A short history of the Memory game
The matching game known as Memory, Concentration, Pairs or Pelmanism has been played with ordinary playing cards for a very long time. Nobody knows exactly who first played it, but it has been a family favorite for well over a century.
Pelmanism
In Britain the game is often called Pelmanism. The name comes from the Pelman Institute, a London organization founded in the late 1800s that sold popular courses in memory training. The card game became linked with the idea of exercising the memory.
Concentration on television
In the United States, the game gave its name to the TV quiz show Concentration, which ran on NBC from 1958 to 1973. Contestants matched prizes hidden behind numbered squares, then solved a picture puzzle revealed underneath.
A picture-card classic
In 1959 the German company Ravensburger published Memory, a set of matching picture cards. It became one of the best-selling children's games in the world and made "memory game" a household phrase.
From cards to screens
Because the rules are so simple, the game moved easily onto computers, phones and tablets. It is often one of the first games young children learn, and it remains popular with adults who enjoy a gentle challenge. Grandparents and grandchildren can play it together as equals, since nobody needs to know any special rules or words.
Traditional pictures
Calm Memory uses the flower and bird pictures found on traditional mahjong tiles. These designs, often showing plum blossom, orchid, chrysanthemum and bamboo, have decorated tiles for generations.
Calm Memory
Calm Memory keeps the rules exactly as they have always been, with large cards, three board sizes, a hint when you need one, and no timer.
Learn the rules in how to play, or read our tips.