ZANZOU (Number Position Memory)

ZANZOU is MIKIRI's number-position memory game. Numbers from 1 upward appear in scattered cells of a 5×5 grid for a moment, then turn into blank tiles. You tap those tiles in order — 1, 2, 3… — from memory.

The format is inspired by a well-known memory task from primate research at Kyoto University, in which chimpanzees recalled the order of briefly shown numerals. As in that task, tapping 1 while the numbers are still visible hides the rest at once, so you decide how long to look. MIKIRI turns it into an endless round game with two lives.

How to play

1. Enter a username and choose ZANZOU
2. Watch where the numbers 1, 2, 3… appear
3. When they turn into blank tiles, tap them in order from 1
4. Tap 1 early if you like — the rest hide immediately
5. One wrong tap costs a life; clear the round to continue

Difficulty

Round 1 shows 3 numbers for 1.5 seconds. Round 13 (elite) is 6 numbers for 0.5 seconds, round 21 (demon) 9 numbers for 0.42 seconds, and round 28 (beyond human) 11 numbers for 0.3 seconds. From round 35 it stays at 13 numbers for 0.18 seconds. Each round makes only one thing harder: the count or the display time.

Tips

• Take in the whole board at once instead of hunting for 1 first
• Link the positions into a path — 1 to 2 to 3 — like drawing a line
• If you can hold the picture, tap 1 early to stop the clock
• Check the gold reveal after a miss: was it the order or the position you lost?
• Compare results on the same device; screen size changes how far apart the cells are

What ZANZOU actually tests

In ZANZOU you are not remembering the numbers themselves but which place came in which order. The tiles stay visible after the numbers vanish, so the task is linking positions to an order.

As the display gets shorter, there is no time to check the numbers one by one. Results split on whether you can take the board in as one picture and remember the path through it.

Where people get stuck

Hunting for 1 first. By the time you find 1, the display is over. Take in the whole board, then trace the order.

Losing only the last numbers. With more numbers, the later ones blur first. Use the gold reveal after a miss to see where it broke down.

Tapping 1 too soon. The rest hide the moment you tap 1. Tap before the picture has settled and everything after 1 is gone.

About the chimpanzee research

The format is inspired by a memory task from primate research at Kyoto University, which became well known when chimpanzees reproduced the order of briefly shown numerals more accurately than human participants.

The research conditions — amount of practice, display time, screen and rewards — are not the same as this game's. Your result here cannot be compared directly with that study or used to compare people and chimpanzees. Treat it as a game that lets you try the same kind of task.

FAQ

Q. Is ZANZOU free?

A. Yes. It is free, needs no signup and runs in your phone or desktop browser.

Q. Is this the chimpanzee test?

A. It is inspired by that research task. MIKIRI's version adds a display time that shortens every round and an endless round format with lives.

Q. What does the score mean?

A. The main score is the highest round cleared. It is a game score, not a medical or cognitive assessment.

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