Chimp test

The task became famous through research at Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute. In 2007, Sana Inoue and Tetsuro Matsuzawa reported that a young chimpanzee named Ayumu outperformed university students on a touchscreen number-order task, especially when the numbers were shown only very briefly. The digits flashed for a fraction of a second before white squares covered them, yet Ayumu touched them in ascending order without a mistake.

The finding sparked a lively debate. Some researchers showed that people improve a lot with practice; others argued chimpanzees really do have an exceptional snapshot-like visual memory. Either way, the task has since become a popular browser game.

Our version is a little friendlier: the numbers stay visible until you click 1, so you decide how long to study them. The difficulty comes from the count – it starts at 4 and adds one number after every successful round.

The chimp test measures spatial working memory and visual short-term memory: you have to hold several positions in mind at once, along with the order that belongs to them. That's different from the number memory test, where you remember a string of digits, and from the sequence memory test, where locations flash one after another. Here you see everything at once, and it's up to you how you “photograph” the layout.

Your score is the largest set of numbers you cleared without error. If you managed nine numbers but struck out three times on ten, you score 9. After a strike you get a new layout with the same count – you don't drop back.

There's no reliable public population norm for this task, so we don't show a percentile. As a rough guide from experience, most people get stuck somewhere between 7 and 10 numbers, and anything above 12 is exceptional.

• Trace the route: don't look at the numbers one by one – follow the 1 → 2 → 3 path with your eyes as if drawing a line. The shape of the line is easier to remember than isolated points.
• Chunk it: split the sequence into smaller groups (1–4, 5–8, 9–12) and remember the shape of each group.
• Linger on the last ones: you'll still “see” where the first few numbers were when you start clicking; the end of the sequence is the hard part. Take one last look at the highest numbers before you click 1.
• No rush on the first click: the numbers stay visible until you click 1. Take as long as you need.
• Steady clicks: many mistakes are finger slips, not memory slips. There's no time limit once the numbers are hidden.

The test works with a mouse, a trackpad and a touchscreen. On phones the grid is smaller and the squares sit closer together, so mis-taps are easier – keep your leaderboard on one device for a fair comparison. Clicking an empty square doesn't count as a strike; only clicking the wrong number does.

The game is keyboard-accessible too: squares hiding a number are buttons, so you can move with Tab and choose with Enter. That's mainly an accessibility option – the game is all about visual memory, so a mouse or finger is faster and more natural.

As with every memory game, tiredness, noise and interruptions drag your score down. This is a fun self-check, not a medical or psychological assessment.

One explanation the Kyoto researchers offered is the cognitive trade-off hypothesis: as humans developed language and abstract thinking, we may have given up some snapshot-like visual memory. It's still debated, but it's a good reminder that memory isn't a single ability. For the game, the lesson is that overthinking can hurt. Strong players often say they don't count through the numbers – they take in the picture at a glance and let their hand follow. Try both approaches: build a route deliberately one time, and just glance and trust your eyes the next.

When the game ends, the Share result link button gives you a link that shows a preview image with your score. Whoever opens it arrives here with a challenge banner and can try to beat you. The link only contains the score; there's no account, nothing is stored on a server, and your leaderboard stays in your browser.

All the memory games are collected on the memory test hub. The verbal memory test works with words, and if you want to test speed rather than memory, try the reaction time test.