Brain Workshop - a Dual N-Back game

Introduction - Download - Tutorial - Details & Options - Donate

Brain Workshop is a free open-source version of the dual n-back brain training exercise.

What if a simple mental exercise could improve your memory and intelligence?
A 2008 study published in the PNAS scientific journal
shows that a memory task called dual n-back may
improve working memory (short term memory) and
fluid intelligence. These findings are important because
fluid intelligence was previously thought to be
unchangeable.

Those findings have since been replicated twice with

strongly positive results, and two more times in smaller
studies with weaker, but still positive, results.

Brain Workshop implements this dual n-back task, and

allows you to attempt to improve your own working
memory and fluid intelligence. The dual n-back task
involves remembering a sequence of spoken letters and a
sequence of positions of a square at the same time, and
identifying when a letter or position matches the one that appeared earlier. Brain Workshop can closely
replicate the conditions of the original study. In addition, it also includes optional extended game modes
such as Triple N-Back and Arithmetic N-Back for extra challenge. It also includes features such as
statistics tracking, graphs and configurability.

Anecdotal evidence from users suggests that the dual n-back task can also enhance focus and attention
and may help improve the symptoms of ADHD/ADD.

Brain Workshop works on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.

Since its initial release in August 2008, Brain Workshop has been downloaded over 775,000 times!

New to Dual N-Back?

See this Wired article for an introduction to the Dual N-Back exercise and its benefits.
Read the original research paper by Jaeggi, et al. (2008).
Learn how to play by reading this quick tutorial.
Download the software.

We welcome the use of Brain Workshop for experimental research. The program can be configured for a
wide variety of scenarios.

Dual N-Back Community

Join the Dual N-Back, Brain Training & Intelligence forum & mailing list at Google Groups for some
interesting discussions on dual n-back, memory, intelligence and the brain.

Gwern's Dual N-Back FAQ

Gwern Branwen maintains an extensive (unofficial) Dual N-Back FAQ. Note the table of contents on
the right side of the page.
Brain Workshop was created by Paul Hoskinson, and is maintained by Paul
Hoskinson and Jonathan Toomim.

Please send us your comments or questions.