Simon Says

Simon is the 1978 electronic memory game by Ralph Baer and Howard Morrison (manufactured by Milton Bradley), one of the most successful electronic toys ever made and a cultural icon of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The disc-shaped toy has 4 large colored buttons (red, green, blue, yellow); the game plays a sequence of lights and tones; you repeat the sequence. Each correct repetition adds one more step. Simple, addictive, and the basis for an entire genre of memory games.

How to play

• 4 colored pads arranged in a circle: Green (top left), Red (top right), Yellow (bottom left), Blue (bottom right).
• The game plays a sequence: one pad lights up + one tone plays.
• You repeat the sequence by clicking or tapping the pads in the same order, or with keys 1 to 4 (1 = green, 2 = red, 3 = yellow, 4 = blue).
• Each correct repetition: game plays the same sequence + ONE NEW step at the end.
• Wrong pad: in Normal mode the game replays the sequence and you try the same level again. In Strict mode one mistake restarts you from level 1.
• Choose Slow, Normal or Fast playback speed. Your level = the longest sequence you correctly repeated; your best is saved in your browser.

Beginner strategy

• Listen, don’t watch. The 4 pads each play a distinct tone (green E, red C, yellow A, blue a low E). Tones are easier to memorize than positions.
• Chunk by 3-4. Don’t try to remember 10 individual taps. Group them: “Red-Green-Yellow, then Blue-Red-Green, then…”
• Use spatial patterns. Sometimes the sequence forms a visual shape (clockwise loop, zigzag). Recognize patterns.
• Repeat aloud. Saying the colors aloud uses your verbal memory as well.
• Don’t rush input. The game waits for you. Take a breath between taps.

Intermediate strategy

• Tone-based memorization. From highest to lowest, the tones are green (E), red (C), yellow (A) and blue (the E an octave below green). With practice, you can “sing” the sequence in your head.
• Combine vision + sound. Multi-channel encoding makes sequences stickier in working memory.
• Recognize repeat sub-sequences. If the sequence is “Red Green Blue Red Green Blue Yellow”, you’ve effectively got 3 elements (RGB pattern + Yellow).
• Don’t pause too long. The original Simon has a timeout. This version has no time limit, but excessive pausing breaks rhythm and verbal repetition.
• The 20+ level barrier. Long sequences get hard fast. Past about 20 steps, chunking strategies become essential.

Advanced strategy

• Mnemonic encoding. Convert the sequence to mental imagery: “Red rocket, green grass, blue sky, yellow sun…” The story sticks better than abstract sequence.
• Internal beat. Develop a steady tap-back rhythm. Don’t speed up or slow down based on remembered vs unsure.
• Recovery from misclick. In Normal mode a wrong pad isn’t the end: the sequence replays, so refocus and go again.
• Practice sequences. Start on Slow speed, then move to Normal and Fast once long sequences feel comfortable.
• Eyes-closed play. Once tone-recognition is strong, you can play purely by sound, removing visual confusion.

Simon’s history

• 1978 — Simon released: Milton Bradley releases Simon. Designed by Ralph Baer (the “father of video games”) and Howard Morrison. Inspired by an Atari arcade game called Touch Me.
• Late 1970s–early 1980s — peak popularity: Simon becomes one of the best-selling toys of the era.
• 1980s — pop culture: Simon becomes a household toy and a familiar sight in TV and films.
• Later variants: Simon Trickster, Simon Swipe, Simon Air. Hasbro continues to release variants.
• Today: classic-style Simon units are still sold, and the game is widely copied as an app and browser game.

Why Simon works as a game

• Pure memory test. No reflexes, no strategy. Pure recall.
• Growing difficulty. Each round is harder than the last. Forces incremental improvement.
• Multi-modal feedback. Color + sound + button position. Rich sensory experience.
• Quick rounds. 30 seconds to 2 minutes per attempt. Easy to play “one more time.”
• Social. Taking turns to beat each other’s best level is entertaining for everyone watching.

Common mistakes

• Rushing input. Tapping too fast = more wrong inputs.
• Watching the buttons instead of listening. Visual confusion at high levels.
• Not chunking. Trying to remember 15 separate taps is harder than 5 chunks of 3.
• Forgetting the start of the sequence. Always replay from the beginning in your head before tapping.

Variants and successors

• Simon (original). 4-button disc. The classic.
• Simon Trickster. Adds extra game modes to the classic formula.
• Simon Air. No buttons — motion-sensor based.
• Sequence Memory. Grid-based digital adaptation. Same mechanic, less iconic.
• Memory. Card pair matching — different mechanic but same memory genre.
• Visual Memory / Number Memory / Chimp Test. Modern memory tests building on Simon’s foundation.

FAQ

• Q: How many colors? A: 4 — Red, Green, Blue, Yellow.
• Q: What’s the maximum level? A: No theoretical max. The sequence keeps growing by one step for as long as you keep repeating it correctly.
• Q: Should I use color names or sound names? A: Both help. Multi-modal encoding wins.
• Q: Why is each button a different tone? A: The tones give you a second channel to remember the sequence by. In this version they are E, C, A and a low E, notes that sound pleasant in any order.

For other memory games, try Memory Match, Sequence Memory, Visual Memory, or Chimp Test.