Don’t listen to what your mom or the media says. Video games can and do improve your mind and with the right one can actually make you smarter. Of course, games like Call of Duty or Halo might not but there are a lot of puzzle and strategy games much akin to Chess that will tickle your brain follicles and might just make you smarter. We here at AndroidShock have comprised a top 8 list of games that will make you smarter. Here we go:
Little Things Forever
Little Things Forever is a simple game that many magazines and kids games have utilized and it remains an extremely fun one for all ages. What am I talking about exactly? Spot the item games! Little Things Forever shows you a huge jumble of items and tasks you with finding specific ones. What makes Little Things Forever special is the great artwork that makes it kid friendly but also its ability to cater to both young kids and older people who just want some quick and easy brain exercises.
Flow Free
Flow Free is another insanely popular game that has made its way on our list. In flow you simple connect colored dots to one another. The catch is there is only really one path for each color as you can't overlap. Again, this is one of those games that sounds extremely simple and the early levels certainly are but then gets insanely difficult. The harder levels include larger grids, more colors, etc. and the time you sink in to figure out each puzzle gets longer and longer. Flow Free is simplicity at its finest that also is a great game that will make you smarter.
Unolingo: No Clue Crosswords
In the mood for a game that will make you smarter that revolves around words? Then check out Unolingo which is a game that is simple to crosswords, Sudoku and other word games. Each puzzle is a 10x10 crossword grid that offers no clues but has specific word placement to complete it. You will need to use your deduction and general puzzling skills to become a master. Really it is amazing that Unolingo managed to combine Sudoku and crosswords which are two of the games that people constantly cite will make you smarter.
Apparatus
Apparatus may be one of the lesser known and downloaded titles on this list but it is one of the most fitting for this list's theme. Have you heard of Rube Goldberg machines? They are long chains of complex machinery that performs a simple task. Apparatus is exactly this and tasks you with a simple task that you have to then build the complex machinery to complete it. Creativity is huge in Apparatus and there is even a sandbox mode for you to just tinker around in. I don't think there is any denying that letting your creativity run wild while messing around like an engineer will not make you smarter.
Rymdkapsel
Rymdkapsel is at once a real-time strategy game and Tetris clone. Set in the blackness of space, you’re tasked with creating and managing an ever-growing base comprised of interconnected colored platforms. - Jason Stengren
Rymdkapsel has made a lot of our top lists here on AndroidShock and if you have it you understand why. You'd also understand why it is a game that will make you smarter. Rymdkapsel combines real time strategy game dynamics with a tetris like feel. So not only do you have to learn and understand the strategy behind Rymdkapsel but you also need to learn and recognize the right patterns and spatial arrangement that it requires. Not a game for the feint but certainly a great game overall that will tickle your puzzle and strategy fancy.
Dots: A Game About Connecting
Dots modernizes tile-connecting classics like Bejeweled into a minimalist, beautiful, addictive game. - Mihir Patkar
Dots may be one of the more popular games to be on this list but for good reason. While Dots is very simple, almost as simple as you can get with a game it has underlying puzzling tones that match any hardcore puzzler. If you don't know how to play Dots you basically are connecting groups of three or more to delete them from the grid. They then get replaced and you keep doing this till time runs out. How will Dots make you smarter? Well, two fold. First being able to recognize the patterns is a great step but also the time crunch makes you think super quick about your actions. Overall Dots is a great game in general.
Division Cell
Another game that made our top underrated games of 2013 is Division Cell. Like the name suggests you get to divide (sort of) various shapes in an effort to make everything equal and symmetrical. So if you're 3rd grader is having a tough time with symmetry get them to play Division Cell. Although, don't let that statement fool you as Division Cell will stump the smartest of parents as well. Another great minimalistic game with a unique touch, Division Cell will have you seeing shapes and colors for hours while you try and solve the puzzles.
Strata
Strata made our top underrated game list of 2013 and here it shows up again! If you don't know what Strata is about, basically you expertly weave colored ribbons to form a pattern. Sounds simple but the way the patterns are lined up and the view point, makes Strata a real mind bender to figure out the puzzles. All of this is presented in a nice minimalistic package. All in all, Strata may look easy but in reality it is hard as nails and you will definitely get smarter while trying to make sense of all these puzzles.
