Many people link video game use, which continues to rise among American children, to various adverse outcomes, such as:

• Obesity
• Aggression
• Antisocial behavior
• Addiction

However, recent studies have suggested that playing games can positively impact the brain. 

For instance, a systematic review noted that video game training benefits adult participants’ cognitive and emotional skills(1).

Credit:Edwin Tan

Many initiatives today aim to develop games to help with various brain functions. Suppose you want to study more about your brain, including its parts, operations, and needs. In that case, this article can provide you with the necessary information.

Can specific games enhance your brain and its activities? How does building games improve your brain? What are the different ways games can boost your brain?

This article discusses how some game developers design games that can help enhance the brain and other bodily functions. It also lists specific games to boost your brain's health and function.

How Game Development Can Help Brain Improvement

Many studies and surveys indicate that virtual games can negatively affect people. However, you may be surprised that specific games may help improve various health areas.

For instance, game development may significantly benefit your brain’s cognitive skills and other high-level brain functions, such as problem-solving, sense- and decision-making.

One paper even suggests that some games can generate positive emotions and behavior to help support mental health and well-being(2).

Another study indicates that playing video games correlates with memory improvement(3). 

However, questions remain unanswered regarding how games can help improve memory. These questions include:

• Do individuals who already play non-brain-training video games stand to improve by playing working memory games?

• Are games more effective for people with memory deficits or those whose memory falls within the normal range?

• Do people benefit from video game-like multisensory training programs, or are more straightforward psychological training tasks more effective for specific populations without the graphics and sounds of games?

Additionally, from the game design perspective, scientists have asked whether games must only focus on the cognitive components of memory training or whether they should also consider game development.

Aaron Seitz, Ph.D., director of the Brain Game Center for Mental Fitness and Well-Being at the University of California (UC), notes that game development is just as significant as the underlying cognitive aspects of training games.

There is a need for media experts today to discuss ways of using interactive games, such as video games, to understand further how the brain works and develops. This conversation may also help generate more tools to boost brain development.

Researchers may study how the human brain learns and adapts to various situations, including playing video games.

Games to Sharpen Your Thinking Skills

Game design can be beneficial for developing digital creativity and critical thinking. For instance, games with defined rules and clear objectives may help improve players' thinking skills.

People today have unique potential and many opportunities to produce their digital content. However, one challenge along the way is to respond to a culture where users consume media rather than participate in the creative process of producing their own. 

Games to Boost Your Memory

Specific virtual training programs may also help enhance working memory skills. 

One study suggests that some video games that promote positive learning outcomes may also help promote working memory skills(4). 

Conclusion 

Integrating various game development approaches into a good game design may help improve brain operations and development. Still, the development process needs further attention from experts.