How many cards can I use?

Local play supports every even count from 8 to 48, giving 4 to 24 pairs. Each generated card has exactly one partner. The seed reproduces the original pair layout under the version 1 shuffle.

What counts as a move?

A move is a completed selection of two different unmatched cards. Clicking an already selected or matched card does not add a move. A mismatch stays visible for 700 milliseconds, then turns back. Third clicks during that delay are ignored.

How does two-player mode work?

Two people play on the same device. Finding a pair keeps the current player's turn. A mismatch passes the turn after both cards turn back. The session summary lists each player's matched pairs; there is no remote multiplayer service.

Can I play with my own images?

Choose supplied local images and select exactly one file per pair. PNG, JPEG, WebP and GIF files are accepted up to 15 MB and 16 million decoded pixels each. They are decoded one at a time, fitted without distortion into 256-pixel PNG thumbnails, and kept locally. Original source files remain unchanged; animated inputs become still thumbnails.

What happens when I pause or hide the page?

Pausing hides unmatched faces and stops active time and the mismatch delay. The page also pauses when hidden. Choose Resume game to continue; a pending mismatch receives a fresh 700-millisecond delay. Time limits measure active play only, using the browser's monotonic clock.

How are challenge scores calculated?

The canonical challenge uses 16 original shape cards, solo, with no time or move limit. Find all eight pairs to score max(0, 1000 minus moves), from 0 to 992 points. Higher is better. The recipient starts the same deterministic deck and sees both scores and the signed difference after completing it.

Why is my repeated or restored deck practice only?

Previously opened pair layouts, restored sessions, supplied images, custom settings and revealed decks cannot produce a fresh canonical score. Pair layouts are compared independently of their shape labels, so changing seeds cannot turn an already known layout into a new result. Exporting an active challenge session also exposes its deck and makes it practice. Reviewing a completed fresh result keeps its already earned score.

Can I save and reload progress?

Touched settings and validated progress are saved in this browser, including matched pairs, current selections and safe image thumbnails. Session JSON provides an editable backup. Imports are checked against their seed, deck and selection history before replacing the current board; failures preserve the current session. Restored active sessions are paused and remain practice.

Does finishing at a limit mean I matched all pairs?

No. The result distinguishes all pairs matched from a time limit or move limit being exhausted. A limit reached before any card selection does not count as completed play. Local limits allow 0 to 86400 active seconds and 0 to 1000000 moves, with 0 meaning unlimited; every session stops accepting selections after one million moves.

Memory Matching Game

Turn over two cards and find the matching pairs. Choose original shapes or your own local images, play solo or take turns with someone beside you, and set optional time or move limits. A fresh 16-card challenge lets someone try the same layout and compare a self-reported score.

Find pairs in an original seeded layout. One move means selecting two different unmatched cards.

Set up a game

Card countSeedCard facesPlayersTime limit in seconds (0 = none)Move limit (0 = none)

Pause hides unmatched faces and stops active time and mismatch delay. A pending mismatch gets its full 700 ms delay after resuming. Tab, Enter and Space operate cards; arrow keys, Home and End move focus.

Card board Not started

Start a game to deal cards. Hidden cards contain no face label or image source in the page.

Choose a local board or start a fresh fixed-rule challenge.

Matched pairs: Not started

Moves: 0

Active seconds: 0

Round: Not started

Import session JSON

Touched settings and validated progress are saved only in this browser. Local images are saved as sanitized thumbnails; storage limits may require a JSON backup. Restored sessions are practice.

Matching pairChoose the two cards with the same face.
One move, one pair, and the same player continues.
Two different cardsWait for the 700 ms mismatch delay.
No pair is added. Third and repeat-card clicks are ignored.
Eight pairs in eight movesFresh canonical 16-card deck.
992 points. A ninth move gives 991; higher is better.

Accuracy. Recreational matching only; no claim to diagnose, treat or measure memory ability. All supplied images remain local.

Common questions

How many cards can I use?: Local play supports every even count from 8 to 48, giving 4 to 24 pairs. Each generated card has exactly one partner. The seed reproduces the original pair layout under the version 1 shuffle.
What counts as a move?: A move is a completed selection of two different unmatched cards. Clicking an already selected or matched card does not add a move. A mismatch stays visible for 700 milliseconds, then turns back. Third clicks during that delay are ignored.
How does two-player mode work?: Two people play on the same device. Finding a pair keeps the current player's turn. A mismatch passes the turn after both cards turn back. The session summary lists each player's matched pairs; there is no remote multiplayer service.
Can I play with my own images?: Choose supplied local images and select exactly one file per pair. PNG, JPEG, WebP and GIF files are accepted up to 15 MB and 16 million decoded pixels each. They are decoded one at a time, fitted without distortion into 256-pixel PNG thumbnails, and kept locally. Original source files remain unchanged; animated inputs become still thumbnails.
What happens when I pause or hide the page?: Pausing hides unmatched faces and stops active time and the mismatch delay. The page also pauses when hidden. Choose Resume game to continue; a pending mismatch receives a fresh 700-millisecond delay. Time limits measure active play only, using the browser's monotonic clock.
How are challenge scores calculated?: The canonical challenge uses 16 original shape cards, solo, with no time or move limit. Find all eight pairs to score max(0, 1000 minus moves), from 0 to 992 points. Higher is better. The recipient starts the same deterministic deck and sees both scores and the signed difference after completing it.
Why is my repeated or restored deck practice only?: Previously opened pair layouts, restored sessions, supplied images, custom settings and revealed decks cannot produce a fresh canonical score. Pair layouts are compared independently of their shape labels, so changing seeds cannot turn an already known layout into a new result. Exporting an active challenge session also exposes its deck and makes it practice. Reviewing a completed fresh result keeps its already earned score.
Can I save and reload progress?: Touched settings and validated progress are saved in this browser, including matched pairs, current selections and safe image thumbnails. Session JSON provides an editable backup. Imports are checked against their seed, deck and selection history before replacing the current board; failures preserve the current session. Restored active sessions are paused and remain practice.
Does finishing at a limit mean I matched all pairs?: No. The result distinguishes all pairs matched from a time limit or move limit being exhausted. A limit reached before any card selection does not count as completed play. Local limits allow 0 to 86400 active seconds and 0 to 1000000 moves, with 0 meaning unlimited; every session stops accepting selections after one million moves.

Recreational matching only; no claim to diagnose, treat or measure memory ability. All supplied images remain local.