Number memory test online

How to play

1. Press Start. Numbers appear on the tiles.
2. When you tap 1, the other numbers hide.
3. Tap the hidden tiles in order, from the smallest number up.
4. You have three lives. A wrong tap outlines the right tile.

What this number memory test is

In Hidden Numbers, numbers from 1 upward appear on some of the tiles of a grid. You look at where each one is, for as long as you like on the first levels and for less than a second on the last ones. Then the numbers hide, the tiles that held them stay filled, and you tap those tiles in order, 1 first, then 2, then 3.

Some tests called "number memory" ask you to remember a long string of digits and type it back. This one is different. What you remember is where each number sits. The empty tiles cannot be tapped, so the question is never which tiles had numbers, only which number was on which tile.

The task is known from a 2007 study at Kyoto University by Sana Inoue and Tetsuro Matsuzawa. Young chimpanzees there were briefly shown numerals on a screen and then touched the covered squares in order. Their results made the task famous. Hidden Numbers borrows the grid, the hiding and the tapping in order, starts with fewer numbers and a longer look, and adds levels, lives and points. It is not the study.

What changes from level 1 to 15

On levels 1 to 5 the numbers stay visible until you tap 1. You can take as long as you like to look, and the moment you tap 1 the rest hide. The grid grows from 3×3 to 4×4 and the count grows from 3 numbers to 7.

On levels 6 to 10 the numbers hide by themselves after a set time, 2 seconds on level 6, then 1.75, 1.5, 1.25 and 1 second on level 10. There are 7 numbers on each of these levels, and the grid grows to 4 tiles wide and 5 tall. You can still tap 1 early to hide them at once.

On levels 11 to 15 the show is shorter than a second. Levels 11 and 12 have 8 numbers shown for 0.65 and 0.6 seconds. Levels 13 to 15 have 9 numbers on a grid 4 tiles wide and 6 tall, shown for 0.54, 0.48 and finally 0.43 seconds.

The show never goes below 0.43 seconds. Levels 1 to 5 are free. All level settings are our first guess, and we are not sure 9 numbers in 0.43 seconds is fair. It has not been tested on players yet, and it may change.

How the points work

Each right tap gives 10 points and a speed bonus of up to 10. After the first right tap, the bonus depends on the time since your previous right tap. A tap in under 0.15 seconds earns the full 10, then the bonus drops by one point for every 0.3 seconds and reaches zero at 2.85 seconds.

Where the clock starts depends on the level. On levels 1 to 5 it starts when the numbers appear, so time spent looking before you tap 1 counts against the bonus for 1. On timed levels it starts at the moment the show is set to end, so waiting out the show costs nothing. If you tap 1 before that moment, the tap still gets the full bonus, and the clock for 2 runs from that tap.

A wrong tap costs a life. The game then outlines the tile you should have tapped, and you continue. Each level starts with three lives. When they run out the level ends and you keep the points you have. The most a level can give is 20 points per number, from 60 on level 1 to 180 on levels 13 to 15.

What counts as a good result

We do not publish norms or compare you with other people, and certainly not with chimpanzees. The results screen shows your points, the speed bonus, the time, your mistakes and your previous best on that level. A good result is one that beats your best on that level.

On levels 1 to 5 there is a trade-off. Looking longer makes the order easier to remember but costs bonus on the first tap. Try both and see which gives you more points.

A few tips

Look for a path. Taken in order, the numbers make a route across the grid, sometimes a line, a hook or a zigzag, and a shape can be easier to hold than nine separate places.

On the short shows, do not try to read every number. Fix the position of 1, 2 and 3, then take in the rest as a shape.

After a mistake, the outline shows where the next number is. Use it, and keep your eyes on the grid rather than going back over what went wrong.

Questions

Is the number memory test free?

Levels 1 to 5 are free. The full version opens all 15 levels. It is a one-time purchase with no subscription.

Is this a digit span test?

No. In a digit span test you repeat a string of digits. Here you remember where the numbers are on a grid and tap them in order.

Are the numbers in the same places every time?

No. Each attempt lays them out again.

Can I take the test online without installing anything?

Yes, once it launches. It will run in the browser on a phone or a computer, and inside Telegram. Levels 1 to 5 are free.

How many numbers are there?

From 3 on level 1 to 9 on levels 13 to 15.

How long are the numbers shown?

On levels 1 to 5, until you tap 1. On levels 6 to 10, from 2 seconds down to 1. On levels 11 to 15, from 0.65 seconds down to 0.43.

Is it the same as the chimpanzee memory study?

The setup is similar, numbers on a grid that hide when the time is up or as soon as you tap 1. The game adds levels, lives and points, and it is not a research tool.

Will it improve my memory?

We make no such claim. The points show how you did in this game.