What this game trains
Mental Sticky Notes is a game about prospective memory — remembering to do something you planned, at the right later moment. Most brain games test retrospective memory (recalling what you just saw); this one trains the kind of memory tied to everyday slips like leaving the stove on or forgetting a pill.
At the start of a round you are shown one promise (for example, “when 🍉 appears, ring the 🔔”). Then you focus on a different job — sorting fruits and animals — and the moment your trigger appears, you have to ring the bell on your own. Nothing reminds you, which makes it a playful prospective memory test, or forgetfulness test, for your own attention.
How to play
- 1Memorize the promise shown at the start of each round (“when this picture appears, ring 🔔”).
- 2After that, sort each picture that appears as Fruit or Animal.
- 3The instant your promised picture shows up, press 🔔 instead of sorting — that is a kept promise.
Tips for a higher score
- Recode the promise into a short phrase like “red one means bell,” so it survives while you do the sorting task.
- From round two the promise changes. The old trigger returns as a decoy, so hold on to only the current promise and do not ring for the old one.
- A false alarm (ringing when it is not the trigger) costs points. Ring only when you are sure; when unsure, just sort it.
The science behind it
Recalling and carrying out an intention while busy with another task mirrors the dual-task design (the Einstein–McDaniel paradigm) that cognitive psychologists use to study prospective memory. It exercises noticing the right moment on your own, without an external cue. Enjoying tasks like this may help you keep the habit of paying attention to everyday follow-through.
FAQ
What is the “promises kept” score?
Each game has eight trigger moments in total. How many times you ring 🔔 in time is your promises-kept rate (n/8), and that decides your grade note (from 💎 iron-clad to 🫠 sticky notes required).
How do the difficulty levels differ?
Easy gives you plenty of time per item and no decoys. Normal shortens the time and brings the old promise back as a decoy. Hard uses category promises like “when a red fruit appears,” with more decoys.
Is it okay if I keep forgetting?
Prospective memory is easy to miss when a task distracts you — that is the point. Start on Easy and compare scores at the same level to gauge your attention. This is a for-fun indicator, not a medical diagnosis.