Play Memory Pairs card game

Memory Pairs is the classic matching game played with a twist that suits a card table: a pair is two cards of the same rank and the same colour, so the 7♥ matches the 7♦ but not the 7♠. Twenty-four cards lie face down, and you turn them two at a time until every pair is found. Deal Memory Pairs now and play it right here, free, with no account and no money.

There is no way to lose, which makes it a calm game for any age. The challenge is to finish in as few turns, and as little time, as you can.

How to win

Find all 12 pairs. The game records how many turns (attempts) you needed and how long you took, so you can try to beat your own effort next time.

Rules

The grid

• 24 cards are laid face down in a 6 × 4 grid.
• The cards make up 12 pairs.
• A pair is two cards of the same rank and the same colour. Hearts and diamonds are red; clubs and spades are black.
• So 7♥ and 7♦ are a pair, and so are 7♣ and 7♠, but 7♥ and 7♠ are not.

Taking a turn

• Turn over two cards.
• If they are a pair, both stay face up.
• If they are not a pair, both turn back face down after a short pause.
• Each pair of cards you turn counts as one turn (attempt).

End of the round

• Won: all 12 pairs have been found.
• Turns and time are recorded.
• There is no losing condition, so you can take as long as you need.

Controls

• Tap or click a face-down card to turn it over, then choose a second card.
• If the two cards do not match, they turn back face down on their own after a short pause.
• When the round ends, Deal again lays out a new grid.

Tips

1. Check the colour as well as the rank. Two Queens are not automatically a pair: Q♥ goes with Q♦ and Q♣ goes with Q♠. Getting this wrong wastes turns, so glance at the suit symbols every time.
2. Turn an unknown card first. Start each turn with a card you have not seen yet. If a matching card is already known, you can go straight to it and collect the pair.
3. Make your second card count. If no matching card has been seen yet, turn another unknown card rather than one you already know. A known card cannot match, but a new one might, and either way you learn where one more card sits.
4. Work in a pattern. Turning cards row by row, from left to right, makes positions easier to remember than jumping around the grid.
5. Name the cards in your head. Saying something like "red 9, top row, third card" helps fix each position in your memory.
6. Think before you tap. With no losing condition, a hurried guess never ends the round, but it does add a turn. A moment spent recalling the grid can save several.

New to Card Lounge? The how to play page explains how every game works, and the games list shows the full collection.

Related games

• Higher or Lower is another quick game built around card ranks.
• Pyramid is a solitaire where cards also leave the table in pairs, this time adding up to 13.
• Blackjack is played with play chips only, and rewards knowing which cards are still to come.