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10 Mobile Games to Keep Your Mind Sharp

These apps will get that old gray matter pumping and amp up your mental abilities.

July 16, 2015
Mobile Games to Keep your Mind Sharp

Let's face it: as a species, we're pretty much glued to our phones at this stage in our evolutionary development. Having a tiny machine with all of our species' combined knowledge in the palm of our hand is pretty addictive, after all.

While some people worry that our dependence on this technology is making us weak, others feel that we can use our mental powers for good. Enter the booming field of "brain training," software that purports to engage our neurons and toughen them up to make us even smarter. In many cases, these mental exercises even take the form of addictive games, to make learning fun.

Cell phones are a perfect medium for this stuff – typically sessions are short and can be done anywhere, and don't require any special input devices. If you're going to be staring at your screen, why not do something that could maybe make you smarter? You don't learn anything from Flappy Bird except new ways to combine profanity. Numerous researchers have been exploring the possibility of using "gamification" to make learning and training easier, and the fruits of their labors are all over the App Store.

Check out the slideshow for 10 games that will get that old gray matter pumping and amp up your mental abilities.

1. Lumosity

Lumosity
Easily the leader in the brain-training market, Lumosity went online in 2007 and has developed a thriving community of over 70 million users. The Lumosity program is based on a number of cognitive science studies that indicate that doing a variety of brain exercises can increase memory and mental ability. When you start the program, it will evaluate you in a number of areas, and then create a training plan for you to do for 15 minutes a day. The base program is free, but if you crave variety, you can purchase a subscription that gives you access to a wider variety of activities.

2. Math Workout

In a recent study, four in 10 Americans reported that they hate math. That's a staggeringly high percentage for something that’s a fundamental basis of just about everything we do. There is solid evidence that math skills relate to lots of other disciplines, and even if you don't use it in your daily life, it keeps your brain sharp. One of the most popular math games on the market is Math Workout (Android, iOS), a bare-bones piece of software that excels in power where it lacks in production value. Daily sessions let you practice at a variety of skill levels and monitor your progress.

3. Eidetic

Eidetic
One of the first things that people start to see decline as they age is memory. As the brain accretes experiences and information, it becomes more difficult to access those memories. Eidetic is a fascinating app that uses some interesting mental principles to help you remember anything. Using "spaced repetition," the app asks you to select a piece of information that you want to store, then interrupts you at irregular intervals to quiz you on it. The data is kept remotely in cloud storage, which allows you to train your memory from any device.

4. CogniFit Brain Fitness

CogniFit Brain Fitness
A sound mind in a sound body is the mantra many of us live by, and CogniFit aims to do for your gray matter what CrossFit does for your muscles. The app contains 10 challenges that measure cognitive ability, memory, and spatial perception. The company has a longer backstory than most in the space, having been founded in 1999 to investigate the ability of software to improve the mind. In addition to the base program, which uses numerous exercises and challenges to improve brain function, it has developed apps for emotional awareness and a customized program for sufferers of multiple sclerosis. CogniFit has also sponsored several studies that showed positive results in brains of all types from their exercises.

5. 100 Logic Games

100 Logic Games
Brain games don't have to be organized into some kind of regimented program to do you some good. If you're not into the tracking and measuring of platforms like Lumosity, something more casual might be better. 100 Logic Games (iOS) is the latest in a series of free releases from developer Andrea Sabbatini that is packed full of content. As the title suggests, it features 100 different activities designed to stretch your problem-solving and logical reasoning skills, so you’re bound to find one or two that hit your sweet spot.

6. Circles

Brain-training games don't have to be complex to bring results to the table. Circles, a minimalist app from Snowman, has a single activity and an uncluttered presentation, but could have powerful effects on your short-term and long-term memory. Based on the classic “Simon” game of pattern memorization, the game challenges you to watch and repeat a sequence of colored lights and sounds. You can play against friends as well to show your memory supremacy, and a portion of the proceeds from each $0.99 app download are donated to Alzheimer's research.

7. Xperica HD

Xperica HD
Raising intelligence isn't a matter of rote memorization – true genius comes through experimentation and discovery. One of the most fascinating mobile games in the market is Xperica HD, which focuses on the physical sciences. Acting as a sort of "virtual laboratory," Xperica doesn’t give the player-defined challenges to overcome – instead, it simulates a number of basic principles like hydrostatic motion and lets users manipulate variables in the "lab" and see the results. A good understanding of the scientific method can reap dividends in multiple areas, so the free-wheeling experimentation in Xperica HD can definitely grow your mental skills.

8. Elevate

Elevate
While many of the brain-training games in this piece focus on visual identification and pattern recognition, Elevate (Android, iOS) is all about the power of the word. Chosen by Apple as its 2014 App of the Year, Elevate works on the same freemium model as Lumosity, with paid accounts having access to more activities. What’s interesting about Elevate's system is that everything you do revolves around reading, writing, and listening. Language is the core of communication in the modern world, and being able to sharpen those skills is vital. The way the app tracks your progress is a little opaque, but you'll see real benefits quickly.

9. Clockwork Brain

Clockwork Brain
Here's another suite of mini-games that claim to polish your cognitive abilities. Clockwork Brain offers an aesthetic that's miles away from the clean, clinical look of other brain-training software, instead opting for a quirky retro steampunk look. Each session consists of four exercises chosen at random, with players working to answer as many questions correctly as possible within a set time limit. The better you do, the higher the difficulty increases. Players also earn in-game currency to unlock additional exercises and other options, but can also pay real money for those unlocks if they haven’t trained their brain to be patient.

10. BrainHQ

Created by an international team of over 100 neuroscientists, the pedigree behind BrainHQ is solid. The system offers over 25 different exercises and tests to monitor your progress, and you can either work with pre-designed brain fitness regimens or develop your own curriculum. The diversity of exercises is pretty profound – in addition to pattern recognition and attention tracking, they also have a pretty cool game where you need to connect people's faces, names, and job descriptions. BrainHQ is a solid all-purpose brain training tool that's fairly fun as well.

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About K. Thor Jensen

Contributing Writer