Games that Increase Creative Intelligence

Since the dawn of time, humans have been playing games not only to entertain themselves but to learn to think creatively and pursue the process of mastering mental skills through experimentation. That’s because playing allows one to think in a variety of ways to solve a problem. Skills such as critical thinking, analysis, comprehension, and evaluation can all be developed by gameplay, though some specific titles are better suited to this task than others. Below are a few games that give the grey cells a great work-out and encourage out-of-the-box thinking.

Chess

Chess whips players into shape for anyone who’s looking for a challenge on strategy and planning ahead. It’s also, surprisingly, a great exercise in empathy. This is because, by playing against a single opponent, players must analyze not only their own moves but also their opponent’s. This encourages a person to learn to think about problems from alternative viewpoints. Chess also engages a number of other interesting skills including fostering one’s ability to memorize and plan. It’s also known to encourage bringing about the flow state, a mental state of mind where people become completely immersed in an activity with heightened senses. By playing chess regularly, it becomes easier for people to enter the flow state during other day-to-day activities, bolstering concentration and engagement.

Poker

Poker is another one of those games that when practiced, can improve mental skills such as concentration, problem-solving, and prioritization. Many think it’s about pure intelligence, meaning math and science whizzes are naturally better suited to it, but that is simply not true. The beauty of poker is that it can be played in a variety of ways by a variety of people. Each player can develop their own unique demeanor, strategy, and approach to playing poker. Yet, in the end, what’s key is their ability to adapt and use the little information they gather to act effectively.

Of course, these rules change depending on which variation or setting the game is played in. Online poker is quite different from its brick-and-mortar equivalent. Normally, online players only see the cards and table from an overhead angle, and they rarely see other players or the dealer. Recently, online gaming platforms have begun to implement more lifelike features to their games, starting with live dealers. That’s because when it comes to poker, some parts of the game massively benefit from an actual dealer’s presence. In fact, Live 3 Card Brag, one such example of these titles, benefits from this functionality as it’s structured around the dealer laying out three cards for both the player and the dealer themselves to see. In this variation, what makes a player perform well isn’t their mathematical skills, but their decision-making and emotional intelligence. If they believe their hand will be too weak against the house, they have the option to fold. However, if they feel like their hand will be good, they make the educated guess to take the brag. Whatever the outcome, poker players know how to manage their feelings to coast through the game and enjoy it, whatever happens.

Sudoku

Compared to chess and poker, sudoku is a much more modern game. However, that doesn’t mean it has less to offer. The puzzle-based game requires a single-player, encouraging silent time for the mind to come up with solutions to the little white squares. The game has been proven to improve concentration, which is key for anyone who wants to improve their intelligence. That’s because it’s very difficult to access intellect with little concentration, so mastering that preliminary skill will make it all the easier to perform strenuous mental exercises. For example, it would be impossible for someone who hasn’t already developed some concentration skills to play some of sudoku’s most difficult variants, like killer sudoku. With time and practice, players gain patience, making the game more enjoyable, easy, and interesting.