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 buttons arranged in a circle: Red, Green, Blue, Yellow.
• The game plays a sequence: one button lights up + one tone plays.
• You repeat the sequence by clicking the buttons in the same order.
• Each correct repetition: game plays the same sequence + ONE NEW step at the end.
• Wrong click = game over. Your level = the longest sequence you correctly repeated.

Beginner strategy

• Listen, don’t watch. The 4 buttons each play a distinct tone (E, C#, A, E one octave higher). 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. The 4 tones are E (high), C# (medium-high), A (low), E (high octave). 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. Modern versions are usually patient, but excessive pausing breaks rhythm and verbal repetition.
• The 20+ level barrier. Most casual players cap at 15-25. Above 25, sequences require chunking strategies.

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. If you click wrong but the game is still going (some versions are forgiving), refocus on the next correct color.
• Practice sequences. Top Simon players can reach 30+ levels. The world record exceeds 50.
• 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.
• 1980 — peak sales: Simon becomes one of the best-selling toys of the era. Hundreds of millions of units sold over decades.
• 1980s — pop culture: Simon appears in Stranger Things-era TV ads, films, and as a household toy.
• 2005-present — variants: Simon Trickster, Simon Trends, Simon Swipe, Simon Air. Hasbro continues to release variants.
• 2018 — 40th anniversary: celebrated worldwide. Anniversary editions released.

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. Two-player Simon races are 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 (2003). Adds 3 game modes: classic, reverse, last-played-first.
• Simon Air (2016). 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. Top players exceed 50; world record is in the 80s+. Most casual players cap at 15-25.
• 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: Designer Ralph Baer added the tones for accessibility and to add another sensory channel. They follow the pentatonic scale for harmony.

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