Easy Station - Design Document

EASY TIER

Station Configuration:

3 buttons: RED, GREEN, BLUE
2 stations at this tier (identical setup)
Two-phase challenge:
- Phase 1: Count presents, press least to most (3 presses)
- Phase 2: Standard Simon - endless cumulative sequence

Button Layout

Button Number	Color
Button 1	RED
Button 2	GREEN
Button 3	BLUE

Phase 1: Present Count Puzzle

Three rooms with colored present stacks:

Room	Present Color	Count
Post Office	GREEN	3 presents (fewest)
Celestial Hall	BLUE	5 presents (middle)
Old Map Room	RED	7 presents (most)

Phase 1 Solution

Present counts (least to most):

GREEN: 3 presents (fewest)
BLUE: 5 presents (middle)
RED: 7 presents (most)

Correct Sequence:

GREEN → BLUE → RED

Button Presses:

Button 2 → Button 3 → Button 1

Phase 2: Standard Simon (Endless)

Classic cumulative sequence game:

Round 1: One button lights → player repeats
Round 2: Previous + one new → player repeats both
Round 3: Previous + one new → player repeats all three
Continues until player makes a mistake
Slow tempo - forgiving timing for younger players
Score = highest round reached

Example Progression:

Round 1: RED lights → press RED
Round 2: RED, BLUE light → press RED, BLUE
Round 3: RED, BLUE, GREEN light → press RED, BLUE, GREEN
Round 4: RED, BLUE, GREEN, RED light → press all four
...continues until fail

How Players Solve This Challenge

Phase 1: Present Count

Player reads rules card at station
Visits Post Office, counts 3 green presents
Visits Celestial Hall, counts 5 blue presents
Visits Old Map Room, counts 7 red presents
Sorts counts from least to most: 3, 5, 7
Matches counts to colors: 3=GREEN, 5=BLUE, 7=RED
Returns to station
Presses GREEN → BLUE → RED
All lights flash = Phase 1 complete!

Phase 2: Standard Simon

Station shows one button lighting up
Player presses that button
Station shows same button + one new button
Player repeats both in order
Pattern grows each round
Game ends when player makes a mistake
Score displayed: "You reached Round X!"

Design Notes

Why this works for Easy tier:

Phase 1: Simple counting (accessible to kids 8+)
Only 3 rooms to visit (manageable scope)
Clear logical step (sort least to most)
Phase 2: Classic Simon everyone knows
Slow tempo makes it forgiving
Endless format = no "losing", just personal best
Cumulative memory builds naturally

Target Audience: Older children (ages 8-12) and families

Estimated Time: 5-10 minutes

Phase 1: 3-5 minutes (visiting 3 rooms, counting)
Phase 2: 2-5 minutes (depends on skill)

Room Setup Required:

Post Office: 3 green wrapped presents (clearly visible)
Celestial Hall: 5 blue wrapped presents
Old Map Room: 7 red wrapped presents

Notes:

Presents should be stacked together, clearly countable
If counts need adjustment, maintain order: GREEN < BLUE < RED
Two stations use identical solution

Last Updated: December 8, 2025