How to Play Doodle Vu
Study a drawing. It disappears. Now draw it from memory. That's it — but it's harder than you think, and there are eight different ways to test yourself.
The Basics
Every day, Doodle Vu gives you a new target drawing. You study it for a few seconds, then it vanishes and you're left with a blank canvas. Using your finger or mouse, you recreate the drawing from memory. When you're done, an AI scores your attempt instantly — no waiting, no server needed.
Your score (0–100) reflects how closely your drawing matches the target. The structural shapes, proportions, and line placement all factor in. It's not about artistic perfection — it's about how accurately your memory captured the image.
Game Modes
Each mode targets a different cognitive skill. Start with Practice and Classic, then work your way up to the more challenging modes as your visual memory sharpens.
No time pressure, adjustable study duration. Perfect for warming up or getting familiar with the game. Practice as many times as you want — scores don't count toward your streak.
The core Doodle Vu experience. Memorize the target drawing during the study phase, then recreate it on a blank canvas. This is the daily puzzle mode — one new drawing every day, one shot to get your best score.
Memorize the drawing, then draw its horizontal mirror image. You need to mentally flip the entire image before your pen touches the canvas. Engages spatial processing that normal recall doesn't.
Like Mirror, but with rotation. You study the drawing at one orientation and must draw it rotated. This taps into the same mental rotation ability measured by cognitive assessments and spatial reasoning tests.
You can see the target during study, but when it's time to draw, your strokes are invisible. You're drawing blind, relying on motor memory and spatial awareness. Comes with a 10% score bonus to reward the extra difficulty.
Multiple rounds with rising difficulty. Study time gets shorter, drawings get more complex. Tests how well you perform under increasing cognitive load and time pressure.
The target drawing uses multiple colors, but you only need to remember and draw the strokes of one specific color. Tests your ability to filter visual information and attend selectively to one feature.
The hardest mode. While you're drawing the current target, the next target is already being shown. You must memorize an incoming drawing while your hands are busy reproducing the previous one. True dual-task working memory at its most demanding.
Scoring Explained
Doodle Vu uses a neural network that runs entirely in your browser to score your drawings. The moment you tap "Done," the AI compares the structural similarity between your drawing and the target. It evaluates line placement, shape proportions, and overall fidelity — not artistic style or line smoothness.
Score Tiers
Your score maps to a feedback tier that reflects your recall quality:
0–29 — Keep Practicing: The drawing didn't closely match the target. Don't worry — visual memory improves with practice, and some drawings are genuinely hard.
30–49 — Not Bad: You captured some of the major features. The general shape is there, but proportions or placement may be off.
50–69 — Nice Work: A solid recall. The key elements are in the right places, with decent proportions.
70–84 — Great Recall: Strong memory performance. You nailed the structure and most of the detail.
85–94 — Amazing: Excellent recall. Your drawing closely mirrors the target in both shape and proportion.
95–100 — PERFECT RECALL: The gold standard. Your drawing is a near-exact reproduction. Confetti-worthy.
Streaks & Daily Play
The daily puzzle resets at midnight in your local time zone. Completing the daily Classic mode each day builds your streak counter. Maintaining a streak is a great motivator — miss a day and it resets. Your longest streak is always saved, so you can always try to beat your personal best.
Practice mode and other game modes can be played any time without affecting your daily streak. They're there for training and fun.
Tips for Beginners
Trace with your eyes first. Before your study time ends, trace the outline of the drawing with your eyes. This engages your motor cortex and creates a stronger memory trace than passive viewing.
Break it into chunks. Don't try to memorize the whole drawing at once. Identify 2–3 major features or regions and remember them as separate pieces.
Verbalize what you see. Saying "it's a cat facing left with a curled tail" creates a dual-coded memory — both visual and verbal — that's more resilient than either alone.
Start with the big shapes. When drawing, lay down the major outline first, then refine details. Getting the overall proportions right matters more than small details for your score.
Practice daily. Visual memory is a skill that genuinely improves with regular exercise. Players who stick with Doodle Vu for a few weeks consistently see their scores climb.