The best personalized memory games all start the same way: your photos, printed twice, face down on a table. After that they split. Some come as tiles in a box, some as a deck of playing cards, some from a small maker, and some from your own kitchen table with a glue stick.
Here are five honest options, ours included. Each one gets what it does well and its catch, so you can pick the one that fits the people who will actually play.
The best personalized memory games, side by side
Everything below about other makers comes from their own pages. Their prices change, so we left them out. Ours are listed because we know them.
1. Pinhole Press photo memory game
Pinhole Press turns 12 of your photos into 24 square tiles. You pick a matte or glossy finish, and the game comes in a matching box. There are more than 15 themes, including heart and snowflake designs. You can add photos from your phone, your computer, Instagram or Facebook.
Good for: little kids. Pinhole Press recommends it for ages 2 and up, and suggests the tiles as flashcards for babies.
The catch: one game holds 12 photos. A big family has to choose who makes the cut, or buy a second set.
2. A photo memory game from an Etsy maker
Etsy has lots of small shops that make photo memory games to order. Some print on wooden tiles. Some cut hexagon tiles and pack them in a drawstring bag. You send your photos, and the maker builds the set.
Good for: a handmade feel, and shapes or materials a big printer does not offer.
The catch: every shop runs its own way. Read each listing for the tile count, the material and how long the maker needs.
3. Matchy Matchy
This one is ours. Matchy Matchy Memory keeps your real photos, from $19.99. Matchy Matchy Magic re-draws them in 3D Film, Watercolor or Anime, from $29.99. Choose 12, 24 or 48 cards. You upload from your phone, and you see your first card before you pay.
Good for: a family that wants the real faces, or wants Grandpa in Watercolor. The 48-card game leaves room for cousins, aunts and the dog.
The catch: it is a game. It shines when someone sits across the table and plays with you.
Two more ways to play with your own faces
These two take a different road. One is a deck you already know how to play. The other is a weekend project.
4. Shutterfly photo playing cards
Shutterfly sells custom playing cards: a poker-size deck with two jokers and a hard case. You can put family photos on them. Their page lists Memory among the classic games to play, next to Go Fish, Crazy Eights and War.
Good for: card players. One deck covers poker night, Go Fish with the kids and a round of Memory.
The catch: it is a regular deck first. A round of Memory with it matches numbers, the way it does with any deck.
5. A DIY set from a print shop
Order two prints of every photo from any local print shop. Glue them onto thick card, let them dry, and cut them into squares. Use the same plain card for every back, so no tile gives itself away.
Good for: crafty families, and anyone who wants making the game to be part of the gift.
The catch: it takes an afternoon and a steady hand. Thin prints can show through, so go thick on the backs.
How to choose between them
Start with the people, then the box. A few questions sort it out fast.
- Who plays? A toddler needs a few clear faces. A family of teens can take on a 48-card grid and still argue about the rules.
- How many faces? Count everyone you want in it. A small set is easy to finish. A big one keeps a crowd busy.
- Real or re-drawn? Every option here prints your photos. Matchy Matchy Magic can also re-draw them in 3D Film, Watercolor or Anime.
- How much time? A DIY set costs an afternoon. The others cost a few minutes of picking and uploading.
- Where does it live? A deck in a hard case travels well. A bag of wooden tiles looks sweet on a shelf.
Why your own photos change the game
A memory game with cartoon fruit is a test. A memory game with your family is a conversation. Every flip is a face, and every face is a story somebody at the table wants to tell.
You might notice that kids stay at the table longer when the cards are people they know. A four-year-old who ignores a store-bought set might flip cards all afternoon to find Grandma. Grandpa might stop mid-turn to explain the beach day in the photo. That pause is half the fun.
It works for grown-ups too. Couples can play with the first apartment and the road trip where the car died. Old friends can play with the haircut nobody talks about anymore.
Gathering the photos
Whichever option you choose, the photos are the whole game. A little care here pays off at the table.
- Start with faces. Clear, close photos are the easiest to spot from across the table.
- Mix in moments. The dog in a birthday hat. The beach day. The cake that slid off the plate.
- Ask the family. Start a group chat and ask everyone for two favorites. You will get forty. Keep the best ones.
- Skip the near-twins. Two shots from the same second look alike, and that turns a fun match into a squint.
- Count first. Know how many people you want in the game, then pick the size that holds them.
Ready to make your own?
If one of the other options fits your family better, go with it. A game full of your own faces is the point.
If you want to try ours, the path is short. Pick your photos. Choose real with Matchy Matchy Memory, from $19.99, or re-drawn with Matchy Matchy Magic, in 3D Film, Watercolor or Anime, from $29.99. Choose 12, 24 or 48 cards. Check your first card before you pay. Shipping is $5, and free when you order 2 or more decks. US only, ships in 3 to 5 business days.
Questions first? Write to hello@matchygame.com.