Simon

Simon is an electronic skill-game brand whose central mechanic is simple to learn but progressively demanding: the device illuminates colored controls and plays a corresponding sequence of tones, and the player must reproduce that sequence in the correct order. Each successful round normally adds another signal, extending the player’s short-term memory challenge until an error is made or the time limit expires. The combination of lights, harmonized sounds, physical interaction, and escalating difficulty made Simon one of the best-known electronic toys of the late 1970s and 1980s. The game originated after inventors Ralph H. Baer and Howard J. Morrison encountered Atari’s arcade game Touch Me at a 1976 Music Operators of America trade show. Baer considered the underlying idea promising but believed the arcade implementation had weak visual and audio presentation. He and Morrison developed a more appealing electronic memory game using a compact microcontroller design. Lenny Cope programmed the core software, while Baer designed the musical tones, drawing on the character of a bugle call. The prototype was initially called Follow Me. Milton Bradley adopted the concept and renamed it Simon, a reference to the children’s instruction game Simon Says. The first product was introduced in 1978 at Studio 54 in New York City at a retail price of $24.95. It became a major toy success during that year’s holiday season. The original circular unit used four colored buttons, with each button associated with a distinct note. The tones were arranged so that combinations remained musically consonant rather than sounding like arbitrary alarms. This audio-visual design helped differentiate Simon from earlier memory games and gave the product a distinctive identity. The brand expanded quickly through related formats. Milton Bradley introduced Super Simon, which added more controls, and Pocket Simon, a smaller portable version. A United States patent covering the microcomputer-controlled game was granted in 1980. After Hasbro acquired Milton Bradley in the 1980s, Simon became part of Hasbro’s games portfolio. Hasbro and licensees subsequently used new electronics, sensors, form factors, and interaction methods to reinterpret the basic sequence-memory concept. Later products included Simon Squared, with playable surfaces on both sides; Simon Trickster, which introduced changing colors, reversed sequences, and other rule variations; Simon Flash, based on movable electronic cubes; Simon Swipe, which replaced conventional button pressing with touchscreen-style swiping; Simon Micro Series, a compact version with fewer modes; Simon Air, which used motion sensing; and Simon Optix, a headset-based game that supported wireless multiplayer interaction. These versions preserved the core brand promise while adapting it to changing toy technologies and play styles. Simon is best understood as a game brand rather than an independent company. Milton Bradley originally manufactured and distributed the product, and Hasbro is the current maker and brand owner. The brand’s commercial scope has centered on physical electronic games, compact travel formats, licensed variants, and successive generations of hardware. Its enduring positioning combines nostalgia, accessible family play, audiovisual feedback, and a measurable challenge that can be enjoyed alone or competitively. Simon also became influential beyond its own product line, inspiring numerous unofficial and competing memory-game designs. The brand remains associated with the early consumer-electronics toy market and with the broader popularization of interactive electronic games.

Simon emerged from the development work of Ralph H. Baer and Howard J. Morrison in the mid-1970s. Their starting point was Atari’s Touch Me arcade game, which they saw at a 1976 trade show. Baer viewed Touch Me’s memory-based play as a sound idea but criticized its presentation, particularly its monochrome controls and harsh audio. He and Morrison pursued a more attractive version using colored lights, a compact electronic circuit, and musical tones. Baer built an early prototype around a Texas Instruments TMS 1000 microcontroller. The prototype was called Follow Me, and Lenny Cope programmed its core operation. Baer developed the tones with the aim that any sequence would remain harmonically pleasant. This was a meaningful design choice: instead of treating sound merely as feedback, the game made audio part of the product’s character and helped distinguish it from competing electronic toys. Milton Bradley accepted the concept and changed its name to Simon. The product was publicly launched in 1978 at Studio 54 in New York City. Its four-button circular housing, colored lights, and progressively lengthening sequences made the rules immediately understandable while allowing the challenge to continue increasing. Simon became one of the leading toy successes of the 1978 Christmas season and subsequently became strongly associated with the first generation of mass-market electronic games. The initial product supported more than one game configuration, but its defining play pattern was the sequence challenge: the device generated a series of lights and notes, and the player reproduced the series. A mistake or timeout ended the attempt. The original controls were linked to distinct notes arranged as a consonant chord, reinforcing the product’s musical identity. A United States patent titled “Microcomputer controlled game” was granted in 1980. Milton Bradley extended the range with Super Simon in 1979 and Pocket Simon in 1980. These products addressed different use cases: Super Simon increased the scale and complexity of the play surface, while Pocket Simon made the experience more portable. The brand was later incorporated into Hasbro’s games portfolio after Hasbro acquired Milton Bradley in the 1980s. Hasbro continued to revisit Simon as electronic components and interaction conventions changed. Simon Squared offered two-sided play, with a conventional four-button surface and an eight-button side suited to competitive play. Later experiments focused on new rules and sensory feedback. Simon Trickster added modes involving moving colors, colorless controls, and reverse-order recall. Simon Flash made the player rearrange electronic cubes, turning the physical device itself into part of the puzzle. The 2010s brought more substantial changes in interaction. Simon Swipe replaced ordinary button presses with touch-sensitive swipes and included multiple modes. Simon Micro Series reduced the format for portable play. Simon Air used motion sensors, allowing players to interact through gestures rather than direct button contact. Simon Optix went further by placing the player’s interaction system in a headset and supporting wireless connections between units for multiplayer sessions. The brand has also appeared in licensed or regionally distributed formats, including compact versions and products associated with other manufacturers. Its simple rules have made it easy to reinterpret in different housings and with different sound themes. The same accessibility also encouraged imitation and cloning by other toy and electronics companies. Simon’s historical importance lies in its role as an early, commercially successful electronic toy that made computer-controlled audiovisual feedback understandable to a mass audience. It did not require a screen, complex instructions, or prior gaming experience. Its core loop could be learned immediately, while the increasing sequence length supplied durable replay value. Under Hasbro ownership, the brand has remained active by balancing the recognizable classic design with new control technologies and multiplayer formats.

