Numbers hide after 5s, or tap "1" to hide them early. You then have 20s to finish the sequence from memory.
Hit Start. Numbers will scatter across the grid — memorize their spots before they vanish.
Chimp Challenger
Ayumu the chimp reached 9. You've got room to grow.
Chimpanzees can recall the position of 9 randomly placed numbers with 90% accuracy. This test uses the same protocol researchers used to measure that — memorize the grid, then tap the numbers in order after they vanish.
How Do You Compare?
How to Play
- Numbers appear at random positions on the grid. Memorize where each one is.
- Tap the number “1” once you’re ready, or wait 5 seconds — this hides all the numbers.
- Tap the hidden positions in ascending order, from memory. Three wrong taps end the run.
Example: Say you’re on Level 3. The numbers 1, 2, and 3 flash on three random tiles — for instance, “1” in the top-left area, “2” in the middle, and “3” near the bottom-right. Memorize those three spots. Once the numbers disappear, every tile looks exactly the same again — there’s no number showing anymore. Your job is to tap the tile that used to show “1” first, then the tile that used to show “2”, then “3” — using only your memory of where they were, not anything you can currently see. Get all three right, and the next round adds a 4th number to remember.
Exact Match Criteria
Tap every hidden number in the correct ascending order before the 20-second recall timer runs out.
Tapping a tile out of order costs one life. You get a fresh layout at the same level.
Three lost lives ends the run. Your final score is the highest level you cleared.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can chimpanzees beat humans at this memory test?
Researchers at Kyoto University’s Primate Research Institute found that young chimpanzees appear to use eidetic, or photographic, memory for this specific task, letting them capture the whole grid in a single glance rather than reading positions one at a time the way humans typically do.
What is the world record for this test?
In the original 2007 study, the chimpanzee Ayumu correctly recalled sequences of up to 9 digits with roughly 90% accuracy, a result that consistently outperformed the trained human participants in the same study.
Is this the same as a digit span test?
They measure related but different things. A digit span test checks how many numbers you can hold in memory after hearing or reading them in sequence. This test checks spatial working memory, meaning it measures whether you remember where things were, not just what they were.
Can practice improve my score on this test?
Yes, most people improve their spatial working memory score with repeated attempts, though studies on this specific test format suggest untrained humans rarely close the full gap with trained chimpanzees like Ayumu.
The Study Behind the Chimp Test
The test is based on a 2007 study published in Current Biology by researchers Sana Inoue and Tetsuro Matsuzawa, who compared young chimpanzees against university students on this exact memory task. The chimpanzees, including one named Ayumu, consistently matched or beat the human participants, even when the numbers were shown for only a fraction of a second.
Working Memory vs. Long-Term Memory
This test measures working memory — the brain’s ability to hold and manipulate a small amount of information for a few seconds. It’s a separate system from long-term memory, which is why someone can score well here while still forgetting where they left their keys five minutes later.
Try Testing Yourself Under Real Pressure
This test measures memory in a calm, self-paced setting. If you want to see how your brain performs when the clock is ticking and there’s no room for a second attempt, try our Microwave 00:01 Stop Challenge — a split-second impulse control test instead of a memory one.
