Brain Games
Five quick games that each measure one part of how your mind works: reaction speed, two kinds of working memory, spatial memory and attention. Each takes one or two minutes, and your best scores stay in your browser.
What each game measures
| Game | Skill | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Reaction Time Test | Processing speed | Woods et al. (2015), 1,469 adults |
| Number Memory Test | Verbal working memory | Miller (1956), “seven plus or minus two” |
| Chimp Test | Spatial working memory | Inoue & Matsuzawa (2007), Kyoto University |
| Visual Memory Test | Visual working memory | Luck & Vogel (1997), the four-object limit |
| Stroop Test | Attention and self-control | Stroop (1935), the classic attention test |
Do brain games make you smarter?
Practice makes you better at the game you practice. The evidence that it makes you better at anything else is weak. A large 2016 review of brain-training research in Psychological Science in the Public Interest found good evidence that people improve on the trained tasks, less for closely related tasks, and little that training improves everyday thinking.
That same year, the maker of Lumosity agreed to pay $2 million to settle US Federal Trade Commission charges that it advertised benefits for school, work and age-related decline without the science to back them up. We built these games as measurements, not training: a quick, honest look at how quick, focused and retentive you are today.
How to get a fair score
- Play somewhere quiet, with notifications off.
- Use the same device each time. Screens and touchscreens add different delays.
- Expect your first go to be your worst. Everyone improves a little with practice.
- Notice your day: scores drop when you’re tired, rushed or distracted. Our brain fog test combines three of these checks into one sharpness score.
Brain games vs an IQ test
Each game isolates one narrow skill. An IQ test combines many kinds of reasoning, such as patterns, numbers, words and logic, into one score that is compared with the whole population. A fast reaction time or a big digit span doesn’t make a high IQ on its own, but both are pieces of the same picture.
Brain games FAQ
Are my scores saved?
Your best score in each game is saved in your own browser, so you can come back and try to beat it. Nothing is tied to an account, because there isn’t one.
Which brain game should I start with?
The reaction time test is the quickest, at about 30 seconds. If you want a story to go with your score, the chimp test lets you compare yourself with a famous chimpanzee.
Do brain games work on a phone?
Yes. Every game works with touch, and the timed games also work with a keyboard. For fair comparisons, keep playing on the same device, because screens add different amounts of delay.
Sources
- Simons, D. J., et al. (2016). Do “brain-training” programs work? Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 17(3), 103–186.
- US Federal Trade Commission (2016): Lumosity to pay $2 million to settle FTC deceptive advertising charges
Ready for the full picture?
The free 30-question IQ test combines four kinds of reasoning into one score and percentile. Instant result, no email.
Take the free IQ testBy the MyIQTest team · Reviewed November 2026