Games that Build
Brain
Games That Build the Brain
Compiled by Christian Bekolay
For
the discerning gamer:
Many people consider our current time to be “the golden age of board gaming”. The board game industry over the last ten years or so has boomed, with thousands of board games being released each year. The days of classic “roll your dice, move your mice” luck-based games fade fast as heavy influences of euro strategies and creative thinking flood the board game industry. New and innovative game designs surround us and tickle our brains with interesting game mechanics, beautiful artwork, and deep strategic thinking. Perhaps though, another reason that board gaming has become so popular as of late is that it’s a pure contradiction to a screen-addicted, individualistic culture. Board games put real physical pieces of wood/ cardboard/plastic in front of you. They gather people together to have real, face-to-face interactions with each other. Perhaps we inherently crave this real human interaction, and board games give us a reason for it.
Here’s the kicker: Studies show that board games are also very educational and healthy for our brains! Increases in memory and math skills, as well as preventing or slowing cognitive aging, are becoming obvious benefits to playing board games. In addition, some games are designed specifically for educational purposes.
In this resource we share with you a list of some recommendations of games we think build the brain in various ways. We encourage you to use this booklet as a guiding resource, and to research these games online to see how they are played. This might help you decide if it’s a game your family might enjoy. I`ve gone through our original list and added many more games, removing some of the out-of-print and hard-to-find ones in the process. I`ve also worked to categorize them in a way that will be most useful to you.
With each game name you will find coloured dots which correspond to ten specific areas of brain improvement. Each game may relate to one, or several of these areas. I have tried to organize each game under a particular category that it relates most strongly to.
Note: not all of these games are strictly board games. In the back of the book you will find a few screen-based games which are considered educational. Though these are good educational tools, we recommend using them with some limitations. (Ask us about resources and recommendations on screen use for children.)
-Christian Bekolay
A Note from Thérèse McDonald, creator of our original games booklet:
Did you hear about the mother who set her curriculum aside for one full year, and home schooled using board games (card games too)? True story, and it turns out it was her best year ever.
This mom found out that the world of board games has changed dramatically since her young days of dicerolling-by-chance games; most games out there are great tools for teaching, stimulate the brain, and lead to all sorts of bunny trail learning.
Now, you may not make such a leap as this mom did, but I encourage you to build board game playing into your home schooling schedule. If you are looking to enhance critical thinking skills in your children, want to help them become better problem solvers, and wish to train them in a variety of skills and behaviours, game playing gives you a wonderful vehicle to do so, all the while growing family relationships.
If you find your child bogging down in his learning, board games can be a way to bring renewal to the home schooling environment, while still working the ‘ol brain.
Logical Thinking
Games that sharpen logical thinking and goal planning. Strategy games.
Precision, Accuracy, Focus
Games that develop precision & accuracy and labeling skills. Helps as a focus exercise. Brain Teaser Puzzles.
Words, Flexible Thinking
Games that facilitate word play, strengthen spelling, and use flexible thinking.
Mathematical Thinking
Games that enhance mathematical thought, and skills.
Memory
Games that increase memory muscles of the brain.
Cooperative
Games that promote sharing behavior and team work.
Hand Eye Coordination
Games that develop hand eye coordination & fine motor skills.
Educational Topics
Games that teach elements of history, geography, and/or science.
Creativity
Games that facilitate creativity in thought or expression.
Deduction, Analysis
Game that have a high use of critical thinking specifically through deduction and analysis.
Games that Sharpen Logical Thinking & Goal Planning
7 Wonders
Strategy game of set collection and building a system to generate resources. Teaches some math skills, and goal planning.
Agricola
Strategy game of building a medieval farm. Builds some math skills, and works on goal planning.
Backgammon
Use of Abstract thinking & strategizing.
Blokus
Develops logic and spatial perception while kids learn to be tactical. Uses geometrics.
Carcassonne
Area control game that builds spatial perceptions and develops goal planning. Also uses basic math skills.
Castles of The Mad King Ludwig
Build King Ludwig’s Castle! Rooms in the game are based off real rooms in his real castles - Strategic Thinking/ Planning.
Checkers
Classic game that is a great allaround brain workout.
Chess
An all around perfect brain game.
Chinese Checkers
Learn to think ahead. Exercises mathematical thinking.
Colt Express
A game of programing your turn in advance, trying to guess what other players might do. Develops skills for planning ahead.
