About BIRD BACK

BIRD BACK is a fast, browser-based memory game where you fly through a 3×3 grid and recall positions or symbols from a few steps back. It’s inspired by n-back tasks but built to feel like a real game — rhythmic, challenging, and rewarding.

Unlike traditional n-back, Bird Back uses strong sensory feedback and a momentum-based game loop to keep you engaged. Correct recalls trigger both reinforcing and intermittent rewards, which are intended to support motivation and help the brain strengthen working memory accuracy/capacity over time.

The project is built in WebGPU and currently in active development. New mechanics and visuals are added regularly. If your browser supports WebGPU, the game loads instantly and runs in fullscreen.

Bird Back is a personal project, so if you have feedback or questions I’d love to hear from you on the contact page.

How to play

The idea is simple: each grid shows one highlighted position or symbol which the bird will fly through. Your job is to remember it, and then take control over the bird, steering it into the corresponding hole N grids later.

If you’re playing N-back, the bird you must fly into the hole that matches the one shown N steps earlier. For example, in 2-back you always recall the position shown two grids ago.

Settings

Modality

• Spatial: recall the highlighted position.
• Phonological: recall the number or letter shown in the hole.
• Combined: Random see either of the two above

Controls

• Keyboard: You steer the bird with the arrow keys.
• Touch: When you press the screen, the bird will move to the center grid hole - then you may swipe to move to any of 8 surrounding grid holes

Momentum builds as you succeed, and intermittent rewards trigger when you string correct recalls together.

That’s all you need—learn the rhythm, keep track of the sequence, and try to push your N as high as possible.

Troubleshooting

Q: "Oh no! WebGPU is not available and enabled in this browser"

WebGPU may be enabled by a browser setting:

• Firefox: Go to "about:config" and set "dom.webgpu.enabled"=true.
• Chrome: Go to "chrome://flags" and enable the "WebGPU Developer Features" flag

Q: Oh no! WebGPU is not supported by browser

Please verify that your browser supports all features at this table.