A memory card game that fits any screen
This memory card game — also called concentration, pairs or pelmanism — lays a grid of face-down cards on the page. Flip two at a time: if they match they stay open, if not they turn back over, and the round ends when every pair has been found. It counts your moves and your time, remembers your best result for each grid size, and lets you choose between emoji, number and colour decks.
The grid scales from a gentle 3 × 2 (three pairs) to a demanding 6 × 6 (eighteen pairs), so the same page suits a five-year-old, a competitive adult and an older player who wants a calm game. Tick Easy view for large, high-contrast cards with no timer and no flip animation. The whole board can also be played with the arrow keys and Enter.
Everything runs in your browser. No account, and the only things saved are your best scores and the Easy view setting on this device.
How to use the Memory Card Game
- Choose a Grid size — three or six pairs for a gentle start, eighteen on a 6 × 6 board for a real workout — and tick Easy view if you want big cards and no clock.
- Pick a Deck: emoji pictures, numbers 1–18 or colour swatches. Numbers are useful for very young players who are learning to recognise digits.
- Tap any card to turn it over, then tap a second. The timer starts on your first flip. A matching pair stays face up; a mismatch flips back after a moment.
- Keep going until the Pairs found counter reaches the total. Your moves and time are compared with your best for that grid and deck.
- Press New game for a fresh shuffle. Enter a number in Layout seed if you want the same layout again — handy for a fair head-to-head race on two devices.
Memory Card Game features
Five grid sizes
3 × 2 up to 6 × 6, with 3 to 18 pairs. The board resizes to the screen, so even the largest grid fits on a phone.
Easy view
Cards up to 150 px wide, thick outlines, strong contrast, no timer, a fade instead of a flip and mismatches shown for 1.6 seconds.
Three decks
Eighteen distinct emoji, the numbers 1–18, or eighteen named colours. Every card also carries a text label for screen readers.
Moves, time and best scores
A move is one pair of flips. Fewest moves wins; equal moves are separated by time. Best results are saved per grid-and-deck combination.
Respects reduced motion
Cards turn with a 3D flip, skipped when your device asks for reduced motion.
Keyboard play
Move between cards with the arrow keys and flip with Enter or Space — the focus wraps around the grid.
Repeatable layouts
Type a seed number and the shuffle becomes reproducible, so two people can play exactly the same board and compare moves.
How scoring works
Every second card turned over is one move, match or not, so the minimum is the number of pairs — eight on a 4 × 4 board — reached only with lucky first flips. Time runs from the first flip to the final match and only breaks ties (Easy view counts moves alone).
- These bands are rough guides from play-testing this page, not a published standard — use them to set a target, not to diagnose anything.
| Grid | Pairs | Perfect | Good | Typical first game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 3 | 6 | 6 moves | 8–10 | 11–14 |
| 4 × 4 | 8 | 8 moves | 11–14 | 16–22 |
| 6 × 5 | 15 | 15 moves | 22–28 | 32–45 |
| 6 × 6 | 18 | 18 moves | 27–34 | 40–55 |
Tips for fewer moves
- Flip systematically, row by row: “third row, second card” is easier to remember than a random spot.
- When a card flips back, say its position and symbol to yourself once.
- If your first card is new, make the second flip an unseen card too — you learn two positions instead of one.
- Pair a symbol you remember straight away, before the memory fades.
- On the 6 × 6 grid, clear one quadrant at a time.
Brain games for seniors: a calm, untimed setting
Looking for free brain games for seniors that are easy to see? Choose the 3 × 2 or 4 × 3 grid, the emoji or number deck and Easy view: the cards become large and high-contrast, nothing is timed, and a wrong pair stays visible long enough to remember. Moves are still counted, so there is a gentle personal best to beat.
For paper puzzles to print, make a large-print word search with the word search maker, play or print a sudoku, or enlarge any text with the large print maker. These games are for enjoyment and practice: they are not a medical treatment and make no claim to prevent memory loss or dementia.
Who the game is for
Matching games are a classroom staple for attention, short-term memory and turn-taking; the number and colour decks double as digit and colour-naming practice. Adults use the larger grids as a quick break. If you enjoy this, the hangman game and the 2048 game are on the same site, and the flashcard maker turns the same flip-to-reveal idea into study cards.
Memory Card Game FAQ
Is this memory card game free to play online?
Yes — no download or sign-up, in any modern browser on phones, tablets and computers.
How many cards are in the game?
6 to 36 depending on the grid: 3 × 2 has 6 cards (3 pairs), 4 × 3 has 12, 4 × 4 has 16, 6 × 5 has 30 and 6 × 6 has 36 (18 pairs).
What counts as a move?
Turning over two cards is one move, whether or not they match. Tapping the same card twice or tapping while a mismatch is still showing does not count.
Can two people play the same layout?
Yes. Both type the same Layout seed and press New game; the shuffle is identical on both devices.
Is it suitable for young children?
Yes. Start with a small grid and the number or emoji deck; cards are at least 44 px wide on a phone.
Why did the cards flip back so quickly?
With “reduce motion” enabled on your device, the mismatch delay is about a third of a second. Tick Easy view for a 1.6-second delay.
Is there a version for seniors or people with low vision?
Yes — tick Easy view for large, high-contrast cards, no timer and a slower turn-back. The setting is remembered on this device.