Logical Thinking & Goal Planning
Concordia
A strategic euro style game set in ancient Rome. Includes a pamphlet with historical background of the different provinces and Roman gods.
Connect 4
Seemingly simply, but actually has some depth of strategy. Works the brain on planning ahead.
Dominion
Fun card game of expanding your dominion through a deck building mechanic. Basic math skills and goal planning.
Domino
Another classic game of logic and strategy - also builds some math skills (Matching numbers).
El Grande
A classic “euro game” of area control. Develops memory skills, and helps with goal planning and involves guessing what others might do.
Hive
An abstract strategy game for two players - all around good brain game like chess.
Inis
A highly strategic game built around a theme of Celtic myths and legends - builds various thinking skills.
King Domino
(Queendomino version as well) A twist on Domino. Strategic game of matching tiles - also helps with spatial perception.
Lanterns:
The Harvest Festival
You’re an artisan setting up lanterns for the upcoming festival! Set collection, and matching colors. Builds mathematical and strategic thinking.
Memoir ‘44
A war game that mimics battles of WWII. Tactical planning that also builds some math skills.
Logical Thinking & Goal Planning
Onitama
Chess-like game with some twists. Very good for an all around brain workout.
Puerto Rico
A very mechanically balanced “euro game” that offers various paths to victory as players explore different strategies.
Risk
(Various editions) War game that promotes goal setting, planning and strategy. Helps with learning about evaluating odds.
Santorini
Build up the island of Santorini in this abstract strategy game. Good brain workout in various areas.
Settlers of Catan
(Various versions) Works on planning skills & decision making
Smart Games (Various)
Various single player puzzle games. Logical brain teasers.
Splendor
Become gem collectors and attract the nobles. Players build a resource generating engine while collecting point cards. Builds some math skills.
Steampunk Rally
A wacky racing game of inventors and their crazy cars. The game has historical information about the inventors and game play is strategic.
Stone Age
Send your primitive humans out to collect resources. Game works on evaluating odds, counting, and goal planning.
Stuffed Fables
Story driven board game that has a lot of use of dice. Good for adults and children. Reading, cooperation, planning ahead, and probability.
Logical Thinking & Goal Planning
Ticket to Ride
Strategic & tactical decision making. Has various versions which help teach geographical awareness of countries and cities within it.
Tsuro
A simple route building puzzle game. Helps with focus and spatial orientation while learning to be tactical.
Twilight Struggle
A historical wargame set in the Cold War 1949-1989. Strategic game with event cards covering a vast array of historical happenings of the time.
Viticulture
Run a winery. Plan how to plant grapes in your fields, determine which ones to pick, and when to sell them. Goal planning, and strategy.
Games that Sharpen Precision, Accuracy & Labeling
Brain Teaser Puzzles
Azul
Beautiful abstract strategy game of laying tile work. Works on spatial perception, pattern building, basic counting, and goal planning.
Dot-to-Dot
Classic paper & pencil game that requires carefulness & numerical sequencing.
Find differences & I SPY
Photos, art, books: Helps with focus, and having a child look carefully.
Maze Racers
Build mazes within a time frame for your opponent to complete. Develops creativity, fine motor skills, focus, and mathematical thinking.
Precision, Accuracy & Labeling
Mazes
Great for focusing.
Patchwork
Create your masterpiece of a quilt! A Tetris-like puzzle game for two. Helps spatial perception, and uses mathematical thinking.
Potion Explosion
Dear student, it’s time for the final exam! Create the best potions to win the game. A puzzle game that increases pattern recognition.
Ricochet Robots
A game of quick thinking puzzle solving. Good brain workout that helps with spatial perceptions, and works as a focus exercise.
Sagrada
Build a stained glass window out of dice. A drafting puzzle-ish game where you have to deduce your opponents’ actions to determine your own.
Spot it
(Various editions) Fast paced symbol or word matching game matching. Great for hand eye coordination and focus.
Sushi Go
Card Drafting game. Teaches pattern building/matching.
Tetris
Develops improved response time and spatial abilities.
Think Fun Games (Various)
Various puzzle games. Logical brain teasers. Check out Chocolate Fix or Rush Hour!
Games that Facilitate Word Play & Flexible Thinking
Anomia
Word associate game that builds upon quick thinking. Also helps with creative thought and memory.
