How it works
Four colored pads, one growing sequence. Simon flashes the pattern with tones; you repeat it by pressing the pads in order. Each level adds one step. The sequences are random, so memory alone carries you — no two games are alike.
Memory techniques that work
- Chunk and verbalize: say the colors' first letters under your breath ("red-red-blue-green") — verbal encoding survives much longer than visual memory.
- Use spatial mapping: remember the sequence as a shape drawn across the four pads (circle, Z-pattern) — spatial memory is your brain's strongest channel.
- Sing the tones: each pad has its own pitch — melodic memory often outlasts color memory. Humming the sequence back is a legitimate strategy.
Level benchmarks
Level 5 is comfortable. Level 8 is solid. Level 12+ is genuinely impressive territory — the human chunking limit starts flexing around seven items, which is why this simple 1978 toy has never stopped being hard. Best level is saved in your browser.