Chimp test
The numbers hide.
Can you still find them?
Look at where the numbers are. The moment you tap 1, the rest turn into blank tiles. Tap them in order from memory. Start with four.
Study the board, then tap 1.
Where the chimp test comes from
The game is based on a well-known study at Kyoto University, published in 2007, in which young chimpanzees were shown numerals on a touchscreen that were then masked by white squares. A young chimpanzee named Ayumu could still touch them in order after a very brief look, and in that task did better than the adult humans tested. This page is a game version of the same idea, not the laboratory task.
How this version works
- You begin with four numbers. Every board you clear adds one, up to twenty.
- You can study the board for as long as you like. Hiding starts when you tap 1.
- A wrong tap is a strike and you replay the same count with a new layout. Three strikes ends the run.
Getting further
- Trace a path. Follow 1 to 2 to 3 with your eyes as one continuous line before you start, instead of memorising each square on its own.
- Chunk it. Group the board into two or three clusters and remember each cluster’s order.
- Take your time before tapping 1. There is no timer here.
A game for fun and practice. Your score is not an intelligence measure or a medical or cognitive assessment.
A few minutes a day
Five short puzzles. About six minutes.
Cognilo is a daily puzzle game for adults on iPhone and iPad. Each day it serves the Daily 5: five short brain games picked for your level across memory, focus, logic, numbers, spatial and language.
It is untimed by default, needs no account and works offline. You see a clear result for each round and a practical tip for the next attempt, and your first puzzle starts straight away with no sign-up.
Get Cognilo on the App StoreThe free tier is complete: the Daily 5, all six skills, ratings, the Benchmark and achievements. Cognilo Pro is an optional subscription that adds extra lab modes and reports. Requires iOS 18 or later. Details checked against the App Store listing on November 10, 2026.
Publisher disclosure: Honest Little Apps publishes both Cognilo and this page. This is not an independent review. This page is a separate web companion, not a feature of the app. This chimp test is not one of the app’s puzzles. Cognilo is a game, not a medical or cognitive assessment.
Questions
What is the chimp test?
It is a working memory game. Numbers appear at random places on a grid, then are covered. You tap the covered squares in ascending order from memory. It is modelled on a 2007 Kyoto University study with chimpanzees.
What is a good score on the chimp test?
There is no official standard for this version. The useful comparison is your own earlier runs.
Is the chimp test timed?
Not here. You can look for as long as you want. The numbers hide when you tap 1.
Does it measure intelligence?
No. It is a game. Scores improve with practice at this task and do not diagnose or measure anything else.
Useful for someone else?
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