The best electronic memory game for most people is the classic Hasbro Simon: four coloured buttons, four tones, and a sequence that grows by one step each round. If you want games like Simon and Bop It, the closest are Simon Air (motion instead of buttons), Simon Micro (keychain size) and Bop It (call-and-do commands). The classic Simon has been training working memory since 1978 — and in 2026 the whole category is thriving. Modern electronic memory games add lights, motion sensors and multiplayer modes while keeping the addictive core loop that made Simon a legend. Here are the eight best handheld electronic memory and reaction games available today, each chosen for build quality and lasting play value.
Simon-style games test how long a sequence you can hold; Bop It-style games test how fast you can follow the next command. This table sets the picks in this guide side by side.
| Game | How you play | What it mostly trains | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simon (Hasbro) | Repeat a growing sequence of coloured lights and tones on four buttons | Working memory for sequences | The classic experience, solo or passed around |
| Simon Air | Same sequences, answered by moving your hand over the colours | Sequence memory plus hand-eye coordination | Families who already own Simon |
| Simon Micro | Keychain-sized Simon | Sequence memory | Travel and gifts |
| Bop It! | Follow spoken commands (bop, twist, pull) faster and faster | Reaction speed and following commands | Parties and active kids |
| Catch Phrase Electronic | Get your team to say the word on screen before the timer | Word recall under time pressure | Groups of four or more |
| Rubik's Phantom | Cube whose colours fade as you turn it | Spatial memory | Puzzle fans |
Simon was released by Milton Bradley in 1978. It was designed by Ralph H. Baer and Howard J. Morrison, and the brand passed to Hasbro when Hasbro bought Milton Bradley in 1984, which is why today's Simon carries the Hasbro name.
Bop It followed in 1996, designed by Dan Klitsner and sold by Hasbro. It swapped Simon's coloured lights for spoken commands and physical actions, which is why it feels more like a reaction game than a memory game.
1. Chunk the sequence into groups of three or four (red-blue-red, green-yellow) instead of holding single colours.
2. Use the tones as well as the colours: each button has its own sound, and remembering the tune is easier than remembering the lights alone.
3. Say the sequence under your breath. Rehearsal keeps it in working memory while you press.
4. Warm up for free on our browser Simon and Sequence Recall, which use the same mechanic.
Almost everything here is a sequence game: a pattern is produced, you reproduce it, and it gets one step longer each round. The differences between products are in how the pattern is delivered and what you have to do to answer.
Button-press versions are the original format. They are the most accessible, the easiest to play sitting down, and the quietest option if the sound can be turned off.
Motion versions ask you to wave, spin or swipe rather than press. They are more fun in a group and considerably worse for anyone with limited mobility or a small room.
Handheld versus tabletop matters more than it sounds. A handheld unit gets carried to a car or a waiting room; a tabletop one gets played at a table and stays there.
Volume control is the single most-wanted feature in this category and it is often missing. A game with no way to quieten it is a game that gets played in one room only.
Battery type matters for a device that will be picked up occasionally over years. Button cells are cheaper to replace but need a screwdriver; AA or AAA cells are bulkier and take rechargeables.
Most of these have no off switch and rely on an idle timeout. If the device will live in a drawer, check that it sleeps properly rather than draining a battery waiting for a button press.
For a child, the noise and the lights are most of the appeal, and durability matters more than features. For an adult playing alone, a quiet handheld with a headphone option or an adjustable volume is the better buy.
For a group or a party, a motion-based version does something a button game cannot — it makes the person playing worth watching. For a waiting room or a car, it is exactly the wrong choice.
For someone with reduced vision, the colour-and-sound pairing matters: a game that signals only by colour is much harder to use than one where each colour has its own distinct tone.
The core mechanic is the same online and it costs nothing to find out whether you like it. Simon is the original colour-sequence game, Color Sequence is the same idea with adjustable speed, and Audio Tone Memory removes the colours entirely and leaves only the sounds.
What a physical device adds is that it is in the room rather than on a phone, which is most of why people buy one. It is a real advantage, and it is worth being clear that it is the advantage rather than a cognitive one.
The definitive modern edition of the 1978 classic. Four colors, four sounds, one addictive pattern. It is widely regarded as the best-designed memory toy ever made.
Simon Air uses motion sensors instead of buttons — you wave your hand over the colors. A genuinely fresh take that also makes the game harder in fun new ways.
For most people the classic Hasbro Simon: it is the original sequence game, simple enough for children and still hard at long sequences. Simon Air and Simon Micro are the same game in motion-controlled and keychain form.
Ralph H. Baer and Howard J. Morrison designed Simon, and Milton Bradley released it in 1978. Hasbro now sells it after buying Milton Bradley in 1984.
Simon variants are the closest: Simon Air plays the same colour sequences with motion instead of buttons, and Simon Micro is a keychain-sized version. Bop It and similar call-out games are more about reaction than memory, but still ask you to keep up with a string of commands. BrainBolt is a sequence game in the Simon mould. If you just want to try the idea, our free Simon runs in the browser.
The classic Hasbro Simon is the safest bet for pure nostalgia and gameplay. Simon Air adds touchless motion controls (fun but slightly less precise). Simon Micro is a keychain-sized travel version.
It's a reaction and sequence game — you have to remember the last command while performing the next one. Great crossover with Simon-style play.
Yes — our free Simon and Sequence Recall train the exact same working-memory skill. The handheld version just adds the tactile magic.
On some, not all, and it is the most-wanted feature in this category. A game with no volume control only gets played in one room, so it is worth checking before buying.
Button versions are quieter, more accessible and better for playing sitting down. Motion versions are more fun in a group and considerably worse for anyone with limited mobility or a small room.
Usually button cells or AAA. Button cells are cheaper but often need a screwdriver to change, which matters for a device that will be picked up occasionally over several years.