Online memory trainer

N-back: does the square match the one from N steps back?

Also known as: N-back test, n-back game, dual n-back, working memory trainer

Squares on a 3×3 grid light up one at a time. Press “Match” if the same square lit up N steps back. A game of three blocks takes about three minutes, and you get 10 minutes of play a day without signing up.

Go to the game ↓

≈3 minutesthree blocks
3×3 gridsquares light up in turn
No sign-up10 minutes a day
Progress30-day chart

What it trains

Why train with N-back

The N-back task loads your working memory: you keep the last few positions in mind and update them at every step. Each new square pushes out the oldest one, and you always compare with the square from exactly N steps back.

The N level adjusts after every block: if you catch most of the matches and hardly press by mistake, N goes up. Once you sign up, every game is saved and you can see a chart in your account.

You lose the thread of a conversationBy the time it continues, you’ve forgotten how it started
It’s hard to juggle several tasksA new task comes in and an old one slips away
You lose your place doing mental mathThe running total disappears at the next step
You want a tougher exerciseThe N level grows along with your accuracy

Working memory

Hold the latest positions and update them at every step.

Focus

Each step lasts 2.5 seconds, so you can’t drift off for a single one.

Inhibition

Don’t press when a square looks familiar but doesn’t match.

Spatial memory

Remember a place on the grid, not a number or a word.

Rules

How to play

Start
The first block runs at N = 1: compare each square with the previous one. The top of the screen tells you how many steps back to compare.
Watch
Every 2.5 seconds one square on the 3×3 grid lights up; the glow lasts one second.
Match
If the square is the same as N steps back, press “Match” or the space bar. If it isn’t, don’t press anything.
Points
Each match you catch earns 10 points times N. A wrong press costs 5 points.
Blocks
A game has three blocks. Catch at least 70% of the matches with no more than three wrong presses and N goes up. Catch fewer than 40% and N goes down.

Play online

N-back online

Press “Start”, then hit “Match” or the space bar whenever a square repeats the one from N steps back.

N-back

Cells light up one by one. Answer “Match” if the cell is the same as N steps back. The classic working memory exercise.

Free play left today without signing up: 10 min

Method

What the exercise is based on

N-back is a classic cognitive psychology task for studying working memory. Stimuli come one after another, and the person marks those that match the stimulus from N steps back. There are versions with letters, sounds and grid positions, as well as dual N-back with two streams at once. Our site uses the single version with positions on a 3×3 grid.

Another classic visuospatial memory task is Corsi Blocks: there you repeat the whole sequence of blocks that lit up.

N=1Compare with the last stepEvery game starts at this level.

N=2One square in betweenYou keep the last two positions in mind.

N=3Two squares in betweenN goes up after a block with 70%+ accuracy. In a three-block game you can’t get past N = 3; to train N = 3 from the first block, there’s N-back 3.

Who it’s for

Which ages

Adults

One of the toughest memory exercises on the site. A good pick if you want a real challenge, not a light warm-up.

Kids

Not part of the “Kids” collection: it takes holding a rule for a long time and keeping a set pace through three blocks. Older students can try it at N = 1.

60+

Not part of the “60+” collection: the pace is fixed at one step every 2.5 seconds. If you enjoy harder tasks, give it a try: every game starts at N = 1.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What does N mean?

How many steps back you compare. At N = 1 you compare a square with the previous one, at N = 2 with the one from two steps back.

What if the square doesn’t match?

Don’t press anything. A wrong press costs 5 points, while a missed match simply earns nothing.

How do I move up a level?

In a block, catch at least 70% of the matches with no more than three wrong presses. The next block will then run with N one higher.

Can I play with the keyboard?

Yes, the space bar works as the “Match” button. On a phone, tap the button below the grid.

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.

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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N-back: does the square match the one from N steps back?