Good games for mental cognition and stimulation?

RedVelvetCupcake2009

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2017
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What are some good games that help to increase your mental intelligence and skills? I only know a couple, but I was wondering if people know more, and which ones you like.
 
I think Solitaire, and most card based games are good for improving your mind.

Puzzle games like Candy Crush Saga, and building games like SimCity, and Minecraft may help improve your mental cognitive.
 
I think Solitaire, and most card based games are good for improving your mind.

Puzzle games like Candy Crush Saga, and building games like SimCity, and Minecraft may help improve your mental cognitive.
Oh! SimCity sounds promising. I did use to play the Sims series on PC. Minecraft...I have heard good things about Minecraft. I need to try that out. Solitaire was boring to me as a kid, but I never considered the benefits of what it can do for me. Thanks.
 
I agree with these two. For cognitive and mental stimulation, you don't go to big adventure games. Those are to relax. To make yourself more alert, the basics will do just fine. I for one use online crosswords to keep my mind sharp. Playing memory games would be good too, but I like thinking of words: synonyms, antonyms, relations, etc; and not just memory games. It's all up to you, whether you enjoy the game or not. Spending a few minutes per day is enough to keep your mind sharp while you play more games.
 
Oh! SimCity sounds promising. I did use to play the Sims series on PC. Minecraft...I have heard good things about Minecraft. I need to try that out. Solitaire was boring to me as a kid, but I never considered the benefits of what it can do for me. Thanks.

Minecraft is quite tricky to figure out as a starter. Since its all boxy and stuff, you really need to have a good eye for details. Making round object or globes with squares? Possible. It is unique because you can build whatever you want, however you want, you can combine silly elements together and make something look great. It is really good for creativeness.

As for other stuff, I wouldn't really call them games, but apps. There are plenty of those on the store. Lumosity, Elevate, Peak are just some of them.

Trivia and quizes about everything? Give Trivia Crack and QuizUp a try, especially QU, it has topics about everything.
 
What about puzzle based games or puzzle platformers? Those can definitely be quite stimulating for brains - especially since you are using logic skills, memory and so on.

Top quality puzzle games are: Portal 1 and 2 - both such amazing games that will not only keep you entertained but will also highly stimulate you. You really have to think a lot on some levels to be able to figure out the solution. Poly Bridge - you build different bridges, has hundreds of levels and it isn't too easy at all. The Room 2 - one of those escape room games but for the computer. Full of puzzles and mystery.

Hope some of these are what you're trying to find :) If I'll remember any more I'll add them to the list.
 
Avoid games based on reaction time, like action and rhythm games (although they can be good to train our brain-hand coordination).
I think it's well-known that Tetris has been proven to increase brain efficiency in some areas, even if for 1.5 hours a week, as mentioned in the article. That could be a good starting point.
Memory can only be improved by training, so memory games could do wonders, if played regularly. Even though flashcards are not exactly games, they can be, in a certain way, and they're sure to be benefical. I'd suggest going with a program with a well-tested algorithm such as Anki.
Last but not least, consider downloading a chess engine on your phone or on your computer. Cards and strategy games may be good, but only chess can provide the purest experience you could ever possibly wish for. I'm pretty sure you can play it in Tabletop Simulator (Steam link) too.
 
I wonder what games like Kerbal Space Program or Besiege contribute to mental cognition. Take Kerbal Space Program for example, if you want to get anywhere even relatively outside of the atmosphere you have to design a spacecraft that meets all the aerodynamic requirements plus has proper fuel/thrust/weight ratios. And that's just for the simple stuff, reaching other planets takes even more planning and calculation. You would think that having to use your brain to build rockets in a somewhat realistic space exploration simulator would have some sort of impact after long enough.
 
What about puzzle based games or puzzle platformers? Those can definitely be quite stimulating for brains - especially since you are using logic skills, memory and so on.

Top quality puzzle games are: Portal 1 and 2 - both such amazing games that will not only keep you entertained but will also highly stimulate you. You really have to think a lot on some levels to be able to figure out the solution. Poly Bridge - you build different bridges, has hundreds of levels and it isn't too easy at all. The Room 2 - one of those escape room games but for the computer. Full of puzzles and mystery.

Hope some of these are what you're trying to find :) If I'll remember any more I'll add them to the list.
The Talos Principle is a puzzle game and has a 94% rating on Steam, so it's probably really good. I'm thinking of getting it but haven't decided; I have about $5 left in my account so I can only get maybe one game, two if the other one is really cheap. But I keep hearing good things about it; it's one of the first games you see when you set the table for ratings, so I guess people really like it.
 
Avoid games based on reaction time, like action and rhythm games (although they can be good to train our brain-hand coordination).

I would actually say go for them. Perhaps not all, but some. Like I have said, there are "apps" which are not really considered to be games, but they include many different mini-games that serve the purpose. And some of the reaction time mini-games are quite fun and nice to play. Most of the apps of this sort also provide tracking and how you improved over time
 
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