The History of Pairs
A game that needs no rule book at all: turn over two cards and remember where everything was.
Many Names
The game is played all over the world and goes by many names: in English it is also called Concentration or Pelmanism, in Czech pexeso. In German-speaking countries it is best known under a protected brand name, which is why it is simply called Pairs here.
From Playing Cards to Picture Cards
It can be played with an ordinary deck of playing cards laid out face down, matching two cards of the same rank. Special sets of picture cards, with every picture printed twice, made it a favourite children's game in the 20th century.
A Game of Recall
The name Pelmanism is usually traced back to the Pelman Institute in London, which in the early 20th century sold courses meant to train the mind and the power of recall.
On PaperGames
On an e-reader the cards never turn back on their own: a slow screen should not decide what you get to see. The 18 card faces are simple black-and-white shapes that differ in outline, not in shade.