Apples to Apples
Extensive use of textconversational and helps facilitate thinking outside of the box. (Some cards have interesting information)
Balderdash
Combines wordsmithing and bluffing. Develops creative thinking.
Bananagrams
Word game that strengthens spelling and planning skills.
Boggle
Great for improving spelling & exercise for the dyslexic brain.
Catch Phrase
Fast-talking game, good for helping verbal expression.
Clusters
Word building game.
Code Names
Players give creative clues to help teammates choose correct words. Helps with flexible thinking, and uses lots of deduction.
Concept
Guessing words or phrases by only giving hints with conceptual pictures - Very good for creative and flexible thought.
Crosswords
Individual or partnered word game that helps with spelling, and deduction.
Word Play & Flexible Thinking
Deal & Learn Rhyming
Card game that is a variation of other classic card games (like Go Fish and Old Maid). Learn rhyming. Cards can double as flash cards.
Mad Gab
Word game that’s good for auditory processing.
Paperback
Word Building - Deck Building game. Strengthens flexible thinking as you strategically create words with letter cards.
Quidler
Card Spelling game. Fosters a love for words.
Scattergories
Word game that strengthens expressive verbal tools.
Scrabble
Word game that strengthens spelling, labels, and definitions.
Taboo
Word game which increases flexible thinking to express words without saying them.
Upwords
Stackable Scrabble-like game that increases flexible thinking.
Word Domination
Word game that also uses lots of strategy. The winner isn’t necessarily the person with the best vocabulary. Helps with flexible thinking.
Xoom Cubes
Fast and exciting word game. Spell words under specific categories. Builds quick and flexible thinking, and fine motor skills.
Games that Enhance Mathematical Thinking
Buy It Right
Learn about money through this educational board game.
Card Games
Rummy, Euchre, Hearts, Golf, Solitaire, Go Fish, Cribbage, Old Maid etc. Several games that involve strategy, logic, & adding.
Celestia
Press your luck game. Teaches evaluating the odds.
Century Spice Road
Learn how to determine values through trading, and creating a resource generating system. Good for math skills.
City of Zombies
Educational math game. Work as a team to defeat zombies and aliens while learning math.
Dice Derbi
Think curling with dice. Involves multiplication, and helps with fine motor skills. Bonus points because its creator is from Spruce Grove, AB.
Dutch Blitz
A simple, fast paced color coordinating number sequence game. Strengthens focus, math, and pattern building skills.
Factor Frenzy
Electronic math game for young learners.
Five Tribes
Arabic themed game that uses the mancala mechanic. Heavy emphasis on strategic goal planning. Develops mathematical thought.
Go
Ancient abstract strategy game that establishes math skills, logic & spatial reasoning.
Mathematical Thinking
Mahjong
Illustrated tile game that strengthens categorizing & making numbered suits.
Mancala
Age-old abstract strategy game that focuses heavily on advanced planning. Good brain workout for mathematical thinking.
Muggins
Math game that works on analytical skills.
NMBR 9
Helps with spacial awareness, planning ahead, and counting.
Numbers League
A superhero math game for young learners. Builds basic math skills.
Pit Crew
Fast paced team game of playing cards quickly in patterns or for addition. Exercises quick thinking math skills.
Pizza to Go
Learn fractions, and categorization.
Power Grid
Teaches the dynamics of a closed economy system - builds math skills.
Prime Club
Educational math game. A good visualization of math and prime numbers.
Qwirkle
Abstract strategy game of matching symbols or colours. Builds math skills.
Mathematical Thinking
Race Around the Clock
Elapsed time game - problem solving with specified time. Become familiar with telling time.
Rummykub
Abstract number strategy game.
Sudoku
Mathematical planning, sequence, deduction, and organization.
Tangram
(With multiple pieces) Develops spatial abilities and math skills. Also fosters creativity.
The 24 Game
An arithmetical card game in which the objective is to find a way to manipulate four integers so that the end result is 24.
Too Many Monkeys
Card drafting numerical order game.
Trango
Pattern building game.
Tromino
Matching numbered tiles game. Abstract strategy that builds math skills (dominoes with a twist).
Uno
Matching card game. Builds some mathematical thinking.
Yahtzee
Push your luck game. Mathematical skills through making sets.
Games that Increase Memory
Brain Boxes
(Various types) Educational games for various subjects, including: Math, Language, History and Sciences.
