When it comes to serious gaming, it takes a lot of skill, concentration, and reaction speeds. It’s akin to being an athlete in some ways, and that’s certainly reflected in the rise of Esports and the huge prize pots that comes with many of the major tournaments.
And if you are a serious gamer, like any athlete there needs to be an element of cross training, whether that be for strengthening the wrists and fingers, or improving cognitive skills. In the case of the latter, there are tons of apps and other games which can help with this.
Below you’ll find some of our favourite apps that are perfect for boosting your brain power, which can then filter into your other areas of gaming…
Bingo
It may be a far cry from MMORPG gaming, but there are aspects of bingo which can be beneficial to your brain strength. You’ll find many exciting online bingo games to choose from these days, all of which will test a number of key areas in your brain functioning.
Reaction times and concentration are two of the main ones, with numbers called quickly, in which you must then mark off your bingo card. Alongside this, concentration is required throughout, since missing a number could effectively cost you thousands of dollars in winnings.
Lumosity
Lumosity is an app specifically designed to improve brain skills and is a great app to integrate into any training regime you have when it comes to gaming. The app is scientifically led and designed to increase the brain’s capacity by testing one’s memory, brain speed, reactions, and concentration.
Games last just a few minutes and you are encouraged to take time each day in order to improve your brain skills over time. You can tailor the app to suit you, so you can really hone in on things like processing speed and problem solving, which in turn can improve your gaming elsewhere.
Poker
Poker has always been a great game to challenge your brain significantly and poker players can generally turn their hands quite well to gaming. Poker requires players to have high levels of concentration, good problem solving and mathematical skills and the ability to read other players, which can certainly help you in any form of video gaming.
Over time, playing poker will allow you to assess situations more clearly, pick up on player trends and what they may do, and increase your concentration for those longer sessions on the likes of Dota 2 and CS:GO.
Personal Zen
Another brain training style app is Personal Zen, which was developed by the University of New York. It’s designed to play for around 10 minutes per day, with games designed to lower stress and anxiety, as well as improve other areas of the brain.
This is great for online gaming, which can be a relatively hostile environment at points, allowing you to put into action the skills you have picked up with this app, funnel out any stress and play with a clear mind.
