| Watch | The panels flash a sequence. |
| Tap the panels | Repeat the sequence in the same order. |
| Start | Begin a new game from round one. |
Simon Says is the electronic memory toy that became a classic in the seventies and never really went away. Four coloured panels light up in a sequence, you repeat it back, and then the game adds one more step. Simple, relentless, and impossible to beat, because the sequence just keeps growing.
It is a genuinely good test of short-term memory, and it works because it defeats every shortcut. You cannot see the whole sequence at once, cannot pause it, and cannot write it down mid-round. All you can do is hold an ever-lengthening string in your head, which is exactly what makes reaching round fifteen feel like an achievement.
Say the colours out loud, or in your head, as they flash. Turning a visual sequence into a verbal one gives your memory a second handle on it, and most people can hold a spoken list longer than a remembered pattern of lights.
Group the sequence into chunks of three or four rather than one long list. Recalling three short groups is far easier than recalling twelve separate steps, and this chunking is the single most effective memory technique for this game.
Do not rush your reply. The game is not timed while you repeat, so tapping fast only introduces mistakes. Take each step deliberately and let yourself recall the next one properly.
Focus on the rhythm as well as the colours. Sequences have a natural cadence, and remembering the pattern as a little tune rather than a list of names often carries you further than either approach alone.
It keeps growing by one step every round, so the limit is your memory rather than the game.
The round ends and your score is the number of rounds you completed.
The sequence plays at a set pace, but you can take your time when repeating it back.
It is a standard exercise for short-term sequence recall, and chunking techniques that help here transfer to remembering things like phone numbers.
Completely free, with no trial and no unlock. Simon Says loads with the page and plays immediately, without an install step or a video ad first.