Sequence Memory Test
Repeat the pattern as it grows, Simon-style.
The test
Tiles flash in sequence; repeat them by clicking. Each level replays the whole sequence with one new step added, slightly faster as you climb. One wrong tile ends the run, and your best level stays on this device.
From Simon to span
This is the mechanism the 1978 Simon toy built an empire on, reduced to its psychology: sequential spatial span. Most people land between 7 and 10 — the familiar 7 ± 2 again, expressed in positions rather than digits. The technique that breaks the ceiling is path-seeing: stop tracking nine separate tiles and watch the sequence as one line drawn across the grid; a shape survives in memory far longer than a list.
Rhythm helps too — the pattern has a beat, and recalling it as music-plus-shape uses two memory systems at once. The digit version and simultaneous visual version sit alongside; between the three you can map which flavour of working memory is your strong suit.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good sequence memory level?
7-10 is typical, matching general working-memory span. Levels past 12 usually mean you have found the path-seeing trick.
What is the best technique?
See the sequence as a single line drawn across the grid — a shape, not positions. Adding the rhythm of the flashes helps further.
Why does it speed up?
Playback quickens slightly each level, as the Simon toy did — it keeps long sequences from taking forever and adds gentle pressure.
Is this the same as the Simon game?
Same mechanism on a 3×3 grid: watch, repeat, grow. Simon added colours and sounds; the memory demand is identical.