-click can flip a third card and put the board into a state that was never a legal move.
Is the best score per board size?
Yes. Six, eight and twelve pairs are three different games, so each keeps its own record. The best shown switches when you change the size selector.
Why are the symbols shapes rather than emoji?
Emoji render at different sizes and colours on different platforms, and many of them come back as full-colour images that ignore the text colour entirely. That would make a matched pair and an unmatched one look identical in the light theme. These symbols all take the colour they are given.