The Best Brain Exercising Games to Play Online

Many of us will fondly remember our mothers telling us that we won't learn anything from video games and to close the computer down and go outside to play. However, with growing technology and more research into what gaming does to the brain. it's been discovered that there are some games that can have beneficial effects on your brain.

Whether you're learning how to keep cool under pressure, picking up a new language, or improving your mental arithmetic, these games will all help to give your brain a bit of a boost. So, if you've got five minutes left on your break and want to get back to work feeling fresh, try out one of these browser-based bits of brilliance.

Card Games

Card games are a classic when you're looking to give your brain a workout, as there are so many different varieties that as soon as you've mastered one, you can move onto the next. Card games can teach you all kinds of different things, but they're generally pretty good if you want to work on your logic.

The other brilliant think about card games is how accessible they are. There are lots of different websites offering lots of different games and if you get stuck then you can always go analog with an actual deck of cards.

Poker

One of the most widely played online card games is poker, there are whole online tournaments that are well-attended, so perfect for those who like a challenge. If you're a beginner then there's still plenty of space for you in the online realm. Starting off by reading a poker strategy for beginners will stand you in good stead and before long you'll be competing in tournaments with the best of them.

Word Games

Intelligence manifests in all kinds of different ways, so it might be that you're already a great strategizer, but struggle a little with your vocabulary. If this is the case then playing a word game or two can be a good way to improve. This is our selection of the best ones you can access online.

Scrabble

One of the oldest and best word games that you can play is certainly Scrabble. It has a cult-like following thanks to the simple idea but the endless possible strategies for winning. This is a great game for those wanting to improve their vocabulary, as there's nothing more frustrating than your opponent placing a word that you didn't even know existed!

A top tip for improving your scores would be to devote a little time to learning two and three letter words. These smaller words can slot into difficult spaces and be combined with longer words to net you better scores.

Wordle

Another brilliant word game that's much, much newer, is Wordle. This game was invented by a devoted man for his girlfriend, who loved doing the daily crossword, but wanted an additional word challenge. He collated an extensive list of five letter words and built a program that would allow her to guess one each day.

The New York Times thought his idea was so excellent that they paid him $3 million for it last year. If you want to play then just head to the gaming section of their website and plug in your guess. If you get a letter correct then it'll turn green, correct but in the wrong space and it'll turn amber and wrong it'll turn grey. You've got six chances to guess the word correctly, so good luck!

Number Games

Many of us have awful memories of math lessons from our childhoods and this fear of math stretches into adulthood for a surprising number of people. It can be debilitating when you have to quickly count out change at the bar, or work out how much your groceries come to at the till. The good news is, it doesn't have to be and playing a simple number game can help to break the fear around mathematics.

Sudoku

Up first is a number game that only requires you to be able to count from one through nine. This might sound hilariously simple, but just the act of working with numbers can help us to fear math less.

The aim of sudoku is to have every row, every column, and every square include the numbers one through nine, with no repetitions and no omissions. The easier sudoku puzzles with have more numbers already marked in for you and the harder ones will have fewer.

Nerdle

Just as Wordle gets a spot on the list, so too does its spin off Nerdle. This game is designed for number lovers and is a lot more in-depth mathematically than Sudoku. The challenge is to guess the correct calculation.

It could be 20+10=30 or it could be something more difficult. There are eight spaces to fill and the scoring system works the same as Wordle. Math geniuses will love this one and maybe you'll find you're better at it than you thought you might be.