
As the saying goes ‘The mind is like a tool.’ As with all tools, it will get rusty and lose its effectiveness as we get older or use it less on things like brain games.
As we age, cognitive function will inevitably decrease. This is not helped by our daily routine and tasks. Most of us work eight hours a day doing repetitive tasks needed for our job. We feel we are getting better at our craft – Kudos to that! – but that might not help maintain a high level of cognitive functioning.
You might have an epiphany one day. Maybe you were watching a quiz show and a contestant gave the wrong answer. That was supposed to be easy, you thought. But when you ask yourself, you also can’t seem to point out the correct answer.
Or it could be that one time when your kid or nephew or niece comes up to you and ask a simple Math or Science question but you don’t know the answer anymore!
But that’s something you should not worry. Age may have caught up with your cognitive functioning, but it’s not something that is all a lost cause.
Luckily, there are many brain games on mobile that you can download to help sharpen your brain.
These brain games are mostly brain trainers that require you to answer simple puzzles or brain teasers which are scientifically programmed to give your brain a good workout. Here is the science behind it.
Thus, here are a few good ideas for brain games you can check out and download to maintain your cognitive function.
1. Lumosity – Brain Games For Those Who Love Color And FUN
Lumosity is probably one of the most popular brain games for mobile.
The game starts off by asking your personal details – age, gender, educational background, and occupation. Then, you’ll go through three (3) games or puzzles that would gauge your attention, focus, and memory. Aside from your scores, you can see how you fair among others who played the game and who belong to your age group.
After these, Lumosity will give you suggestions on which puzzles and games you need to play. You’ll be given a personalized daily workout based on your stats and how you improve each day.
Lumosity has different puzzles depending on which area would you like to improve on such as memory, attention, problem-solving, flexibility, speed, mindfulness, language, and math.
You can also see an overview of your states and scores so you can track your progress. The ‘insights’ tab shows different goals and achievements that you acquired along the way.
Free for iPhone (with in-app purchases) Purchase via ShopBack for CashBack on your app purchases | Free for Android (with in-app purchases)
2. Elevate – Raise Your Brain Power
An alternative to Lumosity is Elevate; a great app to test and exercise your brain daily.
At first, it asks you questions answerable by ‘yes’ or ‘no’ whether a particular skill is something you want to improve on. Of crouse, you can say ‘yes’ to all of them but it’s not necessary. Just go for the ones that really interest you or is a skill you’re concerned that you’re slowly deteriorating at.
Then, you are required to answer a few questions, mostly on language, Math, and listening skills. You are, then, given an Elevate Proficiency Quotient which is you proficiency rating for each skill. This would then be a basis for your next session with Elevate.
The app then analyzes your performance from the previous day. That way, they can personalize your next training session based on which skill you need to improve. In addition, you can also see your statistics and compare it to other people of your age bracket.
Free for iPhone (with in-app purchases) | Free for Android (with in-app purchases)
3. Fit Brains Trainer
Aside from the brain games Lumosity and Elevate; there is Fits Brain Trainer an app that personalizes your daily brain training.
It starts off by asking a few details about yourself. What’s unique about this app is it also asks you what skill you want to improve on. This way, they can give you the best brain training according to your preference.
In addition, you get to do a Brain Training Calibration in the beginning. This is where you go through a series of tests to calibrate your different mental skills and also basing on your answers as to training references. These puzzles include visual-spatial awareness, memory, visual speed, visual processing, and language to name a few.
You can also see your scores and how you fair among other users. Plus, you get to see your statistics and performance for the week which includes your strongest performance.
Free for iPhone (with in-app purchases) | Free for Android (with in-app purchases)
4. Eidetic
Eidetic is an app that helps you improve your memory. It will test how well you can remember and memorize certain items.
The thing about Eidetic is you’ll be the one to enter the details or information that you want to memorize. Items like vocabulary, phone number, facts, list, number, quotes, and notes.
Additionally, you can set a reminder as to when you should take the test. By then, it would test how well you have remembered all the items you entered. At the end, you will see how you have faired for the memory test.
This app is one of the brain games for those who easily forget things – be it names, people’s phone numbers, or even items on their grocery list. It can help stimulate and improve your memory on important things you need to remember and that matters to you the most.
Free for iPhone (with in-app purchases) | Free for Android (with in-app purchases)
5. Peak
Another fun brain training game is Peak.
Peak works a lot like Lumosity, Elevate, Peak and Fit Brains, with a few defining features.
First, you’ll be asked a few questions on what are your goals in playing Peak; is it to sharpen your memory? Improve focus? Just answer a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. Plus, you need to fill out your basic information. Then, you’ll go through a series of assessment tests.
After the assessment tests, you are now ready to do your daily brain workout. You can even set a schedule a reminder when to take them.
Peak allows you to play challenging games that help exercise your brain until you have reached your ‘Peak’ potential. You get to work with a ‘Coach’ who tracks your daily progress and suggests games that would further improve your skills. In addition, you can even invite or challenge a friend and compare your scores!
You can also compare your scores by age groups and profession.
Free for iPhone (with in-app purchases) | Free for Android (with in-app purchases)
Other games you might want to check out:
- Mind Games
- CogniFit Brain Fitness
- Brain HQ
- Happify
- Positive Activity Jackpot
- Brain Trainer Special
- Brain Fitness Pro
- Math Workout
- ReliefLink
- Wizard
Looking for more ways to get the most out of your phone? Here are some articles you should check out:
- 10 Apps That Will Help You Manage Your Time Better This Year
- 11 Best iPhone Games That You Need To Play On Your New iPhone X
- Useful Telegram Bots & Channels That Every Singaporean Should Join