8 Games that Do Help Your Brain
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In the early 1990s, a horrified mother named Karen Kosoy walked in on her son playing The Legend of Zelda. It was dawn, indicating that her young child Jamie had either stayed up all night for a marathon session of the popular video game, or performed an equally dedicated 5am wake-up in order to get straight back to the control pad and TV screen.
While the most common perception of video games and leisure activities is a ‘complete waste of time’, there are valuable skills and abilities associated with the electronic distractions. From management abilities to reaction timing and mental alertness, video games, offline strategy games, and old-fashioned competitions are responsible for some of the greatest cognitive development around.
While Karen Kosoy’s unfortunate reaction was to throw the Nintendo – now a valuable collector’s item – in the trash, many parents are beginning to cope with gaming in a slightly different way. We’ve tracked down eight games that do help your mind. From video games to old-fashioned strategy puzzles, these eight games are responsible for mental improvement and ongoing learning.
1. Tetris
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The story of Tetris is as interesting as the game’s many mental benefits. The brainchild of Russian programmer Alexey Pajitnov, Tetris was one of the finest creations to come out of the Soviet Union. After its popularity exploded in 1984, the game was tossed around between various development houses searching for a publisher, until it finally landed square on the doorstep of Japanese game giant Nintendo.
Nintendo decided to couple the game with every Gameboy entertainment console sold, and the rest is history. Tetris enjoys worldwide popularity not just for its addictive gameplay, but for its puzzle-solving activity and brain training value. Studies have demonstrated Tetris’s ability to increase brain function and alertness, along with quick thinking boosts and improved reaction timing.
2. Nintendo’s Brain Training
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Along with Tetris, Nintendo’s Brain Training series of video games remain some of the most popular and educationally acclaimed titles on the market. Brain Training (known as Brain Age in some regions) is a simple cognitive challenge game designed to test mental ability, hone mental reflexes, and improve reaction timing.
The game’s biggest benefit is simple: it works. Players are given readouts of their ‘brain age’ – a simple statistic demonstrating the perceived age and development level of their mental abilities. As players progress through the different challenges, their scores grow higher and their brains more defined, resulting in more challenging puzzles and interesting quizzes.
3. Online Bingo
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The University of Southampton carried out a simple study in the early 2000s. Its purpose was to determine if high-intensity group games such as bingo improved reaction times and sharpened thinking skills. The university’s Centre for Visual Cognition and Psychology picked out 112 participants of various age groups, and split them 50:50 between regular bingo players and those who rarely play the ultra-popular game.
Not surprisingly, the bingo players demonstrated a higher level of alertness and mental dexterity. Mental accuracy was notedly higher amongst bingo players, along with improved dexterity and hand-eye coordination skills. Despite the common assumption that old age reduces mental sharpness, it appears that games such as online bingo could improve alertness and cognitive capabilities with age.
4. Trivial Pursuit
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General knowledge may not be a skill, but it’s certainly a mental asset that many people would wish for. Besides giving you a slight advantage on ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’, a well-rounded level of general knowledge can result in improved memory skills and information retention abilities.
When it comes to improving general knowledge, there’s one game that stands out before all others: Trivial Pursuit. This popular board game has been around for the better part of a century, and still trumps many players when pushed to its harder levels. While free bingo sites might be better for solitary mental practice, Trivial Pursuit is a great way to boost your brain in a group setting.
5. Chess
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Russian chess grand master Garry Kasparov is considered by many to be the greatest chess player of all time. When asked about the game’s benefits for thinking skills and strategic abilities, his answer was simple: “Chess is mental torture.:
Chess is one of the world’s oldest board games, and the time-tested challenge has certainly demonstrated its cognitive value throughout history. Some of the world’s most effective leader, respected businesspeople, and genius mathematicians have praised the game, claiming its multi-faceted nature and reliance on strategy are essential for effective learning.
6. World of Warcraft
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As the game of choice for über-geeks across the world, World of Warcraft has often been criticized as nothing more than a mindless distraction. For the game’s ultra-dedicated players and guild-masters, however, it’s much more than an electronic escape – it’s a full-featured management and political simulation.
Following Wired’s 2006 article on the management values inscribed by MMORPGs, many of the game’s greatest detractors have turned around to sing its praises. World of Warcraft’s quest system gives players a reason to stay dedicated and ambitious, while the game’s monetary system and trade options teach commerce and management skills to players. While it’s unlikely to result in any executive-level hires, World of Warcraft is a useful management and business simulation.
7. Scrabble
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An extensive vocabulary may not be essential for business success, but it is important for impressive presentation and communications skills. Scrabble, the one board game that’s present in almost every household, is thought of as one of the most effective tools for improving personal grammar, word usage, and vocabulary skills.
Who’d have thought that double word score could be so valuable? When paired with a dictionary or grammar reference, Scrabble can transform from a mildly entertaining time-waster into one of the most important and educationally valuable games out there.
8. Call of Duty
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The Call of Duty video game series is one of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time. First released in late 2003, the series has grown from a simple World War II shooter game into an all-encompassing global war simulation, taking players through major World War II battles, Iraq War scenarios, and detailed USSR world events and stealth initiatives.
Besides giving a generation of nerds renewed interest in World War II, the Call of Duty series has helped millions of people improve their hand-eye coordination and mental reflexes. While the game does little to contribute to knowledge or business ability, its fast-paced nature and on-the-go thinking can improve reaction times and improvisational ability.
