1. Get ready during the countdown
The game starts with a 3-second countdown, then the grid is shown for 10 seconds on weekdays, 12 on Sundays. The preview only plays once: reload the page and the grid stays hidden.
Use the countdown to focus on the screen and put distractions aside. The first seconds of the preview are the most valuable, so don't spend them settling in.
2. Memorise shapes, not cards
Remembering sixteen positions one by one in ten seconds is very hard. Remembering a few shapes is much easier. Look at what each number draws: a line, a corner, a triangle, a diagonal.
Colours help too, since each number has its own. Tie a number to an area of the grid, "the 3s top left", "the 9s on the diagonal", rather than to exact coordinates.
3. Start with the sure groups
The combo counts the groups found in a row without a mistake. To get it going, start with the groups you are certain of, the ones whose shape struck you during the preview.
Each group you find takes cards out of play. The remaining positions become easier to place, and uncertain groups get clearer as you go.
4. Protect your combo mid-game
The score keeps your best run, not the sum of your runs. A mistake splits the combo in two, and only the longer piece counts. On a six-group grid:
| When the only mistake happens | Play rating |
|---|---|
| No mistake | 100% |
| At the very start | about 94% |
| Just before the last group | about 84% |
| After three groups | about 64% |
A mistake in the middle is the costliest. If you have a doubt mid-game, take an extra second before flipping the card.
5. Read the first card's badge
As soon as a card is flipped, a badge shows its place in the group: 1/2 for a pair, 1/3 for a triple. That information is free, and it matters.
If you thought you were after a triple and the badge says 1/2, your memory is off: stop and rethink the shape before flipping the next card.
6. Learn from every mistake
A mistake isn't a total loss: the wrong card stays visible for a moment before hiding. You learn where one more number sits.
Make a mental note of that number and its position. It will often be the starting point of your next turn, or of a group you had misremembered. The cards from the failed turn also confirm part of a group: you know where those cards are, even if the group is not complete yet.
7. Avoid the joker unless truly stuck
The joker flips a whole group at random. It costs about 60 points, resets your combo, and the revealed group doesn't count towards your run. It can't be used between two cards of the same turn, or for the last group.
In practice, a joker often costs more than a mistake. Keep it for when you have genuinely lost track of several groups.
What about time?
The reference time is 75 seconds on weekdays and 95 on Sundays, countdown and preview included. Beating it earns a bonus; going well over it costs at most 250 points.
So keep a steady pace without rushing: a mistake at the wrong moment costs more than a few seconds of thought. A game finished too fast to be humanly plausible is accepted, but left off the leaderboard.
Going further
New to the game? Start with the Memorio rules and a walked-through game. For more exercises, see our pick of games to train your memory and our daily logic games.