In this, digital age maintaining mental health and mind sharpness is not easy. Technology has embedded itself in our lives. It might offer multiple benefits but the classic-memory games are the ones that help in keeping our minds healthy and active. If you want some memory games to enhance your mind, check out our list below.
Memory games offer the perfect blend of entertainment and mind exercises. It also provides some time off the digital screens.
Best 10 Memory games for adults
Playing games in free time is one of the best ways to unwind after a hectic day or just to bond with other people. And its more beneficial if the games are memory games that help with mind exercise.
It is even proven that playing memory games is very healthy for the brain. So, take a look at these top 10 memory games for adults to sharpen their minds.
1. Chess
Chess is a very old and well-known mind game. This is a two-player game that requires players to predict and take risks potentially activating your brain’s thinking skills. It requires a lot of concentration, thinking, on-the-spot strategies and a calm mind.
It encourages creative thinking and improves memory and mind. You can easily find this game to play physically with a partner or you can now play this game online by downloading the chess game app on your mobile phone.
2. Sudoku
Sudoku is a game that originated in Japan. It is a very popular number-based logic game. You play this game by filling a 9×9 grid with numbers so that each row, column and 3×3 square has the numbers between 1-9.
o work through this game you need a lot of thinking and memory because it is not easy to use numbers without repeating them.
Playing this game for a short amount of time daily can make a lot of difference. There are also some studies on sudoku which state that older adults were found to have links between higher cognitive function and playing number games daily.
This is one of the best games for adults to sharpen their minds. You can play this game offline and can download this game on your phone to enjoy it anywhere on the go. The best and most authentic way of playing sudoku is in the newspaper.
3. Crossword Puzzle
Crossword puzzle helps you dive deep into your memory and allow critical thinking for vocabulary and general knowledge. These puzzles stimulate your logical thinking where you have to consider word count and clues to find the right answer as well.
Crossword puzzles are available in different types. You can play this game on the go by downloading them on your phone or you can find them in your daily newspaper as well.
4. Set
Set is a card game where players have to identify patterns in the card deck. This is a fast card game. Each card displays symbols that are different from each other based on colour, numbers, shape and even shading.
The goal of this game is to find three sets of identical cards out of a total of 12 cards. It helps in recognizing different patterns and remembering what the card was about. Players need to scan the cards to find the identical card. It also helps in developing short-term memory and decision-making.
Set is a great way to keep the memory sharp. It also helps in enhancing visual perception, logical thinking and mental agility. After a while regular players get better at identifying cards using their memory and patterns.
5. Checkers
Checkers is a strategic board game that combines tactical planning with forward thinking. Players have to engage in a battle of wits in this game across a black-and-white board moving their pieces diagonally while aiming to capture the opponent’s pieces by jumping over them.
The games become particularly fascinating when pieces reach the opposite end of the board and become “kings, gaining additional movement capabilities.
Checkers is a valuable game as it helps players plan multiple movements ahead, evaluate multiple possible outcomes and adapt strategies based on the moves of the opponents.
6. Scrabble
Scrabble is one of the best mind game for adults and even for children. It is a word-making board game.
It brings out the competitive side of every player. It is a word game which helps to improve your vocabulary and train your mind to focus on one thing at a time. Players need to create words on the grid board using letter tiles with different point values.
Players have to think critically to make words with high point values and also consider future moves. For adults who are looking to enhance their cognitive thinking, scrabble is an excellent game.
It has an entire dictionary of words to choose from. Every round in Scrabble is different and you will feel excited and competitive in every round.
7. Rubik’s cube
Rubik’s cube is considered the best puzzle for brain sharpness around the world. It is also the bestselling mind game. It has over 43 quintillion moves which can be made on one single Rubik’s cube. It is the most effective game for developing problem-solving abilities.
This game is challenging but learning to solve the cube teaches valuable lessons. Regular playing of Rubik’s Cube can also improve hand-eye-coordination and pattern recognition.
Plus it is very easy to carry around anywhere and perfect for stimulating the brain activities during free time or when you feel very lazy. You can get this cube very easily at online stores or offline shops.
8. Memory Match/Concentration
Memory match or concentration game might be known as a children’s game but it offers multiple benefits for adult brain sharpening. In this game, players have to face a grid of paired cards and must remember the locations of matching images as they flip two cards at a time.
In simple words, you have to find two identical cards while all the cards get flipped one by one by remembering where the matching card is. The brain workout starts when you have to remember the card positions while also seeing the other cards flipping. This game helps in enhancing short-term memory and thinking abilities.
9. N-back
N-back is a memory game that has gained a lot of popularity among adults who want to improve their minds. Players have a sequence of stimuli and must indicate when the current stimulus matches one from the n steps easier in the sequence.
This game is like matching memory but in a different way. It helps in training the memory to remember the stimuli. It can help increase attention span.
10. Lumosity
Lumosity is the last one in our list of top memory games for adults. Lumosity is a platform with a variety of collections of games that sharpen the mind and test your brain as well. The games on this platform were created by scientists to focus on brain training and mental fitness as well.
There are specific options for players to play games as per skills like flexibility, problem-solving and more. Per day you can play 3 different games for free or choose a subscription to get access to multiple games from the web or app.
Lumosity is different because it tracks your progress and adjusts the games as per your level of thinking.
Also, Read: The 10 Most Fun Games Ever Created: A Must-Try
The Bottom Line
It becomes clear that maintaining cognitive fitness and brain health does not have to be a tough task which requires extensive work. It can be simple, fun, entertaining and on the go with the help of these 10 best memory games for adults.
Each game offers a unique and different experience to improve mental wellness and shape the mind. Whether played alone or with other players memory games provide the perfect excuse to step away from digital screens and activate our minds.
