File Pairs is a free daily memory matching game. The cards lie face down, and every office picture, such as a folder, a mug or a stapler, is on two of them. Turn over two cards. If they show the same picture, they stay open. If not, they turn back, and you have to remember where they were. Monday has 6 pairs. From Wednesday some pictures come in two colors, and a blue folder only pairs with the other blue folder. Friday has 15 pairs, and six pictures come in two colors.
No sign-up and nothing to install. It runs in your browser on a computer or a phone, and your progress is saved on your device.
- One table a day. Everyone gets the same cards in the same places.
- Count your turns. Two cards are one turn. Fewer turns means a better memory.
- Watch the colors. On harder days the same picture comes in two colors, one in a circle and one in a square.
- Stuck? The lightbulb shows every card for a moment.
How to play File Pairs
- Tap a card to turn it over.
- Tap a second card.
- If the two pictures are the same, the pair stays open. If not, both cards turn back after a moment.
- Go on until every pair is open.
What you see
| Part | What it means |
|---|---|
| Dark card with a star | A card that is face down. |
| Orange border | The first card of your turn. |
| Red border | Two cards that are not a pair. They turn back. |
| Green border | A pair you found. |
| Circle or square | On harder days a picture comes in two colors. One color sits in a circle, the other in a square. |
| Turns | How many times you turned over two cards. |
Tips for a better memory
- Open new cards in a fixed order. Go row by row. It is easier to remember “second row, third card” than a random spot.
- Say it to yourself. “Mug top left, key bottom right.” Words stick better than pictures alone.
- Start a turn with a card you do not know. If it matches a card you remember, you take the pair at once. If you start with the known card, you learn nothing new.
- Take sure pairs right away. When you know where both cards are, collect them before you forget.
- Name the color too. On days with two colors, remember “orange folder”, not just “folder”.
How the week gets harder
| Day | Cards | Pairs | Pictures in two colors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 4 by 3 | 6 | None |
| Tuesday | 4 by 4 | 8 | None |
| Wednesday | 5 by 4 | 10 | 2 |
| Thursday | 6 by 4 | 12 | 4 |
| Friday | 6 by 5 | 15 | 6 |
Saturday plays like a Wednesday and Sunday like a Tuesday.
Frequently asked questions
Is File Pairs free?
Yes. There is no account, no download and no paywall.
How many turns are good?
With a perfect memory and average luck you need about 1.6 turns per pair: roughly 10 turns for 6 pairs and 24 turns for 15 pairs. Twice that is still a fair result.
How do I tell the two colors apart if I do not see colors well?
The second color of a picture always sits in a square instead of a circle. So a folder in a circle and a folder in a square are never a pair.
Is there a time limit?
No. The clock only measures how long you took. Different cards turn back after about a second, or as soon as you tap the next card.
What does the hint do?
It turns every card face up for a moment. Use it when you have lost track.
Are the cards in the same places for everyone?
Yes. The table of the day is the same for all players, so you can compare your turns with a coworker.
When does the new table appear?
At midnight in your local time.
Can I play earlier days?
Yes. Open the calendar button at the top of the game and pick any day from the past eight weeks.
More to play on WiseChecker
- Browser Games: every WiseChecker game in one place.
- Clean Desk: remember the desk and find what is gone.
- No Blind Spots: place cameras so that no square is a blind spot.
- Cell Value: find the number behind every letter.
- Last Donut: take donuts in turns. Do not take the last one.