Why Play Brain Games?
There are plenty of choices for brain games – be it the pen-and-paper Sudoku and newspaper crosswords to word games (like Wordle, for instance) to brain training apps that run on Artificial Intelligence. Regardless of age, people love playing these games mainly because they enhance mental functioning and avoid brain aging.
If you want to engage in co-play, it makes sense to pick the type of game that your pal also enjoys playing. For instance, if your buddy doesn’t find Sudoku that exciting, neither force them into playing it with you nor buy them Sudoku puzzles. It is also important to mix things up a little from time to time. If you or your co-player is seeking higher levels of social interaction, you should seek out brain training games suitable for multiplayer battles – whether in person or online.
Brain training can help improve your reflexes, memory, and logical reasoning skills. Research indicates that the relationship between brain training games and enhanced cognitive function is more sophisticated than it seems. Nonetheless, if you’re interested in giving your brain a workout while having fun, you can check out our list of brain games (that you can play over websites and apps) to provide yourself with a mental workout.
Online Brain Games, Word Games, & Other Games to Work your Brain
1. Brain Trainer
This free-to-play brain training flash game blends logic, memory games, and number puzzles to develop new challenges every day. Besides playing daily challenges, you can also train and improve yourself on any of the games and monitor your progress by tracking your scores.
Features:
- Varying brain challenges daily
- Training mode
- Score-tracking feature
Price: Free
2. MPL (Mobile Premier League)
There aren’t many gaming apps or platforms that offer a one-stop shop for all your brain game needs, but MPL rightfully is one of them. The app is easy to navigate – you can find all your favorite brain games, including Solitaire, Block Puzzle, Speed Chess, and Chess Puzzle, playable in 1v1 mode on a single dashboard. You can also participate in tournaments and win mega prizes besides an infinite number of tries in free practice games. You can also try various casual games such as 8 Ball Blast, Bingo, and Fruit Chop.
Features:
- All in one gaming app
- Secure, safe payments & withdrawals
- No hacking/bots
- Fairplay guaranteed
Price: Free to download | Entry fee for cash battles & tourneys
3. Chess.com
What better game to put your brain to the ultimate test than chess and its different variants? Deemed the top website for chess games, you can play against customizable training bots or a real player of the same skill online. You can also solve chess puzzles, sign up for chess lessons, and learn what’s happening in the world of chess today by visiting the website or downloading the app. The site hosts over 100,000 players at any given time.
Features:
- Play, learn, and stay informed
- Compete with players of all ages
- Engage in meaningful exercise for your brain
Price: Free to download | In-app purchases
4. SharpBrains
The website offers a comprehensive list of 20+ different memory games and brain teasers. The list includes games, riddles, puzzles, illusions, and other activities that will surely put your mind to work. It proves to be a solid overall brain exercise, given the wide variety of choices, and reduces the risks of diseases like Alzheimer’s, leaving the brain stronger in the long haul.
Features:
- Around 25 or more brain teasers
- Easy navigation
- Optical illusions also included
Price: Free
5. Daily Word Search
Think of it as a browser-based, online version of a word search. It is a classic word game that the whole world loves. It offers daily new puzzles and is free. Various difficulty levels apply to the game, as each puzzle gets three variations, so it’s a fantastic game to try for amateurs and experts alike.
Features:
- New puzzles daily
- Classic interface
- Different levels of difficulty
Price: Free
6. Tetris
Among other games that work the brain, albeit slightly differently, Tetris tops the list of classic games that improve spatial reasoning in its players. It is all about placing the right block on the right spot, bettering your chances to clear as many lines as possible, adding to your score. If you’ve grown up in the ’80s & ’90s, you would have played this game on a retro hand-held device, but now we play it on a browser.
Features:
- Leaderboard to track scoresEasy to play
- Gets more challenging on the go
Price: Free
7. Memozor
This is a valuable online resource with nearly twenty-four versions of a matching card game. Memozor undoubtedly works well as a memory test. It’s also completely free to play, and there are no restrictions applicable on gameplay, in case you find it cumbersome to deal with those while playing on a browser. Also, the choices are many, so if you feel bored playing one version, you can quickly switch to another!
