Memory Matches 2 vs CrushStations

Memory Matches 2 — played over 200 million times. Flip cards, find matching pairs, and challenge your memory across 4 game modes, 20 card themes, and boards from 4×4 to 10×10. — 4 WAYS TO PLAY — - Timed — Race the clock for your fastest clear - Accuracy — Minimize mistakes for a perfect score - Multiplayer — Pass-and-play for 2 to 5 players on one device - RedX — High-stakes countdown: find all pairs before time expires — 4,232 UNIQUE CARDS — Choose from animals, sports, travel, people, seasonal, and everyday objects. Educational themes pair related cards conceptually — the number "5" matches with five dots, and uppercase letters match lowercase — so every session builds real memory skills. — TRAIN YOUR CONCENTRATION — Start with a simple 4×4 grid and work up to a massive 10×10 board on iPad. Earn stars by beating your high scores, then spend them to unlock new themes, larger grids, and additional game modes. The more you play, the more opens up. — FAMILY MULTIPLAYER — Place your device in the middle of the group and take turns. When you match a pair, you keep your turn. Supports 2, 3, 4, or 5 players simultaneously — track everyone's score in real time and crown the winner when the board clears. — EDUCATION + FUN — Letters A–Z, counting with Numbers and Dots, and color recognition make this a genuine brain trainer for all ages. A daily streak system helps build consistent practice habits. — iPAD PLAYERS GET MORE — Exclusive 8×8, 9×9, and 10×10 grids are designed specifically for the larger screen, with a dedicated layout for every board size and all orientations supported. — PLAY FREE, UNLOCK MORE — Earn stars through normal gameplay and spend them on themes, board sizes, and modes at your own pace. Watch a rewarded video for a bonus 20 stars, or purchase a star pack to unlock content faster. Remove ads permanently with a one-time purchase, or choose a monthly subscription — rewarded videos remain available by your choice at any time. Available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese.

CrushStations is a game designed to train working memory, a subskill of executive functions. Working memory involves holding information in mind and mentally working with it (Diamond, 2013). Players need to remember the color and type of creatures to free them and keep them out of reach of the hungry octopus. How does this support learning? Executive functions refer to a set of top-down, goal-oriented cognitive processes that enable people to control, monitor and plan behaviors and emotions. Miyake and Friedman’s model supports a unity-and-diversity view of EF in that it incorporates the three distinct but related components of EF: inhibitory control, task-switching and updating (Miyake et al., 2000). What is the research evidence? Our research suggests that CrushStations is an effective way to train working memory. The study supporting this claim will be published soon. Research has found that EF is related to performance in literacy and math along with long-term gains in school performance and academic readiness (Blair & Razza, 2007; Brock, Rimm-Kaufman, Nathanson, & Grimm, 2009; St Clair-Thompson & Gathercole, 2006; Welsh, Nix, Blair, Bierman, & Nelson, 2010) and that disparities in EF among preschool children from low-income versus high-income homes may contribute to the achievement gap (Blair & Razza, 2007; Noble, McCandliss, & Farah, 2007). This game is part of the Smart Suite, created by New York University’s CREATE lab in collaboration with the University of California, Santa Barbara, and The Graduate Center, CUNY. The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305A150417 to the University of California, Santa Barbara. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education.