What Is Simon Says?
Simon Says is a classic electronic memory game that tests your ability to observe, remember, and reproduce increasingly long sequences of colors and sounds. The game presents a circular interface divided into four colored sections — typically red, blue, green, and yellow — each producing a unique tone when activated. Simon plays a sequence by lighting up the colored sections in a specific order, and you must repeat the exact sequence by pressing the same colors in the same order. Each round adds one more step to the pattern, pushing your memory to its limits.
Our online Simon Says faithfully captures the excitement and tension of the original electronic game. Watch as the colored panels light up in sequence, listen for the distinctive tones, and tap or click to reproduce the pattern. Starting with a single color, the sequences grow progressively longer and more challenging, creating that addictive "just one more round" feeling that has made Simon Says a beloved game for over four decades.
How to Play Simon Says
Simon Says is straightforward to understand but incredibly challenging to master. Here's how to play:
- Step 1: Start the Game — Press the start button to begin. Simon will light up one colored panel and play its associated tone.
- Step 2: Watch and Listen — Pay close attention to which panel lights up (and in later rounds, the order of multiple panels). Both the visual flash and the audio tone provide cues to help you remember.
- Step 3: Repeat the Sequence — After Simon finishes, it's your turn. Press the same colored panels in the exact same order they were shown.
- Step 4: Build on the Pattern — If you repeat the sequence correctly, Simon adds one more color to the end of the pattern and plays the entire extended sequence.
- Step 5: Keep Going — Continue watching and repeating as the sequence gets longer. Each round is more challenging than the last.
- Step 6: Game Over — The game ends when you press a wrong color or press the colors in the wrong order. Your score is the length of the longest sequence you successfully repeated.
Rules of Simon Says
Simon Says follows simple, consistent rules:
- The game uses four colored panels: red, blue, green, and yellow, each with a unique tone.
- Simon plays a sequence of colors, starting with one and adding one more each round.
- The player must reproduce the exact sequence in the correct order.
- If the player enters the correct sequence, the game continues with an extended pattern.
- If the player makes a mistake (wrong color or wrong order), the game is over.
- The score equals the number of rounds completed (the length of the longest sequence successfully repeated).
- The speed and complexity increase as the sequence grows longer.
Tips & Strategies
Improving at Simon Says is all about developing effective memorization techniques. These strategies will help you reach longer sequences:
- Use both visual and audio memory — Don't rely on just watching or just listening. Engage both senses simultaneously. The combination of colors and tones creates stronger memory imprints.
- Chunk the sequence — Instead of trying to remember each individual color, group them into chunks. For example, "red-blue, green-yellow, red-red" is easier to remember as three pairs than six individual colors.
- Create a narrative — Associate the colors with actions or stories. "Red runs to Blue, then Green jumps to Yellow" creates a memorable narrative that's easier to recall than abstract colors.
- Use spatial muscle memory — As you practice, your hands develop muscle memory for the positions of the colored panels. Let your fingers "learn" the pattern alongside your conscious memory.
- Say the colors aloud — Verbalizing the sequence adds an additional memory channel. Quietly saying "red, blue, green, blue" while watching engages auditory processing and reinforces the pattern.
- Focus on the new addition — You already know the existing sequence. When a new color is added, focus your attention on confirming the new element while relying on established memory for the rest.
- Stay calm under pressure — As sequences get longer, anxiety can cause mistakes. Take a breath before starting your response and trust your memory. Rushing increases errors.
History & Origins
The Simon electronic game was invented by Ralph H. Baer and Howard J. Morrison and launched by Milton Bradley in 1978. Baer, often called the "Father of Video Games" for his work on the Magnavox Odyssey console, designed Simon as a follow-up to an earlier Atari arcade game called Touch Me, which had a similar memory sequence concept but with less appealing aesthetics. Baer's genius was in the design: the distinctive saucer-shaped device with four large, brightly colored panels and musical tones transformed a simple memory test into an irresistible challenge.
Simon became a massive cultural phenomenon of the late 1970s and 1980s, selling millions of units and becoming one of the decade's most iconic toys. It was one of the first electronic games to achieve mainstream toy-store success and helped establish the electronic games category. The name "Simon" comes from the children's game "Simon Says," where players must follow commands prefixed with "Simon says." Over the decades, numerous variations have been released, including Simon Swipe, Simon Air, and many digital adaptations. The core concept — watch, remember, repeat — has proven timelessly engaging, and our online version brings this legendary game to your browser with the same compelling gameplay loop that made the original a classic.
Benefits of Playing Simon Says
Simon Says is one of the most effective memory training games ever created, offering numerous cognitive benefits:
- Directly trains working memory — The core mechanic of holding and recalling sequences is a pure exercise for working memory, the cognitive system responsible for temporarily holding information for processing.
- Improves sequential memory — Unlike matching games that test recognition, Simon Says requires remembering items in a specific order, training a specialized form of memory used in many daily tasks.
- Enhances audio-visual processing — Coordinating color recognition with tone discrimination strengthens multimodal sensory processing and integration.
- Develops focus and attention span — Longer sequences demand sustained attention without any breaks in concentration, gradually building the capacity for extended focus.
- Builds pattern recognition — As players practice, they begin to recognize recurring sub-patterns within sequences, a skill that transfers to music, language, and mathematical pattern recognition.
- Suitable for all ages — Simon Says is simple enough for young children to enjoy while still challenging enough to provide cognitive benefits for adults and seniors.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can the sequences get in Simon Says?
There is no upper limit in our version — the sequences continue growing until you make a mistake. The world record for the physical Simon game is over 30 steps, though most casual players find sequences of 10-15 colors to be very challenging.
Is it better to watch the colors or listen to the tones?
The most effective approach is to use both simultaneously. Research shows that multimodal encoding (using multiple senses) creates stronger memories. The tones add a melodic dimension that can help you "hear" the sequence as a musical phrase, complementing the visual pattern.
Does playing Simon Says actually improve memory?
Yes! Regular practice with sequential memory tasks like Simon Says has been shown to improve working memory capacity. While the improvement is most directly applicable to similar tasks, working memory is a foundational cognitive skill that supports learning, reasoning, and comprehension across many domains.
What's a good score in Simon Says?
For new players, correctly repeating 5-7 steps is a solid achievement. Intermediate players typically reach 10-15 steps, while experienced players can consistently reach 20 or more. Any score above 15 indicates excellent memory recall abilities.
Can I play Simon Says on mobile devices?
Yes! Our Simon Says game is fully optimized for touchscreens. Tapping the colored panels on a phone or tablet feels natural and responsive, making mobile play just as enjoyable as desktop play.