Good memory games for adults are simple ones you can play anywhere: n-back with a deck of cards, the matching game Concentration, sequence games like digit span, and word games like "I went to the market." They're a fun way to practice. Just know that research suggests they mostly make you better at the game itself.
Below are 12 free games in four types, how to play each one, and an honest look at what the research says. You won't need an app for any of them.
n-back: watch a stream of items and spot when one matches the item a set number of steps back.
Matching: remember where things are, like hidden pairs of cards.
Sequence recall: remember things in the right order.
Word and object recall: remember lists, items and names.
Rotating between types keeps things interesting, because each one feels different to play.
In an n-back game, "n" is how far back you compare. In 1-back you compare each item with the one just before it. In 2-back you compare it with the one two steps earlier, which is much harder.
Card 2-back: Shuffle a deck and flip cards one at a time, about one every two seconds. Say "match" when a card's number is the same as the card two before it. Start with 1-back if 2-back feels impossible. Score one point per correct match and lose one for each false alarm.
Spoken letter n-back: A partner reads out random letters at a steady pace. Tap the table whenever a letter matches the one two letters back. Swap roles after a minute.
Street n-back: On a walk, say "match" quietly when a passing car is the same color as the one two cars earlier.
Concentration: Lay 8 to 12 pairs of cards face down in a grid. Flip two per turn and keep any pair that matches. Play solo and try to beat your fewest-turns record, or take turns with friends.
Harder Concentration: Only count a pair if both number and color match, or use the whole deck.
Spot the change: Set 8 to 10 objects on a table. Look for 30 seconds, then turn away while a partner moves or removes one. Name what changed.
Digit span: A partner reads a string of numbers, starting with four. Repeat them back. Add one digit each time you get it right. For a tougher round, say them backward.
Copy the rhythm: One person taps a short rhythm on the table. The next copies it and adds one beat. Keep going until someone slips.
Card order: Lay five cards in a row, study them for 20 seconds, turn them over, and name them in order. Add a card when five gets easy.
I went to the market: Take turns saying "I went to the market and bought..." Repeat every item so far, then add a new one. Going through the alphabet (apples, bread, carrots) makes it easier to start.
Kim's game: Put 10 to 15 small objects on a tray. Look for one minute, cover them, then list as many as you can.
Delayed list: Read a list of 10 words in the morning. At lunch, write down as many as you remember without looking.
Keep sessions short: 5 to 10 minutes is enough to stay fun.
Attach a game to something you already do, like morning coffee or a train ride.
Write down your best score so you have something to beat.
Play with other people when you can. Most of these games work better with company.
A major 2016 review by Daniel Simons and colleagues, published by the Association for Psychological Science, found that brain-training tasks seem to improve performance on the trained tasks themselves. There was less evidence that training helps on closely related tasks, and very little evidence that it improves performance on distantly related tasks or everyday cognitive performance.
Studies of working memory training tell a similar story. A 2013 meta-analysis of 23 studies found reliable short-term gains in working memory skills, but no convincing evidence that the gains spread to other skills such as verbal and nonverbal ability, word decoding or arithmetic. The authors wrote that these programs "appear to produce short-term, specific training effects that do not generalize."
Be wary of big promises. In 2016, the makers of Lumosity agreed to pay $2 million to settle FTC charges that they deceived consumers with unfounded claims, including that the games could help people perform better at work and in school.
So play memory games because you enjoy them. If you want to remember real things better, a commentary alongside the APS review points to low-cost strategies: elaboration (using imagery, memory tricks and personal connections), testing yourself instead of rereading, and spacing out your study sessions. For more detail, see our guide Do brain games work?
If memory problems are new, getting worse or affecting daily life, talk to your doctor rather than relying on games. This is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.
They improve your skill at the games you practice. Major reviews found little evidence that those gains carry over to everyday memory.
The one you'll keep playing. For a real challenge, try card 2-back or backward digit span. For something social, try I went to the market or Concentration.
They can be an enjoyable, social way to spend time at any age. Be wary of any game that promises to prevent memory loss. In the Lumosity case, the FTC's consumer protection director said the company "simply did not have the science to back up its ads."
There's no proven amount. Five to ten minutes keeps it fun without becoming a chore.
If you'd like a ready-made daily mix, SkillArena: Focus Training gives you a session of four short games from a new mix each day, about four minutes long, drawn from thirteen games covering attention, memory, logic, numbers, reading and wording. Its per-category ratings from 1 to 100 come with a Progress tab explaining how they're calculated, and they aren't an IQ score or a medical, psychological or clinical assessment. It has no account and no ads, all games work offline, and its App Privacy label is Data Not Collected.
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