1. 2017Simon Optix

   A headset-based version added motion-controlled play and wireless interconnection for multiplayer sessions.

   Source
2. 2016Simon Air

   Motion sensing was introduced as a central control method, with solo, classic, and multiplayer modes.

   Source
3. 2013Simon Swipe

   A circular, swipe-controlled version modernized the physical interaction while retaining the pattern-memory premise.

   Source
4. 2011Simon Flash

   Four electronic cubes became the game’s primary interface, requiring players to move and arrange them during play.

   Source
5. 2005Simon Trickster

   The brand expanded into rule variants involving shifting colors, hidden color information, and reverse-sequence play.

   Source
6. 2000Simon Squared

   Hasbro introduced a two-sided version with four traditional controls on one side and eight smaller controls on the other.

   Source
7. 1980Pocket Simon and patent milestone

   Milton Bradley released Pocket Simon, and a United States patent for the microcomputer-controlled game was granted.

   Source
8. 1979Super Simon is released

   The first major expansion increased the number of controls and broadened the original game format.

   Source
9. 1978Simon launches

   Milton Bradley introduced Simon at Studio 54 in New York City. The product became a major holiday-season toy success.

   Source
10. 1976Touch Me inspires a new electronic memory game

    Ralph H. Baer and Howard J. Morrison encountered Atari’s Touch Me at a trade show and began developing a more polished audiovisual interpretation of its memory mechanic.

    Source

A recognizable family game brand centered on short-term memory, audiovisual pattern recognition, escalating difficulty, and nostalgic electronic play.

• Simon ClassicElectronic memory game1978

  The original four-button format uses colored lights and distinct musical tones to generate sequences that players must repeat. Successful rounds become longer and more difficult, while mistakes or timeouts end the game. Its circular housing and audiovisual feedback established the visual and mechanical identity of the brand.

• Super SimonExpanded electronic memory game1979

  Super Simon expanded the original design with an eight-button layout. It offered a larger and more complex play surface while retaining the central task of observing and reproducing an electronically generated sequence.

• Pocket SimonPortable electronic game1980

  Pocket Simon miniaturized the original experience for portable use. It translated the familiar sequence-and-response mechanic into a smaller housing, helping extend the brand beyond the standard tabletop form.

• Simon SquaredTwo-sided electronic game2000

  Simon Squared combined the traditional four-button game on one side with an eight-button surface on the reverse. The two-sided construction broadened the product’s play options and supported more competitive, head-to-head use.

• Simon TricksterElectronic memory game2005

  Simon Trickster added several variations to the classic formula. Depending on the mode, colors could change position, all controls could appear identical, or the player could be required to reproduce the sequence backward. The product was also marketed under related regional names.

• Simon FlashMotion-oriented electronic game2011

  Simon Flash used four cube-shaped electronic modules rather than a single fixed console. Players moved the modules around in response to the selected game mode, making spatial manipulation part of the memory challenge.

• Simon SwipeTouch-controlled electronic game2013

  Simon Swipe presented eight touch-sensitive areas on a circular, wheel-like device. Its modes included a principal level-based game as well as classic, party, and extreme variations. Swiping replaced ordinary button pressing and produced sliding musical effects.

