Games can provide a great respite from your surroundings, and you can immerse yourself in them to have some fun. Some of the most popular games these days are first-person shooting or fantasy genres. However, there are other games that can boost your problem-solving skills and keep your mind active and alert. If you want to entertain yourself and also enhance your creative and critical thinking abilities, then you should consider playing one of these brain games.
Mind-boggling puzzles are always fun to play. Games shows like Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune have been favorites for generations and are easy to watch if you have Spectrum cable deals or Netflix. But now, brainy puzzles have shifted to mobile games. You can challenge your friends and family and play online or board games that force you to use your brain. The controls are more than just flicks on your fingers, and winning might not be as easy as you think.
#1: Among Us
Among Us is one of the most fun games that became popular during the pandemic lockdown. Since everyone was home, this was a great way to connect with the world. The game can be a great means to polish your deductive reasoning and attention to detail skills. If you are always aware of what’s happening on the ship, it can be easy to find out who the killer impostor is.
Among Us is a fun game that will force you to use analytical thinking skills and strategic planning. You not only have to figure out who the impostor is but also have to convince other people that what you’re saying is true.
#2: Crossword Puzzles
From newspapers to online games and mobile apps, crossword puzzles have always been a favorite leisure activity for many people. You can still find crosswords in newspaper columns but can also download apps for it. The puzzle is a great way to increase vocabulary and enhance critical thinking skills. The players have to think about the unique clues before they can fit the word into the puzzle. Moreover, you should always time how long it took you to finish one puzzle. You can challenge yourself to finish the next one significantly faster.
#3: Lumosity
Lumosity is one of the best mobile games for improving many brain skills such as focus, flexibility, attention, processing speed, and memory. There are different minigames within the app that have been specifically designed to improve brain function. You can play one game every day to boost at least one of your skills and have fun while you’re at it.
You can adapt the minigames to add your own strengths and weaknesses as well. As a result, the game can allow you to test your problem-solving skills and enrich your mind. You can train yourself and strengthen your brain to adapt to the challenges that the game throws at you.
#4: CogniFit
It is similar to Lumosity and offers a plethora of minigames to improve brain function and critical thinking abilities. The game offers daily training games that can be personalized for each user depending upon what you choose and what you interact with the most. Moreover, you can also track your daily progress to notice what’s missing in your routine brain exercise. So, you can choose focus games or analytical thinking games based on your report.
Each game is only a few minutes long, but you can truly see the effect in your daily routine. It is one of the known best games to improve cognitive function by a fair margin.
#5: Chess
Whether you like board games or mobile games, you can play chess almost anywhere. There are a plethora of online and mobile app-based chess games available for free downloads. Chess is one of the best games to improve time management, analytical thinking, and strategy design. You can play against an AI opponent or online with your friends or strangers. The more skilled your opponent is, the more you’ll want to try to beat them.
Chess makes you think outside the box as all the pieces have a unique job and movement style. If you want to win, you will have to manipulate your opponent into a trap. It stimulates your brain to increase strategic problem-solving skills.
#6: 2048
It is one of the most strategically advanced games that involve a bit of math as well. The single-player puzzle game starts off with a grid and two boxes with numbers on them. The player has to slide the boxes to create a bigger number. As you slide, the grid keeps getting fuller until there is no more space. The goal is to make the number 2048 by the end of the game. You lose if the grid is full and you haven’t added the numbers to make 2048.
The game encourages players to utilize their analytical brains and wear their thinking caps. You can’t just randomly add numbers and wait for a miracle. It encourages long-term planning and defining goals. You have to identify the next best move at every move. Hence, the game demands you to stay alert and make sure everything adds up (literally) to reach your goal.
#7: Wordle
The online word game has become a complete sensation, and you can play the game online at the NYT’s website. Every day is a new puzzle, and you have five attempts to guess the word of the day. The block with the correct letter in its correct position will turn green. The correct letter in the wrong position will become yellow, and the wrong one will turn grey.
