The memory test a chimpanzee beat humans at. Take in the scattered numbers at a glance, then tap them in order from memory
How the test works
Numbers 1 to N appear at random spots on a grid. The moment you tap 1, every other number is covered — from there you must tap 2, 3, 4… in order from memory alone. Clear a round and the next one adds a number; miss and you lose one of three strikes. Your score is the largest set you cleared.
- Press START and four numbers (1-4) appear on the grid. While you are memorizing there is no time limit — look as long as you like.
- Tap 1 and the remaining numbers turn into blank tiles. Now it is memory, not eyesight.
- Once they are hidden a clock runs: finish before the pink bar empties. It allows 1.5 s plus 1.1 s per remaining tile (11 s for ten numbers) — generous for tapping from memory, but not enough to screenshot the layout and read it off. Running out costs a strike, exactly like a wrong tap.
- Tap through to the last number to clear the round. The next round adds one number and reshuffles the positions.
- Tap out of order and the correct tile flashes briefly and you lose a strike. With strikes left you retry the same count with a new layout.
- After three strikes you reach the result screen, where signing in and picking a nickname puts you on the global leaderboard.
Rules and scoring
| Start | 4 numbers, 3 strikes |
|---|---|
| Grid | 8x5 = 40 cells, reshuffled every round |
| Viewing time | Unlimited — the numbers hide only when you tap 1 |
| Wrong tap | Lose a strike, keep the same count, get a new layout. Zero strikes ends the run |
| Score | The largest set of numbers you tapped through correctly |
| Leaderboard | More numbers rank higher; ties share the same rank. You need at least 4 to submit |
The experiment where a chimp beat us
This task comes from Tetsuro Matsuzawa's team at the Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University, who compared a young chimpanzee named Ayumu with human adults. Numbers flashed on a touchscreen and were masked; both had to tap them in order. Ayumu handled nine numbers after roughly 0.2 seconds of exposure, well ahead of the university students. For grabbing a whole scene in an instant, the chimp won.
Here there is no time limit, so the conditions favour you far more than they favoured those students. Even so, clearing 12 is strong and 15 puts you near the top. What the task measures is spatial working memory — not what you saw but where it was — which is a different system from the verbal rehearsal used in the digit span test.
How to reach a higher number
- Remember the shape. Trace 1-2-3 as a line and store the shape (an L, a triangle, a zigzag) rather than separate dots.
- Chunk it. Group 1-4 and 5-8, remember where each cluster sits, and the item count drops.
- Use coordinates. "Second row, far left" gives a position a verbal label that survives longer.
- Rehearse before tapping 1. There is no clock, so walk your eyes through 1-2-3… once before you start.
- Stop when unsure. Guessing in a hurry costs a strike, and tapping is not timed either.
Frequently asked questions
Is the viewing time really unlimited?
Yes. Nothing hides until you tap 1. The original study used 0.2-0.7 second exposures; this version focuses on how many positions you can hold at once.
Do I get the same layout after a miss?
No. The count stays the same but the positions are scattered again.
What is a good score?
9-11 is above average, 12-14 is top tier, and above 15 is very strong.
My record disappeared
Your personal best follows your account once you sign in, so switching devices keeps it (before you sign in it stays in this browser). Submitted scores stay on the server.
Related tests
- Sequence Memory Test — the visual counterpart: repeat a growing pattern of flashes.
- Digit Span Memory Test — verbal working memory instead of spatial.
- Schulte Table — attention and peripheral vision: find 1 to 25 in order.
- N-back Test — working memory you must keep updating.