Features:
- Play solitary or against the computer
- Unlimited access to games
Price: Free
8. Lumosity
Possibly the most successful provider of brain games worldwide, their app is currently available on iOS and Android with a premium subscription offering personalized programs in brain training. The free version comes with three daily brain training games, while the premium provides an additional three besides access to progress-tracking and other web-based games.
Features:
- Scientific backing
- Over 60 choices in games
- Tracks progress metrics
Price: Free trial | $11.99/month or $59.99/year for premium
9. Checkers
Just like Chess, Checkers also enjoys a large following for its traditional board version and the online version. You have likely played either version of Checkers before, as it has existed for a long time now. While the game employs a lesser strategy in comparison to Chess, it still needs you to think moves ahead and possess the ability to predict the manner of movement of your opponent.
Features:
- Different difficulty settings
- Two-player enabled
- Fast-paced play
Price: Free
10. TriviaPlaza
TriviaPlaza is, by all means, a one-stop source for everything related to trivia. It’s a place where you can put your existing knowledge levels and memory power to the ultimate test, giving a natural exercise to your brain while recalling any information you have learned. The categories range from movies, geography, science, computers, history, sports, languages, and many more.
Features:
- Unending choices in trivia
- Straightforward navigation
- Beat the average player score
Price: Free
11. Daily Crossword
See how well you rank in terms of knowledge levels and memory with this crossword puzzle that updates itself daily. A classic game that’s available to play online, it also allows you to browse through the previous days’ crossword puzzles and finish up as many puzzles as you possibly can before the next one arrives.
Features:
- New crosswords daily
- Quick access
- Replayable old puzzles
Price: Free
12. Wheel of Fortune
It is the app version of the popular game show by the same name. Many players deem it one of the best word games ever. Apart from training your brain, it also offers tonnes of fun and never feels tedious. We recommend it as the perfect game if you’re looking for a fun, little brain training session.
Features:
- Fun word games
- Different variants available
- Get into competitive mode
Price: Free
13. CogniFit Brain Fitness
A healthcare entity with its app designed to improve cognitive health and behavior. The app incorporates numerous web games too, with scientific backing. They offer various tests to see your current levels and accordingly set you up with tasks and games to enhance your skills.
Features:
- Assessment of 20+ cognitive skills
- Neuroscientific expertise
- Available on Android and iOS
Price: Free with in-app purchases; premium subscription $19.99/month & $119.99/year
14. Brainwell
Brainwell offers a free app that comprises several brain training games to strengthen your attention spans, memory levels, and critical thinking capabilities. Every day, the app provides three new games to keep players invested. This is an excellent way to bring players back to the app daily. By subscribing to a premium version, you also gain access to around fifty cognitive training games.
Features:
- New daily games
- Share scores & challenge friends
- Memory, critical thinking, and attention tests
Price: Free with in-app purchases, premium subscription ranges between $1.99 – $399
15. Neuro Nation
Neuro Nation conducts a detailed analysis to assess your potential and strengths, developing a personal training plan that meets your needs, and is currently available on Google Play and the App Store. There are over thirty brain exercises spread across 250 levels scientifically proven to enhance memory power, reduce stress levels, strengthen speeds of thinking and focus, and add more activities periodically.
Features:
- Plenty of training exercises
- Get a personalized brain training program
- Scientifically backed collaboration with partners
Price: Free version with in-app purchases, paid plans begin at $6.99/month
16. Peak
Peak lets you in on the app offerings with free games before they ask you to purchase a premium plan. If you’re pretty serious about brain training, we recommend getting access to all the games on the app and tracking progress metrics for a relatively low price. The app is currently available on both the App Store and Google Play.
Key Features:
- Fun, informative games
- Builds on cognitive skills
- Enables progress-tracking
Price: Free to begin; later $6.99/month
17. Memorado
One can consider Memorado a more economical alternative to other brain training applications, even though its effectiveness is not in question. The app starts with an assessment of the user. It then offers you a personalized training schedule comprising five daily games and tasks you need to fulfill on the app. You can get it on Google Play or the App Store.
