Rules of the Matching game - Quick and Simple

Illustrated Rules of the Matching game

Find here the rules of the Matching game, also know as Concentration card game or Memory®. Feel free to see our section Online Matching games.

At the beginning of the game, all the cards are mixed up and laid in cols and rows, face down on the table.

Player 1 starts and turns over two cards:

  • If the cards do not match (it is not a pair), he turns them back over and it is now the turn of player 2 to turn over two new cards.
  • However, if the two cards match, it is a pair! He keeps the cards and has the right to play again...

When the players found all the pairs, the game is over. The player who has the most cards wins!

You can Print the rules of the Matching game (PDF).

How to play the Matching game ?

Step 1 :  Beginning of the game

At the beginning of the game, all the cards are mixed up and laid in cols and rows, face down on the table.

Rules of the matching game - step 1

Step 2 :  Player 1

Player 1 starts and turns over two cards.

Rules of the matching game - step 2

Step 3 :  Player 1

In this case, the cards don not match, it is not a pair, so he turns them back over.

Rules of the matching game - step 3

Step 4 :  Player 2

It is then the turn of player 2 to turn over two new cards.

Rules of the matching game - step 4

Step 5 :  Player 2

As the cards do not match, it is not a pair, so he turns them back over.

Rules of thematching game - step 5

Step 6 :  Player 1

It is now the turn of player 1 (for a two-player game) or the turn of player 3 (if more than 2 players). Here, the player remembered the position of the cards and he turns over the two identical cards.

Rules of the matching game - step 6

Step 7 :  Player 1

The two cards match, it is a pair! He keeps the cards and can play again...

Rules of the matching game - step 7

Step 8 :  Player 1

Player 1 turns over two other cards.

Rules of the matching game - step 8

Step 9 :  Player 2

The two cards do not match. It is the turn of the player 2, and so on...

When the players found all the pairs, the game is over. The player with the most cards wins!

Rules of the matching game - step 9

Printable Rules of the Matching game

You can dowload the printable PDF file of the rules of the memory card games thanks to the button below.

Adaptation of the rules for our Online Matching Games :

All matching games on memozor have a solo mode and a 2-player mode. When you play alone, the aim of the game is to find all the pairs with the fewest strokes and as quickly as possible. A stopwatch will show you how much time you have spent to find all the pairs and also the game will show you the number of strokes you needed.

If you have selected the 2-player mode, you can choose between:

  • Play with a Friend sitting next to you,
  • Or Play Against the Computer.

All our matching games have several Levels of difficulty and you can change the number of cards displayed thanks to the buttons located below the game. They are Free and Unlimited! Choose you favorite one among our Online Matching game and Enjoy!

Try our Free Online Matching games :