If you were one of the people who got told off by their parents for playing on the PlayStation or even mobile games for too long, then the chances are you’ve been looking for a proper comeback for some time now. It’s fair enough to enjoy sometime playing video games, so it would be nice for them to have let you play in peace. Well, today is the day you’ve been waiting for, as you can wave this article in your parents’ faces and tell them that actually, maybe your gaming hobby was making you smarter after all.
Poker
Card games are always a popular choice amongst calculated gamers, but one that consistently comes out on top is poker. Whether you choose to play poker online or play poker in a casino is up to you, but you’ll notice some subtle differences about how you need to use your wits depending on your choice.
For example, a game of poker around a table will require you to use facial cues to work out who is bluffing, whereas online you won’t have that ability. Being aware of these differences and adjusting your practice accordingly could help you get better results.
However, wherever you choose to play, you’ll be able to confidently say that you’re working on your ability to perform under pressure, as well as your ability to calculate probabilities quickly. Sure, that might not be the main enjoyment that you get out of the game, but poker definitely brings with it some undeniable transferable skills.
Chess
Whether you’re playing online or in person, a game of chess always requires you to think several steps ahead
Another of the boredom-killing games that makes the list is chess. Just like poker, it’s possible to play chess online or in person, though the skill differences that you’ll require are barely detectable. This is because in chess you’re able to see the whole board, so there’s no element of guessing whether your opponent is bluffing. This means that chess is what we call a game of ‘complete information’. The big benefit is that it totally removes the guesswork, but the downside is that you have to be able to truly outthink your opponent.
Learning how to think your way through large volumes of data is the key skill that you’ll learn from chess, but you’ll also learn how to plan. Making sure that you can forge an attack on your opponent without them noticing is the key here, which requires you to always be thinking several steps into the future.
Civilization
In terms of pure video gaming joy, it doesn’t get much better than the Civilization series. This set of games has been going on for decades now and not only has a core cult following but also has a wide appeal for anyone who enjoys strategy gaming. The premise of the game is simple, to take a gaggle of villagers and turn them into a thriving civilization. Along the way, you’ll have to research new technologies, combat things like human disease, or droughts.
How you solve these problems will determine how well your civilization thrives. Owing to the fact that the games have been so successful for so long, there’s been plenty of time for the developers to tweak and adjust the strategy involved to make it as close to life as possible.
This game will teach you the value of foresight. Just like chess, you’ll always need to be thinking several steps ahead. However, unlike a game of chess, there’ll be villagers’ lives at stake. Well, not exactly, they’re virtual ones, but after a few hours getting really stuck into this game, we guarantee you’ll start to think of them as just as important as your own neighbourhood.
