How to play Matching Pairs: remember positions and choose accurately

Where the game came from

Games built around finding matching pairs have several names. Museum Ravensburger traces its memory edition to William Hurter’s proposed “Game of Twins” and the first published edition in 1959. That documents one particular edition, rather than establishing the invention of every matching-pairs game.

Rich Games uses themed cards while keeping the same underlying task. The useful skill is connecting each image with a position, rather than reacting quickly. You can play solo, open the Daily game or challenge a friend, learning from their reveals as well as your own.

Understand a complete attempt

Turn over one card, then a second. Matching cards remain found; remember the positions of cards that do not match. The 4×3 board contains six pairs, 4×4 contains eight and 6×4 contains twelve. Each image appears twice in a deal, so a completed pair no longer needs searching for.

In Rich Messages, a mismatched pair does not disappear on a timer. Both cards remain visible until the next tap. Use that pause to fix their positions in memory instead of rushing to beat an animation. In a game with a friend, their reveals provide equally useful information about the hidden layout.

Remember an address with every picture

Give rows numbers and columns letters in your head. “Cat at B2” is more useful than “there was a cat somewhere.” You do not have to recite every coordinate: dividing the board into left and right halves or small rectangles also works. What matters is a consistent way to describe a position.

After revealing the first card, ask whether you have already seen its partner. If you know the address, take the exact pair. If you do not, reveal a new card and remember both locations. Choosing a known, incompatible card adds no new information and wastes the attempt.

Turn a mismatch into a future exact match

Imagine your first attempt reveals a cat at B2 and an apple at D1. They do not match. Later you uncover an apple at A3. Your correct second choice is D1, because that address is already known. The failed opening attempt has become useful information for a precise decision.

Now suppose your first reveal is a completely new image. If unknown cards remain, choosing a new position teaches you something; turning over the known cat at B2 cannot produce a match. However, when both cards of a pair are already known, collect them first. Exploring should not displace a guaranteed matching pair.

Preserve your mental map as pairs disappear

The gaps left by completed pairs can make the layout feel different. Keep counting coordinates from the original grid rather than the remaining cards. Do not change your naming system halfway through the deal. In PvP, another trap is remembering only your own turns: an opponent’s unsuccessful attempt can reveal exactly the addresses you need.

Increase the board size gradually

Begin on 4×3 and identify both addresses after every mismatch. Move to 4×4 while keeping the same coordinate system. In Daily, focus on thoughtful attempts; with a friend, focus on watching continuously. Compare your decisions on similar boards rather than treating every result as a pure measure of memory: different deals involve different amounts of luck.