• Simon Micro SeriesPortable electronic game2014

  Simon Micro Series reduced the product to a compact four-button format with Solo and Pass It modes. It offered a shorter, travel-oriented version of the Simon challenge with a defined progression of levels.

• Simon AirMotion-sensing electronic game2016

  Simon Air uses motion sensors to allow gesture-based interaction. Its documented modes include Solo, Classic, and Multiplayer, combining the brand’s familiar audiovisual sequence play with a more physically active interface.

• Simon OptixHeadset-based electronic game2017

  Simon Optix moves the game into a headset format using motion-sensing technology. Multiple units can connect wirelessly, allowing players to participate in multiplayer sessions and making it the most technologically advanced documented Simon format in the reference material.

• 2017Launch of Simon OptixProduct launch

  The brand’s successive redesigns had moved from buttons to touch and then motion sensing, creating a basis for a wearable version.

  What changed. Hasbro released Simon Optix, a motion-sensing headset game whose units could connect wirelessly for multiplayer play.

  Aftermath. The product extended Simon into wearable and networked play and represented a substantial change from the original tabletop console.

  Source
• 2016Adoption of motion sensing in Simon AirGeneration change

  Hasbro continued exploring more active forms of play and interaction for the Simon product family.

  What changed. Simon Air used motion sensors and offered Solo, Classic, and Multiplayer modes, alongside a button-oriented version for the United States.

  Aftermath. Simon became playable through gestures as well as conventional controls, broadening the brand’s physical-play proposition.

  Source
• 2013Shift to swipe-based interactionGeneration change

  Touch interfaces and gesture-based interaction had become familiar consumer controls, creating an opportunity to modernize the Simon experience.

  What changed. Hasbro introduced Simon Swipe with eight touch-sensitive areas and multiple game modes based on swiping patterns.

  Aftermath. The brand expanded from direct button pressing into touch interaction while retaining sequence recall as its central challenge.

  Source
• 2000Introduction of Simon SquaredProduct launch

  Hasbro sought to extend the established Simon format beyond the four-button classic layout.

  What changed. Simon Squared combined a traditional four-button side with an eight-button reverse side, creating a two-sided product with additional competitive-play possibilities.

  Aftermath. The release demonstrated the brand’s strategy of preserving its recognizable mechanic while changing the physical format.

  Source
• 1978Launch of the Simon brandProduct launch

  Baer and Morrison’s Follow Me prototype had to be converted into a commercially distinctive toy that could compete in the emerging electronic-games market.

  What changed. Milton Bradley renamed the product Simon and launched it at Studio 54 in New York City with a four-button circular design, colored lights, and harmonized tones.

  Aftermath. The product became a leading toy success during the 1978 holiday season and established the brand’s core interaction model.

  Source

• 2017Simon Optix introduces headset multiplayer

  Simon Optix adapted the brand to a motion-sensing headset and allowed multiple units to connect wirelessly for multiplayer play.

  Product launchProduct generation
  Source
• 2016Simon Air adds motion sensing

  Hasbro launched Simon Air with motion-based interaction and solo, classic, and multiplayer modes, while also offering a button-oriented version in the United States.

  Product launchProduct generation
  Source
• 2013Simon Swipe brings touchscreen-style interaction

  Hasbro introduced Simon Swipe, a circular device with eight touch-sensitive areas and several modes built around swiping patterns.

  Product launchProduct generation
  Source
• 2011Simon Flash uses movable electronic cubes

  Simon Flash reworked the game around four cube-shaped electronic modules that players physically rearranged according to the selected mode.

  Product launchProduct generation
  Source
• 2005Simon Trickster adds rule variations

  Hasbro released a version with multiple modes, including conventional sequence play, shifting colors, colorless controls, and backward-sequence recall.

  Product launchProduct generation
  Source
• 2000Simon Squared introduces two-sided play

  Hasbro introduced Simon Squared, combining the traditional four-button side with an additional eight-button play surface for head-to-head interaction.

  Product launchProduct generation
  Source
• 1980Simon patent granted

  A United States patent covering the microcomputer-controlled game was granted, formalizing key aspects of the electronic game design.

  Other
  Source
• 1979Super Simon expands the original format

  Milton Bradley released Super Simon, an expanded version that increased the number of playable controls and extended the original concept.

  Product launchProduct generation
  Source
• 1978Simon debuts at Studio 54

  Milton Bradley introduced Simon in New York City, launching the electronic memory-game brand to the consumer toy market.

  Product launch
  Source

1. Simon (game)