memtry
N-Back
A square lights up, over and over. Press MATCH when it repeats the position from N steps back. Pick 1, 2 or 3-back.
How to play
- Choose your level; 2-back is the standard
- Watch the positions arrive one per beat
- Press MATCH on a repeat from N back
- Accuracy over the run is your score
What it trains
Working memory. N-back has been a lab staple since Kirchner introduced it in 1958. A 2008 study by Jaeggi and colleagues suggested training might raise fluid intelligence, and later replications, including Redick's 2013 study, largely failed to find that transfer. What is not in dispute: your n-back performance itself improves with practice, and the task loads working memory updating hard.
Kirchner, 1958; Jaeggi et al., 2008; Redick et al., 2013.
One honest tip
Do not rehearse the whole history. Hold a moving window of N positions and let the rest fall away.