Features:
- Five categories: concentration, speed, logic, reaction
- Set own goals and track progress
- Get a personalized schedule for brain training
Price: Free to begin; Premium plans from $1.99
18. Personal Zen
This app stands out from the rest for being slightly different in its approach. It’s a brain game designed to improve mental health by bringing down stress and anxiety levels. It implements principles based on twenty years of neuroscience and clinical research, proven effective in clinical studies. Regularly using the app and playing the games can improve mental health in the long haul, and even a single session can help calm your inner self.
Features:
- Relief from anxiety and stress
- Simplified gameplay
- App available for Android & iOS
Price: Free
19. Sudoku
As many of you already know, a classic game loved by millions – Sudoku is a number game that gets your brain to work. It trains your brain, and regular play is bound to pay off in the long run. While conventionally appearing in newspapers and magazines, this online app version offers thousands of different puzzles with varying difficulty levels. Also, you can track scores on the online leaderboard. There’s a high chance you’ll love Sudoku if you’re someone who takes to solving crossword puzzles.
Features:
- A classic version of Sudoku
- Track scores on online leaderboards
- Various difficulty levels
Price: Free
20. Brain HQ
BrainHQ is doing everything to raise the bar on brain training – it offers training designed to exercise attention spans, memory levels, intelligence quotient, navigational abilities, people skills, and brain speed. The training program that BrainHQ offers is based on thirty years of research and development in neuroscience. The difficulty levels of each exercise optimize themselves as you work on them, so your training never goes in vain or overboard. You also have the option to try out a few activities before you subscribe.
Features:
- Nearly 30 online exercises
- Usable on any device
- Personalized trainer options
Price: $8/month (annually) or $14/month (monthly)
21. Memrise
Learning a new language is a kind of exercise for your brain too. This is where an app like Memrise is handy. It teaches you a new language via audio and video clips featuring native speakers and also gamifies the whole approach. With games and fun activities to complete daily, the user will remain engaged all through. Accessible on both App Store and Google Play, the app comes with a Pro subscription which gives you access to all features.
Features:
- Plenty of accessible learning clips
- Usable on website or app
- Learning engine optimizes difficulty based on user needs
Price: Free to begin; Premium plans $8.99/month & more
22. Hidmont – Hidden Objects Games
If you enjoy the object search genre of games, Hidmont will undoubtedly pique your interest. The app challenges its users to find objects laid out in tricky, complicated puzzles, which aids your brain in identifying, recalling, and recognizing more minor details. Playable for free, it’s worth recommending to fans of puzzle series like “Where’s Waldo.”
Features:
- Discover and locate hidden objects
- Complete riddles and quests
- Free to play; pay to receive unlimited access
Price: Free
23. Smart Brain
Smart Brain offers several brain and logic puzzles that are fantastic for developing and enhancing your brainpower. Complete games, puzzles, and challenges in varying difficulty levels to strengthen concentration, memory power, and reaction time. It’s an excellent choice for older adults who wish to reduce the risk of cognitive decline and memory loss.
Features:
- 200+ levels
- 100s of puzzles to solve
- IQ test via emoji quizzes
Price: Free, with some in-app purchases
24. Happify
Happify is yet another kind of mental health improvement app that aims to make you a happier person ultimately. It employs principles and guidelines based on positive psychology and mindfulness to slowly but steadily change your ongoing mindset. The app is free to use initially, so you can check it out in detail before you decide to subscribe to any of its plans.
Features:
- Exercises for improving emotional health
- Scientifically proven techniques
- An engaging set of games and activities on the go
Price: Free to begin; subscription plans from $11.67/month
25. 4 Pics 1 Word
As the name of the app suggests, it displays four images that all have something in common, and that’s the word you need to guess. You can play it for endless stretches without encountering the same puzzles. The fact that the game is downloaded by over 250,000,000 players worldwide is a testament to its success. This is an excellent way to pass the time and simultaneously work your brain.
Features:
- Highly addictive gameplay
- Guess-the-word type of game
- Unlock new levels
Price: Free; some in-app purchases
Wrapping Up
Start playing some of the games mentioned above and put your brain to work, especially when you’re relaxing or having some free time to spend. Many of these games are scientifically supported. Therefore, the probability of your brain getting stronger is on the higher side!
