Simon was invented by Ralph Baer (who also invented the first home video game console, the Magnavox Odyssey) and Howard Morrison, and manufactured by Milton Bradley. It launched in 1978 at the height of the disco era, and its circular shape, flashing lights, and electronic tones fit the aesthetic perfectly. The game sold over 1 million units in its first year.
The name comes from the children's game "Simon Says" — but the electronic version shares only the name, not the mechanics. The electronic Simon is a memory and pattern-repetition game, not a deception game. The coloured quadrants (green, red, yellow, blue) each produce a distinct tone, which means players can encode the sequence both visually and auditorily — a significant aid to memory.
The world record for Simon is disputed among competitive players, but verified sequences of 31+ steps have been achieved. At that level, players use chunking — grouping the sequence into units of 3–4 — and rhythm as primary memory strategies. The tones are crucial: most high-level players listen rather than watch.
This browser version preserves the original four-button layout with matching tones. The sequence starts at length 1 and grows by 1 each round. Visual feedback shows the current sequence length and your best-ever score in this session.
Simon Says Memory Strategy
- Listen, don't just watch. The tones are distinct musical notes (E, C#, A, E an octave lower). Encoding the audio pattern gives you a second memory channel.
- Chunk the sequence. Instead of remembering "green, red, blue, yellow, green, red", remember "GRB — YGR". Groups of 3 are the cognitive sweet spot.
- Say it aloud. Verbalising each colour as you replay reinforces the sequence and reduces errors.
- Don't rush the input. You have full control over input speed. Slow, deliberate repetition beats fast, error-prone repetition.