1. Scrabble

If you are competitive at playing Scrabble, you should be quite proud of yourself. There are studies which show that Scrabble experts are better at vertical fluency (this is a skill which allows you to handle words presented in a vertical fashion) and semantic deemphasis (this is a skill which improves your ability to handle word responses). These skills lead to better word recognition in adults so in the long term, Scrabble can make you smarter.

2. Chess

There are a lot of studies which show that playing chess on a regular basis can significantly improve your mental abilities. For example, it can help you improve your mathematical skills, becoming proficient in chess is linked to better objected pattern recognition and it can bring you a lot of benefits in other activities too. In some countries like Russia or Iceland, chess is a part of school curricula.

3. Monopoly

Even though this game can often lead to arguments, especially when the players are way too competitive and are taking things too personally, it also brings a lot of other important benefits. For example, it teaches kids about the art of negotiation in a safe environment, it offers practical training in managing money and it can even help you exercise arithmetic and statistical skills.

4. Lumosity

This is a website that provides over 40 games that are designed to increase attention, memory, processing speed, problem solving skills and even cognitive flexibility. This website can also provide you personalized suggestion and reports on how you can improve your performance and on what to work next.

5. Charades

This classic family living room game is definitely one of those fun games that will make you smarter. By having to role play and present information without talking, you will stimulate certain areas of you brain and this way, you will increase your cognitive flexibility and even your emotional intelligence since role playing facilitates the ability of putting yourself in somebody else’s shoes.

6. Super Mario Brothers

A neurological research study has shown that playing this wonderful game for at least 30 minutes a day for two months improves neural plasticity, which is the ability of the brain to grow and change. By playing this game, you will develop skills like strategic planning, spatial navigation and you will improve your working memory and your motor performance.

7. Tetris

If you are a bit skeptical regarding the fact that video games can improve your metal skills, here is another video game that can make you smarter. A lot of studies have found that you can improve your brain activity after there months of Tetris practice for at least 1,5 hours per week. Also, there are studies which show that Tertris can help you fight off cravings so it can become a part of your weight management plan.

There are a lot of games that can make you smarter. I just mentioned a few in this little article but I’m sure that there are many more I could add to this list. What other fun games that will make you more intelligent do you know? Please tell us more about them in the comments section!

Sources:
wisebread.com
prevention.com