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Simon Says

One player, Simon, calls out actions — but the group only moves on commands that start with "Simon says." It works because reflexes don't decide who's out. Attention does.

15 min2–50 peopleEasyNo materialsIn-person onlyClassroom ✓
By Jon Zajac · Founder & Chief Icebreaker · Last updated February 19, 2024

What is Simon Says?

Simon Says puts one player in charge of the room. That player — Simon — calls out actions, and everyone else copies them, but only when the command starts with "Simon says." Follow an instruction that skips those two words, and you're out for the round; play continues until one player's left, or Simon calls time.

It works because the trap is procedural, not physical: reflexes don't decide who's out, attention does. Simon can clear a chunk of the room on the very first instruction — skipping "Simon says" on something as simple as "stand up" catches anyone still moving on autopilot.

Skip it, or run short rounds, with the largest groups it invites. With up to 50 players in the room, eliminated players can be standing around for a while before a round ends — rotate who's playing Simon often, and nobody's out for long.

The rules

  1. One player is Simon and stands facing the rest of the group.
  2. Simon calls out actions — some prefaced with "Simon says," some not.
  3. Players copy the action only when they hear "Simon says" first.
  4. Follow a command without those words, and you're out for the round.
  5. Play continues until one player remains or Simon calls time.
  6. Simon can rotate between rounds so everyone gets a turn leading.

Before you start

  • Group size: 2 to 50 players. Works for a pair or a full assembly — the game scales with almost no adjustment.
  • Indoors, if you can. Not required, but an indoor room cuts distractions and makes it easier for everyone to see and hear Simon.
  • Pick a Simon who thinks fast. Whoever leads needs to be comfortable in front of the group and quick with new commands. Facilitating experience helps but isn't required.
  • Set the stakes before you start. Say the elimination rule out loud before the first command, so nobody argues their way back in mid-round.

How to run it

  1. Choose your Simon 30 sec

    Pick one person to lead as Simon. They'll face the group and call every command for the round.

  2. Explain the rule 1 min

    Say it once, clearly: copy the action only when the command starts with "Simon says." Anyone who moves on a bare command is out for the round.

  3. Start calling commands 5–8 min

    Simon calls actions, sometimes with "Simon says" first, sometimes without. Vary the pace, and drop the trap early — a bare "stand up" right at the start catches whoever's still on autopilot.

  4. Eliminate and keep going 3–5 min

    Anyone who follows a command without "Simon says" sits out for the round. Keep calling until one player's left, or you decide to stop.

  5. Rotate leaders 1 min · optional

    Hand the Simon role to someone new each round so everyone gets a turn calling commands instead of just following them.

← Simon says, pay attention.

Facilitator tips

Front-load the trapOpen with a command that has nothing to do with "Simon says" — like telling everyone to stand up. Whoever moves is out before the game even feels like it's started.
Keep the pace quickFire commands fast enough that players don't have time to double-check themselves. The faster Simon talks, the more the game rewards listening over caution.
Add a visual cueFor players who are hard of hearing, hold up a sign before any command that starts with "Simon says." The gesture backs up the words instead of replacing them.
Offer actions anyone can doSwap a physical command like "touch your toes" for "imagine touching your toes" when the game needs to work for players with mobility limits.
Keep gestures universalStick to widely recognized moves like clapping or waving. An action that reads differently across cultures can trip someone up for the wrong reason.

Why it works

Listening beats reflexesThe game punishes autopilot, not slow reactions — a fast mover who ignores the words loses to a slow mover who caught them. That flips the usual competitive instinct.
Simon gets real facilitation practiceReading the room, varying the pace, deciding when to spring the trap — running the game is a small rehearsal in thinking on your feet and directing a group.
Self-control, tested in publicEvery player has to resist acting on an instruction that sounds exactly like a normal command. Catching yourself mid-motion is the whole lesson in restraint.
HELLO, MY NAME ISJon

"This is the one I trust with any group, any size. It's dead simple to explain, but running it well — reading the room, picking the moment to drop the trap — is its own small skill. Clearing half the room before anyone's caught on is the point, not a failure."

Jon Zajac · Founder & Chief Icebreaker

Reflection questions

For classrooms and teams that want the debrief — these turn the elimination game into an actual conversation.

  1. What was your strategy for following Simon's commands?Gets at how people were actually parsing the game in real time, not just how they felt about it.
  2. Did you find it challenging to only follow commands that started with "Simon says"? Why or why not?Names the actual skill being tested — selective listening — directly.
  3. How did you feel when other players got eliminated for jumping the gun?Opens a quick empathy check without turning the debrief into a lecture.
  4. What was it like playing Simon? Was it harder to invent commands, or to keep track of whether you'd said the two words?Whoever led gets to explain the job — most groups underestimate how much Simon is juggling.
  5. Which types of commands were hardest to catch when "Simon says" was missing?Surfaces the specific tricks that worked, which makes the next round sharper.
  6. Where else does paying close attention to instructions actually matter?Connects the game to a real skill instead of leaving it as just a warm-up.
  7. What surprised you about your own reactions during the game?Turns a fast game into a moment of actual self-awareness.

If this fits, so will these

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Jon Zajac

Founder & Chief Icebreaker

I started IcebreakerSpot because I believe strong connections are the foundation of successful teams. This site exists to make it easy to find and share the icebreakers and team-building activities that build trust, spark collaboration, and help groups do great things together.

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