Free Memory Game: Match the Pairs
Play a free memory card game online, with no sign-up and no download. Turn over two cards at a time and find every matching pair in as few moves as you can. Pick a board from 12 to 36 cards, play the Daily Memory board everyone gets today, take turns with a friend on the same screen, or send a link so a friend gets exactly the same cards.
- Free, no sign-up
- Timer, moves and stars
- Daily board
- Works on phones
Player 1 0Player 2 0
Tap or click a card to turn it over, then find its twin. On a keyboard, use the arrow keys and press Enter or Space.
How to play
How to play the memory game
- Pick a board. Easy has 12 cards (6 pairs), Medium 16, Hard 24 and Expert 36. The Daily board has 20 cards and is the same for everyone today.
- Turn over two cards. Tap or click a card to see its picture, then turn over a second one.
- Find the pairs. If the two pictures match, they stay face up. If not, they turn back over, so try to remember where each picture was.
- Clear the board. The game ends when every pair is found. Each pair of cards you turn over counts as one move, and the clock runs from your first card.
- Beat your score. Fewer moves earns more stars. Your best on each board is saved on your device, and you can send a friend the same cards.
Ways to play
- On your own. Choose any board, card set and speed. Your settings are remembered next time.
- Daily Memory. One game a day on the same 20 cards for everyone. Your first game goes on today’s board: fewest moves wins, and the time breaks a tie.
- Two players. Take turns on one phone or computer. Find a pair and you go again; miss and it’s the other player’s turn. Most pairs wins.
- Challenge a friend. After a game, send the link. Your friend gets exactly the same cards in the same places and sees who did better.
At a glance
Altto memory game: quick facts
A free online card matching game for adults and children, on a computer, tablet or phone.
Updated
- Price
- Free, with no sign-up, no email and nothing to download.
- Boards
- Easy (12 cards), Medium (16), Hard (24), Expert (36), and a Daily board of 20 cards that is the same for everyone.
- Card sets
- Animals, food, travel, sport, and shapes and colours.
- Your result
- Moves, time, memory slips, accuracy and up to three stars, plus your personal best for that board.
- Players
- One player, or two players taking turns on the same screen.
- Speed
- Fast, Normal or Slow: how long two cards that don’t match stay face up.
- Accessibility
- Play with a mouse, touchscreen or keyboard (arrow keys, then Enter or Space). Every card is read out to screen readers, and animations are turned off if your device asks for less motion.
- Privacy
- Runs in your browser. Your bests and settings are saved only on your device. Only a Daily score (with your nickname) is sent, so it can go on today’s board.
Scoring
What is a good score in a memory game?
You can never need fewer moves than there are pairs, and that only happens with a lot of luck. Even someone who remembers every card they have seen needs about 1.5 moves per pair on average, because each new card is a guess until you have seen its twin. We worked this out by playing 20,000 games of each board with perfect recall, and set the stars from it.
| Board | Perfect memory (average) | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy, 12 cards | about 9 moves | 10 or fewer | 11 to 15 |
| Medium, 16 cards | about 12 moves | 14 or fewer | 15 to 20 |
| Daily, 20 cards | about 16 moves | 17 or fewer | 18 to 25 |
| Hard, 24 cards | about 19 moves | 21 or fewer | 22 to 30 |
| Expert, 36 cards | about 29 moves | 31 or fewer | 32 to 45 |
Anything more than that earns one star. A memory slip is a miss where you had already seen one of the two cards, or the twin of the first one, so you could have known better. A perfect game has no slips.
Tips to find the pairs in fewer moves
- Work in order. Turn over new cards row by row, left to right, so it’s easier to picture where each one was.
- Name what you see. Saying “fox, top left” in your head links the picture to its place.
- Use the first card well. If your first card is one you’ve seen before, turn its twin next. If it’s new, your second card is a free look at another new card.
- Don’t rush. Moves count more than time. A slower game with fewer slips beats a fast one with lots of guesses.
Is a memory game good for your brain?
Matching games are a fun way to practise short-term visual memory: holding pictures and places in mind for a few seconds. Most people get better with practice, and it’s a good game to share with children or grandparents. Research has not shown that playing memory games on their own improves your memory in everyday life or prevents memory problems, so treat it as a game, not a treatment.
Sources
- Concentration (card game) (Wikipedia): the rules of the classic matching game, also called Memory, Pairs or Pelmanism.
- Alzheimer’s disease: prevention (NHS): there is some evidence that dementia is less common in people who stay mentally and socially active; brain-training games can improve thinking skills in the short term, but research has not yet shown they help prevent dementia.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is this memory game free?
Yes. Every board, the Daily Memory board, two-player mode and friend challenges are free, with no sign-up, no email and nothing to download.
How do you play the memory game?
Turn over two cards. If the pictures match, they stay face up; if not, they turn back over. Remember where each picture was and keep going until you have found every pair, in as few moves as you can.
What is a good score in a memory game?
Even with perfect recall you need about 1.5 moves per pair on average, because every new card is a guess until you have seen its twin. On the Medium board (16 cards), 14 moves or fewer earns three stars and 15 to 20 earns two. The table on this page gives the numbers for every board.
What counts as a move?
Turning over two cards is one move, whether they match or not. The fewest moves possible is the number of pairs, which only happens with a lot of luck.
What is a memory slip?
A miss where you had already seen one of the two cards, or the twin of the first card you turned, so you could have known where to look. A perfect game has no slips.
What is the Daily Memory board?
A board of 20 cards that is the same for everyone each day, with a new card set and layout at midnight UK time. Only your first game counts, and it goes on today’s board under your nickname: fewest moves wins, and the time breaks a tie. You can share your result afterwards.
Can two people play?
Yes. Choose 2 players and take turns on the same phone or computer. Find a pair and you go again; miss and it is the other player’s turn. Whoever finds the most pairs wins.
How do I challenge a friend?
After a game, tap WhatsApp, Messages or Copy link under Challenge a friend. Your friend gets exactly the same cards in the same places and sees whether they beat your moves and time.
Is the memory game good for your brain?
It is a fun way to practise short-term visual memory, and most people improve with practice. The NHS says there is some evidence that staying mentally and socially active is linked to lower dementia rates, but research has not shown that brain-training games prevent dementia, so treat it as a game rather than a treatment.
Is it suitable for children and older adults?
Yes. Easy has just 12 large cards and Slow speed gives more time to look at two cards that don’t match. The animal and shapes sets suit young children, and the game works with a touchscreen, mouse or keyboard.
Can I play with a keyboard or a screen reader?
Yes. Use the arrow keys to move between cards and press Enter or Space to turn one over. Each card is announced (for example “Card 5, fox”), along with matches and misses, and animations are turned off if your device asks for less motion.
Do I need to download an app?
No. It runs in your web browser on a phone, tablet or computer. You can add Altto Tests to your home screen so it opens like an app, but you don’t have to.
Is anything stored or uploaded?
Your settings and best scores are saved only on your device. Only a Daily Memory result is sent, with your nickname, so it can appear on today’s board.
What is this game also called?
Memory, Pairs, Concentration, Pelmanism or Match Up. They are all the same classic game of turning over cards to find matching pairs.
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