Memory Match

A closer look at Memory Match

The goal

Sixteen cards hide eight pairs of symbols. Select two face-down cards to reveal them. If the symbols match, both cards remain visible. If they differ, they remain visible until you choose Hide pair and continue. There is no time limit for reading or remembering the pair. A turn means one completed selection of two different cards. Revealing only the first card does not increase the turn count.

Build a map of the board

Treat the cards as a four-by-four map. Instead of remembering that a triangle was somewhere near the top, remember a position such as row one, column three. Pair that location with the symbol while it is visible. A consistent route through unexplored cards helps you separate new information from information you have already seen.

Use the second card deliberately

If your first card reveals a symbol whose partner you remember, choose that known partner. If the partner is still unknown, reveal a card you have not tried. Even a mismatch can be useful: it gives you another location to remember. Repeatedly opening the same two known, nonmatching cards adds turns without adding information.

A worked turn

Imagine that you previously saw a circle in the upper-left corner. Your next first card reveals another circle in the bottom row. Select the upper-left card as your second choice to complete the pair. If you are unsure whether the earlier symbol was a circle or a diamond, pause and review the board mentally; there is no timer forcing a guess.

Controls and resets

Cards can be selected by touch, mouse, or keyboard. Face-down card labels report their positions without revealing their symbols. Matched cards cannot be chosen again. While a mismatched pair is visible, other cards are unavailable so a third card cannot alter the turn. The status message names both symbols and positions. Keyboard focus moves to Hide pair and continue; activate it with Enter or Space to turn the pair down and return focus to the second card. New puzzle reshuffles all pairs and starts a fresh turn count. Retry this board hides every card, clears collected pairs, and resets Turns while preserving the card positions. Load turn-ledger example replaces the current board with the fixed layout printed in that lesson. Loading or retrying clears a pending first card and any open mismatch; keyboard focus returns to the first card. Refreshing a practice entry reloads its fixed example; ordinary attempts are not saved.