There’s a common misconception that playing games is only fun and doesn’t benefit the players in any way. This misconception has most probably been adopted by past views around video games and the general stigma attached to gamer types. In more recent times, however, with the help of science and more progressive ways of thinking, the reputation of gaming, and thus gamers, has radically improved and is still improving. Today, there exist such games that are not only fun but good for you. There are funnier skill-based games like trivia board games with friends, as well as more serious and thought-provoking ones like chess.
There are many really valuable games in the world today that do benefit you when you play them while actually increasing your capacity and certain skills in the process.
Let’s look at seven examples of games that do this.
Crossword Puzzles
Regularly engaging with crossword puzzles can increase your verbal skills by enabling you to connect words with unique clues that are related to those words. The more crossword puzzles you complete, the quicker and more accurate each one should be as your vocabulary gets better and better and your skill levels increase. It’s also important to constantly challenge yourself by increasing the difficulty level of the crossword puzzles each time. This will ensure that you are consistently getting better and not staying stagnant.
Sudoku
Aside from encouraging you to think in a mathematical way, which is an important skill in itself, Sudoku is also a great way to improve skills of logic, analysis, and pattern recognition. In essence, it’s a logic puzzle that uses numbers instead of words and requires you to identify patterns and exercise your mind in order to solve it. These skills are boosted when you engage in a challenging game of Sudoku.
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Jigsaw Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles use your short-term memory skills to fit different shaped puzzle pieces together to form a complete image. These puzzles require you to complete a series of steps, including color, shape, and object recognition to complete the puzzle. Jigsaw puzzles are also known to improve your concentration and focus because of the level of attention required to complete them. You need to identify each shape in relation to another to finish the puzzle, which improves memory skills ten-fold as well as your focus and attention skills at the same time.
Chess
A very popular game option, chess stimulates your brain while also engaging your creativity. Games like Sudoku and various crossword puzzles generally activate and challenge the right side of your brain, which is the logical side, while chess mainly utilizes the left side of your brain, which is responsible for creative skills. Aside from building creative skills, chess also improves problem-solving skills because players need to constantly adapt and shift their game plans as the game shifts and changes. Logical thinking and memory are also required and improved when you play chess.
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Board Games
There are a number of different board games that can improve various skills. A game like Trivial Pursuit can improve your communication and teamwork skills, as well as your general knowledge, while a game like Settlers of Catan can be of great benefit to your overall focus and concentration skills.
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Computer Games
Computer games like Call of Duty or PUBG can radically improve your reaction time in certain scenarios, as you constantly need to be vigilant and ready to shoot as soon as you see an enemy. You also need to get out of the way as fast as you can if you find yourself in the firing line. These kinds of games can also improve multi-tasking skills as players are often required to complete a bunch of smaller tasks with a larger goal in mind. The fast-paced nature of many computer games can also improve a player’s ability to make quick decisions and think in a critical and problem-solving way.
Rebus Puzzles
Rebus puzzles ask questions and depict the answers in the form of pictures, symbols, numbers, and letters which you then have to decipher by using memory and expressions. These kinds of puzzles are great for improving your memory and increasing your brainpower as they can be challenging in the best way possible.
Conclusion
There is a multitude of gaming options beyond the ones listed in this article. Depending on the kind of person you are and what’s more helpful for your learning, you may enjoy more fun-based games that subtly improve your memory or logic skills, or you may prefer a more thought-provoking, serious puzzle that challenges your brain in new and exciting ways. Either way, the point is to keep learning while you play, and that’s a great way to go about things!