Tail Lamp
Watch shapes roll past on a train, then tap the last few in order when the tail lamp appears.
Memory · All ages
Remember the last shapes on the train and tap them in order.
About this game
Tail Lamp is a memory game with a moving twist. Shapes pass by on a train, and you never know exactly when it will end. When the tail lamp shows up, you tap the last few shapes you saw, in order.
The task is a form of running memory span. Instead of remembering everything, you keep a rolling window of the most recent items and let older ones go. That is a different skill from remembering a fixed list, and it is used in research to study how we update what we hold in mind.
How to play
- Watch the shapes pass on the train.
- When the tail lamp appears, the train has ended.
- Tap the last few shapes in the order they appeared. The number you need to recall grows as you improve.
Tips
- Keep only the newest shapes in mind and let older ones drop out.
- Name each shape to yourself, like circle, star, square, to hold it more firmly.
- Don't try to remember the whole train. Watching the end matters most.
How it adapts
Kids get a slower train and shorter sets to remember. Teens and adults see faster trains and more shapes to recall. The pace and the number of shapes adjust to how you play.
Questions
What is running memory?
Running memory is the ability to keep the most recent items in mind while a stream of new ones keeps coming, without knowing when it will stop.
Why does the train end at a different point every time?
So you can't plan ahead. You have to keep your memory up to date the whole time, which is the point of the game.
Should I say the shapes out loud?
You can. Quietly naming shapes is a common way to hold on to them a bit longer.
The research behind it
Running memory span is one of several tasks psychologists use to study working memory, the mental workspace we use to hold and update information. Practice improves performance on the trained task; how far it transfers to daily life is still an open question.