Brain Quest
(Assorted topics) All types of educational trivia.
Dream On
Players collectively create a dream story together with cards, and when the timer runs out, they try to recall the story. Works on memory.
Enchanted Forest
Try to remember where the treasure is so you can report to the king! A memory based game.
Memory
Classic game of remembering where tiles lie and matching pictures or words. Tip: You can make a homemade version of this game!
Sci-ology
Uses memory, thinking, and strategy skills. Cards have detailed scientific facts.
Shadows Over Camelot: The Card Game
A cooperative game of players trying to complete quests before they get too dangerous. Game is based on teamwork and memory.
Simon
Improves concentration, Hand-eye coordination, response time, and memory.
Simon Says
Memory, Movement, and following directions skills are emphasized.
Games that Increase Memory
Survive: Escape from Atlantis
Evacuate your pieces from the island, while remembering where the highest-valued pieces are to maximize your score. Boosts memory.
The Little Orchard
A cooperative game of memory and deduction for children
Games that Promote Sharing Behaviour & Cooperation
Captain Sonar
Real time strategy game pitting two teams against one another. Helps with processing focused information, deduction, and spacial awareness.
Escape: Curse of the Temple
Frantic cooperative game. No turns, 10 minute games, lots of dice rolling. Helps with processing focused information, and involves teamwork.
Flash Point
A team game of firefighters trying to rescue people out of a burning building: helps team building skillscommunication - risk assessment.
Forbidden Island/Desert
Cooperative strategy game. Work with each other to escape the island/desert with the treasure! Promotes team building/sharing.
Sharing Behaviour & Cooperation
Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game
Can the Marvel superheroes defeat the villain and save the city? Work together as a team to win the game!
Magic Maze
A cooperative game where players are not allowed to speak with each other as they try to move the pawns around. Helps as a focus exercise.
Outfoxed!
A cooperative game of deduction for children. Also works memory muscles.
Pandemic
Teaches collaboration and team problem solving. Evaluating the odds, and risk management.
Race to the Treasure!
Team game for younger children that has math elements and teaches cooperation.
The Grizzled
Cooperative game where you play as French soldiers trying to survive the war. Rulebook contains real letters from war vets. Evaluate the odds.
Games that Promote Hand Eye Coordination
Animal Upon Animal
Great dexterity game for younger children, builds fine motor skills, and helps as a focus exercise.
Crokinole
Classic dexterity game of flicking disks. Builds fine motor skills.
Dr. Eureka
A brain teasing party game that develops: fine motor skills, visual perception, focus and attention, and processing speed.
Flip Ships
Similar to the classic space invaders game, you and your team flick your space ships to destroy the oncoming horde.
Ice Cool
Flick your penguins through the school to collect your fish. Dexterity game that builds hand eye coordination. Some physics involved.
Junk Art
A dexterity game of building “art” by stacking random shaped blocks on top of each other - builds fine motor skills and helps with focus.
KLASK
A dexterity game similar to air hockey. Builds hand eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Pitch Car
Flick your cars around a modular track as you race to the finish line. Builds fine motor skills and helps with focus.
Rhino Hero
Stacking cards to make a building, but be careful as rhino hero is quite heavy! Works on fine motor skills and helps with focusing.
Hand Eye Coordination
Riff Raff
A game about balancing objects on a teetering boat. Builds dexterity and fine motor skills - helps with focus.
Twister
Strengthens focusing and remembering skills. Movement game that helps with directional concepts.
Games that Teach History, Geography, and/or Science
10 Days Games
Geography game (assorted locations - Africa, Asia, Europe, USA, The Americas) – builds critical thinking skills.
A Few Acres Of Snow
A strategic game set in the Canadian, French and Indian War of 1754-1763. An interesting historical board game.
Compounded
Strategy game about chemistry! Become familiar with the periodic table of elements, and chemical bonds that create compounds.
Cytosis
A game about cell biology - Science lesson with strategic thinking all in one cell!
Destination X
An educational deduction game. Teaches geography and social studies.
Evolution
Strategy game that teaches concepts of natural selection. Become familiar with animal survival traits as you evolve your beast over time.
History, Geography, and/or Science
Fauna
Teaches zoology on hundreds of animals by guessing facts.
