If you want to get some exercise for your brain just like you would do for your body, brain teasers are a great way to boost your intelligence. Instead of having to read huge textbooks or attempting to solve calculus problems, you can increase your cognitive capacity and have fun doing it. There are tons of examples of brain games people have been playing for years.
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Sudoku
If you’ve ever played Sudoku you will be aware of the headache that this simple game can induce. Luckily, this headache is your brain’s form of pushups and it can be used to increase your intelligence. Sudoku is extremely memory intensive, requiring you to remember multiple tasks while performing your next task. The awesome thing about Sudoku is that it’s available almost everywhere you look, from phone apps to paperback books available in convenience and department stores. If you’re looking for a cheap and accessible way to increase your mental capacity, Sudoku is a good option.
Crosswords
Aside from the crossword found in the newspaper, (honestly, who’s able to even finish those!?) they can be fun games to play. Crosswords are great for forcing you to dig into your memory in order to complete tasks, and you’re able to work your way towards your goal by getting little pieces of the puzzle over time. You can find crosswords that fit almost any genre and can test the fringes of your knowledge if you dig enough online. If you’re looking to get good at remembering a specific topic this is a great way to increase your intelligence.
Word Scramble
Word scramble games are fun and they’ve taken over app stores on every phone platform. They test our vocabulary and our mental recognition and association of different letters to different words. Sometimes we get stumped on them only to later realize it was a common answer that we can’t believe we missed. The best part of word scramble games is that we end up increasing our vocabulary with them after playing them for a while. Your solution might be at Unscramble.Online if you’re having trouble generating answers. This can lead to more awards in games, and as long as you’re internalizing what you learn there’s no harm to memory increases.
Chess
There’s a reason that chess is such an internationally competitive sport – it requires intelligence and skill. The capabilities of artificial intelligence are associated with their ability to play chess, and this is a testament to its cognitive enhancing prowess. Chess demands critical thinking, an ability to memorize patterns, and foreshadowing many moves in the future. There’s plenty of free online services that offer the ability to play chess against people, or AI that can enhance your own IQ.
Rubik’s Cube
Even if you’re attempting to look up a guide on how to solve a Rubik’s cube, you’re going to spend a lot of time trying to understand it. Rubik’s cubes are amazing ways to internalize complex algorithms without having to delve into the math itself. If you’ve never used one before, be prepared to spend an excessive amount of time trying to solve this puzzle. It’s been around for a while, but this brain teaser isn’t for the faint of heart. I would not suggest watching anyone complete this in a matter of minutes, as it may dishearten you from attempting to solve it for yourself.
Complex Jigsaw Puzzles
Brain teasing games that boost your intelligence aren’t all about memorizing algorithms or being great with words, IQ is also measured with spatial thinking and awareness. Complex jigsaw puzzles offer an alternative to those who think in open spaces and can be equally rewarding and frustrating. These puzzles range in a multitude of ways, to puzzles being constructed without any images and only in squares, to puzzles that fit in a constrained space. Go ahead and find a Jigsaw puzzle that works for you, and watch your spatial abilities grow!
Video Games
Video games can definitely be used to work your brain, but I’m not talking about first-person shooters. Alternative games like Portal, or Portal 2, require problem-solving, critical thinking and reasoning skills. Apps on your phone in a variety of forms are also great games to play that can increase your intelligence. Find something that’s fun for you and go ahead and play it, learning does not have to be boring.
From Sudoku to Rubik’s cubes and video games, there are tons of options to choose from when you’re deciding what brain teaser to settle on. You don’t have to do a ton of boring reading to stretch your brain, and if you’re looking to boost your intelligence, find something you love to do!
