Your brain is a muscle—well, not literally, but it behaves like one. The more you challenge it, the sharper it becomes. You wouldn’t expect to increase your physical strength without a proper exercise routine, so why would improving your brainpower be any different?

Did you know that certain types of games effectively function as a mental gym? This includes the obvious ones, like real-time strategy games and chess, but even extends to online poker. All three genres are excellent examples of games that require calculation, foresight and adaptability.

Researchers are only just at the start of understanding how deep the benefits of playing these digital pastimes run, linking them to enhanced problem-solving, decision-making, and memory retention.

The best part is, unlike repetitive brain-training apps, these games are genuinely entertaining and, in some cases, rewarding. Intrigued? Keep reading to find out more!

Why Mental Training Matters

Your brain, much like your body, thrives on exercise. Just as lifting weights builds muscle, engaging in complex cognitive activities strengthens neural connections. This process, known as neuroplasticity, means that the more you challenge your mind, the stronger and more adaptable it becomes.

More and more studies are being conducted that conclude the process of playing mentally demanding games can enhance your problem-solving skills and focus. So why not leverage gaming as a tool for mental fitness?

Online Poker: The Ultimate Brain Game

Think poker is just about how the cards are dealt? Think again! Successful poker players have incredibly strategic minds, developed through hours and hours of rigorous play. The ability to assess risk, read opponents and calculate probabilities under pressure requires critical thinking, psychological insight and rapid decision-making—it’s easy to see how this mirrors many real-world decision-making scenarios, particularly in your work life.

Even if you’ve never set foot inside a casino before—or never plan to—you can still easily learn poker and play it in a way to get the most out of your gray matter.

Online poker platforms make it simple to learn the foundations, such as which poker hands are the best to play, with plenty of resources on strategy also available. One of the core demands of poker is emotional discipline, so you might find that your cognitive resilience and response to stress starts to improve, too.

Mastering Tactical Thinking with Strategic Video Games

Not all video games are created equal. Contrary to the often negative way in which gaming was portrayed during its early decades, several genres will give your brain a thorough workout.

Take the real-time strategy genre. Ever found yourself lost in the depths of Age of Empires or planning intricate battle maneuvers in StarCraft II? Playing these games trains your brain to think several steps ahead. Strategy-based games are great for fostering long-term planning, adaptability and problem-solving skill, all of which are vital for professional and academic success.

Of course, when it comes to strategy games the clue is in the name, but even the more fast-paced titles can be just as beneficial to engage with. Call of Duty and Overwatch 2, for instance, are two globally popular games that are working away in the background to train your brain to process visual information in the most accurate and quickest ways possible.

Playing action-centered games like first person shooters has a positive impact on hand-eye coordination, while developing rapid decision-making abilities. It makes sense when you think about it: the often furious pace of these games requires players to track multiple moving objects and react in milliseconds.

There’s also an element of resource management involved here, too; playing FPS games well is about choosing which battles to engage in, further enhancing effective decision-making skills.

Surprising Side Effects of Match-Three Games

Even lightweight and casual mobile games are playing their part in enhancing cognitive functions. You might not think Candy Crush Saga or Tetris offers any long-term value, but they actually provide a whole lot more than just quick entertainment. 

When you play match-3 games and their ilk, as well as being a welcome distraction on your daily commute, you’re also developing pattern-recognition and improving your visual-spatial reasoning. It doesn’t take a huge stretch of the imagination to see just how valuable such skills are in professional fields or daily situations where precision is required.

Leveling Up

It’s about time that digital games were appreciated as much as mind sport classics like poker. From the strategic thinking of online poker to pattern recognition development in mobile gaming, every session, when played mindfully, can boost cognitive growth.

So, the next time someone questions your enthusiasm for digital games, you can confidently say you’re training your brain. Which game will you choose next to help you level up?