You wouldn’t usually associate playing video games with becoming smarter. However, that is what many studies have been proving! Since kids find them to be one the most engaging and fun activities, you can get them to keep playing regularly. That would mean every time they engage with video games, they give their brains strenuous workouts! When players keep using such intellectual skills to win, they help their brains adapt. Pretty soon, that becomes a habit and a player’s brain continues to learn and grow. So, it’s not surprising that some researchers consider playing video games is like weightlifting for the brain.
Which games are we talking about?
While the outlook is mostly positive about video games, not all of them present the cognitive challenges that make you smarter. Below is a list of some game genres that remain popular among players. Alongside it, we’ve added the challenges they pose to a player – besides keeping the kids busy during the pandemic:
Strategy Games
As the name would suggest, playing a strategy game will require players to plan. That involves managing limited resources and logistics to come out winners. Additionally, they must be flexible because things change rapidly in such games. As they learn that tactic, players can apply it IRL when something faced with unexpected.
Simulators
In such games, you will recreate some kind of real-world activity, such as by running a farm, a factory, etc. While the play is related to a simplified version, the ideas and principles involved in real businesses are still the same.
Sports
When you play one of the sports games available on Unlimited Gamez Mo, your goal is to defeat the opponent. But what real-world applications do sports games have? For one, they increase tolerance levels. And they help you become more productive in stressful conditions.
Puzzles
With puzzles, players must try their hands at logical reasoning, staying focused, and spruce up their organizational skills. Since you must anticipate what might happen, you’ll also be strategizing about your next move.
As is plain, each type of game comes with its own advantages, but one thing is common: they boost your cognitive abilities somehow. These are some examples of games from the genres mentioned above:
Starcraft
This is a science fiction real-time strategy game. In it, you fight other alien species for dominance. Available to you are different fighting units and the use of variable tactics. So, to keep winning, you must exercise brain flexibility, keep up with the changes, and respond to changes very quickly.
Braingle
This is actually a website that’s also a collection of over 15,000 games, brain teasers, and puzzles. These include optical illusions, ciphers, trivia quizzes, and codes. You can solve them as often as you want. What’s more, it lets you create your own puzzles, which is another way to give your brain a super workout.
Brain Age Concentration Training
Use this brain training and mental fitness system for cognitive improvement. On it, you’ll find games that hone your concentration, improve the memory, and help you get quicker at calculations. In addition, you can take Brain Age with you since it’s portable!
Dragonbox
If we’re talking about calculation, let’s not forget Dragonbox. When this game begins, you are shown a picture. You could be looking at fireflies, monsters, aliens, dice, or something even more random. Gradually, though, these icons turn into mathematical variables – of both the letter and number types. To cut it short, should you want to learn step-by-step algebra with a teacher that doesn’t use any text, then you can do so with Dragonbox.
Need for Speed
As you illicitly race on the streets and complete different tasks, the local law enforcement stays on your tail. That’s the shortest way to describe the game called Need for Speed. However, what you’re not seeing is how it amps up your decision-making abilities. If you cut down the time we take to make trivial decisions, such as which shirt to wear to work or what to have for lunch, you free up more of it for better pursuits. Moreover, faster reaction times can also save lives in life-threatening situations.
Sure, most of us know how to play a variation of this game. All you do is drag the paddle and try to hit your opponent’s goal post with the ball. But deep beneath the game’s surface is an intelligent way of improving hand-eye coordination. Other than that, playing this game with friends is like getting a dose of brain-boosting social interaction.
In the end, we’d recommend that you keep challenging yourself to think in different ways, with different mental muscles, and solve problems quicker. In other words, keep playing these video games!
Author Bio:
Michelle Joe is a blogger by choice. She loves to discover the world around her. She likes to share her discoveries, experiences, and express herself through her blogs. You can find her on twitter: @michellejoe524
