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In September 2019, a team led by game developer Matt Wilson prepared a 20-foot-wide, walk-on version of Simon for a planned OneRedmond tournament at Redmond Downtown Park. The giant game turned the familiar light-and-tone memory challenge into a team activity: players stood on oversized buttons, and sensors detected which button carried the team’s greater weight. The event preview described a possible Guinness record attempt, not a confirmed record.
What the 2019 preview announced
GeekWire reported on September 7, 2019, that an all-ages Simon tournament was planned for the following Friday and Saturday at Redmond Downtown Park. Organizers expected more than 30 teams of eight, representing companies and organizations from around the region. The project was intended to activate the community through full-body play. OneRedmond executive director Kristina Hudson said, “Part of our mission is to bring some soul to the Eastside, some creative flair, some fun.”
This was a preview of a planned event, not a current listing. The report does not establish what ultimately happened at the tournament. GeekWire’s September 7, 2019 report is the source for the event and construction details below.
How the giant Simon game worked
Simon, introduced in 1978, challenges players to repeat a growing sequence of lights and tones. Wilson’s custom version made that individual memory game physical and collaborative: instead of pressing small controls, teammates stood on large illuminated buttons and had to coordinate their movements.
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- REPEAT THE PATTERNS: It's the exciting electronic game of lights and sounds; Players repeat random sequences of flashing lights by pressing the colored pads in the correct order
- SUSPENSE BUILDS: It starts off at a nice steady pace, but the light sequences get more and more complicated as the game continues
- PLAY SOLO: Play the Simon game with friends or play solo; Try to hit a new high score by completing the longest sequence possible without messing up
- CLASSIC SIMON GAMEPLAY: Watch, remember, and repeat; The electronic handheld Simon game presents an exciting challenge to repeat the patterns and advance to higher levels
Weight, not hand presses, selected a color
The installation was 20 feet wide, with each button measuring 10 feet across. Load cells beneath the buttons sensed the combined weight on each one. To select a color, a team shifted the majority of its weight onto the corresponding button. That design made communication and coordination central to play.
Electronics and construction
According to GeekWire, a Raspberry Pi ran the main game logic and communicated with an Arduino Mega, which managed the load cells and buttons. The build also used more than 10,000 LED lights, two kilometers of steel in its subframe, plywood, a car amplifier and four large speakers. An original Simon game from the early 1980s had been converted into the start button.
Rank #2
- COMPACT SIMON GAME UNIT: It's the popular electronic Simon game in a smaller, compact size. It gives players the full gaming experience with all the lights and sounds of the larger size
- CLASSIC SIMON GAMEPLAY: Watch, Remember, Repeat! This exciting electronic game challenges players to remember the color pattern and repeat it by pressing the colored buttons in the correct order
- FUN GAME FOR PARTIES: It's a fun game to bring to parties and get-togethers with friends. It's also a fun 1-player game that challenges players to beat their high score
- ADVANCED GAMEPLAY: The Simon Micro Series game tests players' skills even more than previous versions. At higher levels, multiple lights come on together that players have to press at the same time
- FUN GAME FOR KIDS AGES 8+: This compact-sized game packs a punch and keeps players on their toes! It makes a great birthday gift or holiday gift for both boys and girls ages 8 and up
GeekWire reported that the project cost more than $20,000 and weighed well over 2,500 pounds. Those are figures from the 2019 article, not independently audited measurements. The team built the installation in eight pie-shaped sections, each requiring a special set of wheels for moving it. Wilson summed up the scale of the engineering challenge: “You very quickly realize all the complexity in building one of these things at this scale.”
Who built it, and why make Simon a team game?
Game developer Matt Wilson, who had worked at Microsoft and founded Detonator Games, was asked whether he knew people who could build a large game for a OneRedmond event. He and collaborators worked through the nonprofit Northwest Art Center in Duvall, Washington. GeekWire named John Hawkins, Lloyd McCracken, Emily McCracken, Paige Carter and Wilson’s son Aidan as part of the build effort; Aidan handled much of the design, fabrication and programming.
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Rank #3
- This super memory game machine is a great way to test your memory in a fun, interactive way.
- Watch the lights, remember the colors, repeat the pattern and win.
- Each Color Features a Different Corresponding Sound
- Perfect for On the Go Fun! Super Portable and Lightweight and easy to take along
- this one is a great hit with kids and most importantly, you get to pass on a life skill of persistence!
The oversized format changed the social dynamics of Simon. A team had to listen, remember the sequence and decide together where to place its weight. Wilson’s advice to prospective players was practical: “Decide who the leader is and come up with a strategy.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Was the Guinness world record set?
The GeekWire preview said the installation “could break” the Guinness World Record for “World’s Largest Electronic Memory Game.” It did not report that Guinness verified the attempt or that a record was set. The tournament’s final outcome and record status therefore remain unconfirmed by that report.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Includes: Simon Jump Game Mat
- An Up and Active Toy: Get up and get moving when playing this a twist on the classic 80s electronic game - the Simon Jump Game Mat.
- Don't Skip This Bullet Point: Simon Jump, like it's classic namesake, is a memory recall game. Instead of pressing buttons in sequence, players dance out the patterns on a responsive mat on the floor.
- Press Go and Move: To play, turn the console on, press start, witness a sequence of lights and sounds play on the console, then step out the pattern on the mat. Try to beat high scores!
- Next-Gen Fun: Parents who spent part of their childhoods obsessed about high Simon scores will love sharing this active toy with kids and grandkids. This interactive toy is primed for hours of game night fun.
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