Colour Memory Challenge

Watch the sequence of colours, then repeat it back. Sequence grows with each round.

Round

Best

Press Start to begin

How to play: Watch the colour sequence, then tap the colours in the same order. Each correct round adds one more colour. Most people manage 5–7 rounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many levels are there?

The game continues until you fail. Each round adds one more colour to the sequence.

What is a good score?

Most people manage 5-7 rounds. 10+ rounds indicates excellent short-term memory.

Is this a medical memory test?

No. A fun game only with no clinical validity.

Can I share my score?

Yes. Copy your score and challenge friends.

Is it suitable for all ages?

Yes. A great brain game for everyone.

Colour Memory Games: The Science of Short-Term Memory

The colour sequence memory challenge tests visuospatial working memory — the system responsible for temporarily holding and manipulating visual and spatial information. This is the same cognitive system involved in following directions, visualising spatial layouts, and keeping track of objects in your visual environment.

Working memory capacity

George Miller's famous 1956 paper established the concept of working memory capacity as "the magical number seven, plus or minus two" — suggesting most people can hold approximately 5–9 items in working memory simultaneously. Subsequent research has revised this down: the pure working memory capacity limit (without chunking strategies) is closer to 4 items, with familiarity and grouping strategies allowing effective working memory to extend further.

In a colour sequence game, each element of the sequence occupies one slot. A 5-element sequence sits at the edge of typical working memory capacity without chunking. Expert performers in memory tasks do not have larger working memories — they have better chunking strategies, treating pairs or triplets of elements as single units.

Does this improve with practice?

Working memory training has been studied extensively, with mixed results. Domain-specific practice (getting better at colour sequences specifically) reliably occurs. Transfer to other cognitive tasks or general intelligence is much more contested — the research on near and far transfer from working memory training is inconsistent. Playing this game will make you better at this game. Whether it makes you generally smarter is not supported by current evidence.