TRAIN YOUR BRAIN

Video games can make learning fun – rewards and interaction increase enjoyment, and can make puzzle-solving a breeze.

Video games give your brain a workout – often teaching high-level thinking, strategy, situational awareness and quick decision-making. A study published in the Frontiers in Human Neuroscience journal found that playing video games actually changes the structure of the brain – the brain regions involved in attention were more efficient in gamers, and regions related to visuospatial skills were both bigger and more efficient.

As with many activities, video games do have a dark side and playtime should be limited. Video game addiction is also an aspect, affecting a small percentage of gamers globally.

Ultimately, it’s important to verify the facts before you claim games are bad. ‘Games have sometimes been praised or demonised, often without real data backing up those claims,’ says Marc Palaus, author of the aforementioned study. ‘It is not uncommon to hear both positive and negative health claims related to video games in the mass media,’ explains Marc. ‘Most of the time, these are unverified and sensationalist statements based on “expert” opinions, but lacking evidence behind them.’

Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy

(Nintendo Switch)

This is the first in the series to feature a female protagonist – Katrielle Layton. Katrielle is the daughter of a famous archaeologist and puzzle-solver. Expect endless puzzles, hunts for hint coins, and a quest to uncover a conspiracy – the more puzzles you solve, the closer to cracking each case you’ll come.

Peak – Brain Games & Training (Android and iOS)

Developed by neuroscientists, Peak has more than 40 games to help you work on your cognitive skills, from memory to mental agility, coordination and even emotional control. You and your friends can even compare brain maps to see who’s on top of the leader board. Expect a slick, welldesigned interface and a (virtual) personal trainer.

Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training

(Nintendo Switch)

Dr Ryuta Kawashima is a Japanese neuroscientist who is well known to Nintendo fans for telling you exactly how old your brain is. Low brain score? Maybe you need to play more video games! On Switch, Dr Kawashima will assess your skills with an assortment of exercises in different play styles that take advantage of the Joy-Con’s IR Motion Camera.

Mind Games – Brain Training

(Android and iOS)

From maths to memory, vocab and speed trivia, this massive collection of cognitive games lets you pick an area you need to work on with fun and interactive activities. Practise different mental skills such as learning how to recognise faces better or exercising your focus and speed. To unlock the full library, you’ll need to pay for a premium version.