Freedom:
The Underground Railway
Cooperative strategy game set in early USA history of the Abolitionist movement. Help slaves reach freedom in Canada. Teaches History.
Master Gallery
A hand management and commodity speculation game that uses cards depicting real works of historical art.
Morels
A strategy card game with the theme of mushrooms. Familiarize yourself with edible mushrooms and what they look like.
Musée
Collect and curate classic works of art - Strategy game that helps familiarise yourself with great works of art and artists throughout history.
Pathogenesis
A game about players taking on the role of pathogens attacking the human body. Based on 100% real science!
Professor Noggins
(Assorted) Card games - historic trivia and Memorization of interesting facts and information.
Terra
Educational party guessing game. Learn interesting geographical information.
Through The Ages
A heavy strategy game that includes hundreds of cards of Historical events, places and people. A historical brain burner!
History, Geography, and/or Science
Timeline
(Various themes) A game focused on historical information and figuring out when they took place in relation to each other.
Wild Craft
A cooperative board game that gives an introduction to the world of edible and medicinal plants.
Games that Teach Creativity (Thought and Expression)
1000 Blank White Cards
Creative “Build your own” Card game. Make up cards and rules as you go. (wikihow.com for rules and instructions on how to create the game.)
A Fake Artist Goes to New York
Drawing ambiguous, yet defining parts of a picture to find the fake artist or guess what’s being drawn. Develops creativity and flexible thought.
Charades
Word guessing game that involves deduction and acting.
Cranium
(Assorted - Cranium, Cadoo, Cariboo, Hullabaloo + more) Many different Cranium games - all of them great for a brain workout.
Dixit
Game of telling stories with pictures. Helps you think outside the box.
Creativity (Thought & Expression)
Once Upon a Time
A storytelling card game. Create your own fairy tales in this game. Some words are suitably archaic at times, giving opportunity to learn words.
Pictionary
Strengthens Visualization and expression. Also helps develop the creative mind in a team setting.
Rory’s Story Cubes
Creative exercise of linking pictures with stories. Great for creativity and flexible thinking.
Tabletop Role Playing Games
(Various types) Paper, pencils, dice. High emphasis on creative thought and story telling. Also helps with calculation and math skills.
Telestrations
Telephone and Pictionary mixed together! Promotes creativity in thought, word, and art.
Thinkblot
Uses creative and flexible thinking. Try to persuade others to see what you’re seeing, and score points for unique things you come up with.
Avalon
Games that Teach Analysis & Deductive Reasoning
A social game of deduction and bluffing. Includes plenty of opportunity for debates.
Battleship
Classic simple game that has high use of logic and deduction.
Clue
Great game for many cognitive reasons, but especially as it pertains to deductive reasoning.
Guess Who
Good simple game on deductive reasoning & logic.
Hanabi
A cooperative game about making fireworks with number sequenced cards - deductive reasoning and memory building.
Love Letter
A simple deduction and guessing card game that just works so well. Basic maths and deduction puzzles.
Mastermind
Uses logic & deductive reasoning.
Mysterium
A game like Clue and Dixit mixed together, but takes out most luck elements. Heavy focus on abstract thinking and deduction.
Scotland Yard
A game of police in London tracking down a criminal! Helps teach deductive reasoning.
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective
(various cases to solve) Drenched thematically in Holmesian and Victorian accuracy. Grab a paper and pen and use deduction/analysis skills!
Analysis & Deductive Reasoning
Spy Alley
Assume a secret identity and deduct what other players’ identities are while trying to collect the pieces you need to win.
Spyfall
Deduction game that strengthens memory and promotes flexible thinking as you carefully word questions and answers.
Watson & Holmes
Become an aspiring detective and put yourself in Dr. Watson’s shoes as you try to solve unpublished Holmes’ cases. Deduction and memory.
Screen Games that are Educational
Beasts of Balance
Dexterity strategy game of stacking animals that also uses technology with an App. Interesting creative game that also builds fine motor skills.
Big Brain Academy
Nintendo - Trains your brain with a course load of mind-bending activities across 5 categories: Think, Memorize, analyze, compute, & identify!
Online series of games that give the brain an all-around workout.
Nintendo LABO
Build machines and creative toys out of cardboard. An interesting use of physical creativity and video games. Teaches how mechanisms work.
Osmo
Coding, Numbers, Art, Words, and other various educational activities that incorporate the iPad.