Evidence Match

About the game

Evidence Match is a free memory game with a detective theme. Every case is a cork board covered in face-down case cards. Underneath are pieces of evidence — fingerprints, footprints, keys, gloves, coffee cups, a detective's hat and more — and each piece has exactly one twin somewhere on the board. Find all the pairs and the case is closed.

Before each case begins, the cards are turned face up for a few seconds so you can study the scene. On the first case you get four seconds; later cases give you less time, and the final case gives you none at all. From case 5 onward, a few red herrings are mixed in: red fish cards that have no partner and only waste your moves.

There are 12 cases in four ranks — Rookie, Detective, Inspector and Chief — growing from 12 cards to a full board of 36. There is no timer, so it is a calm game you can play at your own pace.

How to play

1. Study the scene. When a case opens, all cards are shown face up. Try to remember where things are before they flip over.
2. Flip two cards. Tap a card to turn it over, then tap a second one.
3. Match or remember. If both cards show the same evidence, they stay face up with a green frame. If not, they flip back after a moment — remember what you saw.
4. Avoid red herrings. A red fish card is a dead end. It counts as a move and flips straight back, along with any card you had just turned over.
5. Close the case. Match every pair to finish. The red herrings never need to be found.

Moves, par and stars

Every attempt at a pair — two cards turned over — counts as one move. Turning over a red herring also costs one move. Each case has a par, the target number of moves shown above the board.

• 3 stars: close the case in par or fewer moves.
• 2 stars: close it within about 40% more moves than par.
• 1 star: any other finish. Closing a case unlocks the next one.

With 12 cases there are 36 stars to collect. Your stars are saved in your browser, so you can come back to any case and try to beat your result.

The twelve cases

Memory tips from the detectives

• Use the study time on a few cards, not all of them. Trying to memorise 36 cards in two seconds rarely works. Pick one row or one corner and remember it well.
• Say it in words. "Key, top left. Glove next to it." Naming things silently helps them stick.
• Use the tints. The cards have different pastel tints — the glove sits on pink, the badge and notebook on pale blue — which gives your memory an extra hook besides the picture.
• Turn over a known card second. When you flip a new card and already know where its twin is, go straight to it. When you don't, flip a card you have not seen yet — never one you already know is wrong.
• Remember the red herrings too. Once you have found a red fish, remember where it is so you never waste another move on it.
• Work in regions. On big boards, clear one area at a time. It is easier to remember a few nearby cards than scattered ones.

Frequently asked questions