Online attention trainer

Shell Game: keep your eye on the cup with the ball

Also known as: shell game online, find the ball under the cup, cups and ball game, visual tracking game

A ball hides under one of the cups, then the cups swap places. Tap the one hiding the ball. The higher the level, the more cups and swaps, and the more a correct answer is worth. A game lasts a minute and a half. You can play 10 minutes a day without signing up.

Go to the game ↓
  • 1.5 minutesone game
  • 3 → 6 cupsmore with correct answers
  • No sign-up10 minutes a day
  • Progress30-day chart
What it trains

What the shell game trains

The exercise trains sustained attention and visual tracking: you can’t look away during a single swap. Each level adds cups and speeds up the moves, so holding on to the right cup gets harder.

A correct answer is worth as many points as your current level. Once you sign up, results are saved and you can see a chart in your account.

  • Little things distract youYour eyes drift away from what matters
  • You lose things you were just holdingYou put your keys down and didn’t notice where
  • You want a workout without words or numbersJust cups and a ball
  • You want a 90-second warm-upA game everyone knows from childhood

Sustained attention

Not losing the cup during any swap.

Visual tracking

Following a moving object among identical ones.

Processing speed

Keeping up with fast swaps.

Spatial thinking

Remembering where the cup ended up after a swap.

Rules

How to play

  1. Remember

    Press “Start”. The cups are lifted and a red ball sits under one of them.

  2. Follow

    The cups come down and swap places in pairs. Don’t take your eyes off the cup with the ball.

  3. Pick

    When the cups stop, tap the right one. On a keyboard you can press a number: cups are counted from left to right.

  4. Points

    A correct answer earns as many points as your level. Two correct answers in a row raise the level, a mistake lowers it by one.

  5. Finish

    The game ends after a minute and a half. Your result is the total of points from all rounds.

Play online

Play the shell game online

Press “Start”, follow the cup with the ball and pick it.

Shell Game

A ball hides under a cup and the cups swap places. Follow along and find the ball: the higher the level, the more an answer is worth.

Free play left today without signing up: 10 min

Method

The idea behind the exercise

The shell game has been around for ages: someone hides a ball under one of the cups and shuffles them quickly. There’s no trick here — the ball is always under the cup you followed, and the difficulty grows honestly: more cups, more swaps, higher speed.

If you’d like to follow several targets at once, try Tagged Fish. For picturing an object’s position in your head, try Follow the Arrows.

3Three cupsFour swaps at a calm pace.
4–5More cupsUp to 12 swaps, faster moves.
6Six cupsUp to 16 fast swaps.
Who it’s for

Which ages

Adults

A quick attention warm-up: familiar rules, and the pace adapts to you.

Kids

Not part of the “Kids” collection. If your profile says you’re a child, the cups move slower and there are no more than four. Suitable from age 6.

60+

Not part of the “60+” collection. After a mistake there are fewer cups and the swaps get slower.

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Questions

Frequently asked questions

Does the ball ever disappear?

No, the ball always stays under the cup it was under. You see every swap in full, nothing is hidden.

Why are some answers worth one point and others more?

A correct answer is worth your current level. The more cups and swaps, the more the answer is worth.

Can I play with a keyboard?

Yes, press a number from 1 to 6: cups are counted from left to right.

Do I need to sign up?

No, you can play 10 minutes a day right away. A free account lets you keep playing, save your results, track your progress and unlock the daily workout.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes, the trainer runs in the browser on phones, tablets and computers. Nothing to install.

Save your results and track your progress

Free sign-up: round history, a chart by skill and a daily workout of 5 exercises. No credit card needed.

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