Clean Desk is a free daily memory game. You see a desk from above with office things on it: a mug, a folder, a plant, a stapler and more. Look at it and remember. Then the desk hides for a moment, and when it comes back something is gone. Tap the missing thing in the row below the desk. Every day has four desks. Monday has 6 things and one goes missing. From Wednesday some things come in two colors, and on Thursday and Friday two things go missing.
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.
- Four desks a day. Everyone gets the same desks in the same order.
- Short looks. You get 10 to 18 seconds per desk, or press Ready when you have it.
- Colors count. On harder days the same thing comes in two colors, one in a circle and one in a square.
- Stuck? The lightbulb marks the empty place, then crosses out wrong choices.
How to play Clean Desk
- Look at the desk and remember what is on it. A bar shows the time left.
- Press Ready, or wait until the time runs out. The desk hides for a moment.
- Something is gone now. Tap the missing thing in the row below the desk.
- After four desks the day is done. Each wrong pick adds 5 seconds to your time.
What you see
| Part | What it means |
|---|---|
| Bar and seconds | The time left to look at the desk. |
| Ready | Hide the desk now, when you have remembered everything. |
| Row of choices | Things that might be gone. Some are still on the desk, some were never there. |
| Crossed-out choice | A wrong pick, or a choice the hint ruled out. |
| Green ring | The missing thing you found. It is back on the desk. |
| Dashed ring | The empty place, shown by the hint. |
Tips for a better memory
- Name the things. Say “red mug, blue folder, green plant” in your head. Names stick better than pictures alone.
- Go row by row. Read the desk in the same order every time, like a line of text.
- Make groups. “Two red things in the top row” is one memory instead of two.
- Say the color first. On days with two colors, remember “orange folder” and “blue folder”, not just “folder”.
- Look for the gap. When the desk comes back, find the empty place before you look at the choices. Then ask what stood there.
How the week gets harder
| Day | Things on a desk | Missing | Seconds to look | Things in two colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 6 | 1 | 10 | None |
| Tuesday | 7 | 1 | 10 | None |
| Wednesday | 8 | 1 | 12 | 1 |
| Thursday | 10 | 2 | 15 | 2 |
| Friday | 12 | 2 | 18 | 3 |
Saturday plays like a Wednesday and Sunday like a Tuesday.
Frequently asked questions
Is Clean Desk free?
Yes. There is no account, no download and no paywall.
Can I look longer?
A little. The lightbulb adds 5 seconds while you look. You can also press Ready earlier.
What happens when I pick the wrong thing?
The choice is crossed out and 5 seconds are added to your time. Keep picking until you find what is gone.
How do I tell the two colors apart?
Blue, red and green things sit in a circle. Orange, teal and purple things sit in a square. So the two colors of the same thing always differ in shape too.
Do I have to remember where things were?
No. You only pick what is gone. Remembering the places still helps, and the hint marks the empty place.
How long does a day take?
Usually 1 to 3 minutes: four desks with 10 to 18 seconds of looking each, plus your picks.
Are the desks the same for everyone?
Yes. The desks of the day are the same for all players, so you can compare your time with a coworker.
When do the new desks 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.
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