Thankfully, society has moved past the idea that games are somehow trivial or even bad for our health. These days, both physical games and video games are respected for their ability to strengthen the mind, help you relax with friends, and even provide deep narrative commentary in the case of the latter category.
This article will discuss the first benefit mentioned – the potential for games to improve brain health and mental agility. Here’s a selection of games you should take a look at for honing a sharp mind!
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Chess
Starting off the list with an absolute classic, there’s Chess. Everyone has at least heard of chess and seen it being played, but far fewer have taken the time to sit down and learn it.
This is probably because many think it’s too complicated to learn, but that really isn’t the case. The basic premise of moving an assortment of sixteen pieces to diminish your opponent’s forces is simple to grasp – it’s just that it’s difficult to master.
Work on your Chess skills, though, and you’ll be training your mind in many different ways at once, whether it’s in logical reasoning, foresight, complex decision making, or more.
StarCraft 2
StarCraft 2 represents the best of the best when it comes to real-time strategy (RTS) titles. The goal is to build a functioning base and then attack and defeat your opponent across a variety of interesting maps, so you’ll spend a great deal of time strategically gathering an army and carefully managing resources. There are always new strategies to learn and fun new ways to play, even over a decade after release.
The game trains your ability to multitask and get tactical, and it also gives you practice at making tough decisions quickly.
Total War: Shogun 2
There are many worthwhile entries in the Total War series at this point, but 2011’s Shogun 2 has become a fan favorite for having what is suggested to be the ideal balance between them all.
You’re tasked with managing an army’s path to victory across a vast historical terrain: there’s a lot of politics involved as well as the necessity to carefully manage economics, so if you play on PC and are looking to test your tactical planning and coordination skills, this one is for you.
XCOM 2
The XCOM series of strategy video games has been around for a long time, but the latest iteration is widely considered the best.
XCOM 2 has players in the commander’s seat of stopping a full-blown alien invasion. It’s up to you to strategically control a platoon of troops through multiple treacherous missions fighting aliens, while simultaneously micro-managing your ship’s technology and resources to make sure you’re progressing in the global sense.
It requires a deep understanding of general strategy and high levels of critical thinking to succeed.
Civilization IV
Civilization IV is another great entry in what is one of the most highly regarded strategy game series of all time. If you love Catan, you’ll feel right at home here: Civ is turn-based, meaning you’re swapping out the quick reflexes needed for something like StarCraft for more methodical planning and reasoning skills.
You’re tasked with progressing through the ages and facilitating the growth of your own personal civilisation, and there’s actually a ton of real-world historical knowledge to learn about as you play.
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Go
Go came out of China more than 2000 years ago, and while it’s a simple game, you shouldn’t let that fool you.
All you need to do is place black or while stones on a clear space on the board to claim territory, but within that basic premise lies a great deal of strategy.
The game can get extremely complex and will tax your ability to predict patterns and think in an abstract way.
Catan
Catan is a great choice for those looking for a deeply strategic board game to play with friends.
The game is played on a relatively large board comprising multiple hexagonal tiles, each of which represents a different resource (such as wood or wheat, for example). Each player starts off with ownership of some of these resource tiles, and it’s then their job to claim more by building roads and settlements to control them. The player who claims the most and earns the most victory points wins.
Given the above, the game is great for training your planning and organizational skills, and because you have to constantly trade with other players, it also pushes you to be diplomatic and communicate effectively.
Into the Breach
Into the Breach made waves a few years ago for its novel take on the turn-based strategy genre. Played on an isometric grid similar to the Advanced Wars series, the player is tasked with using mechs to defend a variety of cities from an alien invasion.
There’s the unique premise of time travel involved, and more so than other turn-based strategy titles, every move is critical to your success, and you’ll need to expend some serious brain energy to get the job done.
Sudoku
Sudoku is another classic puzzle game you should try if you have never played before. While it might not look to be the most enticing option at first glance, you’ll quickly become addicted to the challenge if you give it a chance.
The aim of the game is to fill 9×9 boxes with numbers in a sequential order, ensuring that each number (1 to 9) only appears once in a given 3×3 column or row. Again, it’s another game with a simple premise that will push your logic skills and concentration to their limits.
Wrapping Up
Hopefully, this list has inspired you to get stuck in with some fun new games to challenge your mind in unique ways. There are a ton of others to choose from, of course, so keep on the lookout at your local board game store or online video game stores for the latest updates and new arrivals. Have fun exploring!