We have all had that bad feeling when we need to remember the name of a new person, but it quickly leaves our mind, and we also forget where we put our keys or what was on our shopping list, which is why we often wish for a better memory. 

Because of this, brain training game formats try to improve our thinking skills, have become very popular and offer fun puzzles as a way to “level up” our minds. 

But we must ask, do these digital games really help us remember more things and pay better attention, or are they just a clever marketing trick? 

Kinds of Memory: How Our Brain Works

To understand how games can help our memory, it is first important to understand how our memory is made. 

Our memory is not just one thing, it is a complex system that has many parts.

• Working memory is like a mental notebook or the “fast memory” of our brain. It lets us hold and use a small piece of information for a short time to do a current task. 

For example, when you do a math problem in your head, you use your working memory to keep the numbers in your mind, and this memory is very important for focus, thinking, and following directions, so games that train it try to make its size bigger.

• Short-term memory is the ability to keep information for a very short time, from a few seconds to about a minute, without actively thinking about it. 

For example, you remember a phone number to call, but you forget it right after you make the call.

• Long-term memory is our “hard drive,” which stores information for a very long time without a limit. All our knowledge, skills, memories, and life experiences go here.

The process of moving information from short-term to long-term memory is called consolidation, and this is the process that helps us remember our name, how to ride a bike, or what happened in history a long time ago.

All these kinds of memory work together and are very connected, so for example, making working memory better can make the consolidation process easier, which helps information stay in long-term memory.

How Games Train Memory

Most of the games for training memory are based on ideas that use one or more kinds of memory, and the people who make these games use different ways to challenge our minds.

• Sequence games: These are games where you must repeat a line of sounds or colors, and a famous example is the game “Simon”. These exercises directly train your working and short-term memory by making your mind hold information for a short time.
• Picture memory: Games where you must find pairs of the same cards or games where pictures on the screen go away for a moment and you need to remember where they were.
• Pattern recognition tasks: These games ask you to quickly compare two pictures, find what is different, or put objects in a certain order. They train your mind’s speed and ability to see and understand things, which makes your memory work better.

A very important exercise is the “N-back task,” which was first made for science, and it is one of the most effective and scientifically proven exercises for training working memory. 

The game is simple: objects appear one after another on the screen, and you must press a button if the new object is the same as the one that appeared steps before. 

For example, in a 2-back task, you must remember the object that appeared two steps ago; the bigger the number N is, the more difficult the task is. 

Many studies have shown that doing this task often can greatly improve working memory and, very importantly, have a positive transfer effect on other thinking skills.

Game Recommendations for Memory Training

• Mind Elevate focuses on practical skills like reading and writing speed, which indirectly trains your working memory, and the games here often need you to quickly remember and repeat information.
• NeuroNation: This app has many exercises that are based on science, and a lot of them help your working and short-term memory, because the games need a lot of focus and help you get faster at thinking.
• Peak: This app has a nice design and many different mini-games that use different parts of memory, from remembering pictures to working with numbers.

When you choose a game, you should look at these things:

• For short-term memory: Look for games like “Single Line” or those where you must remember and repeat lines of things.
• For working memory: Choose games with the “N-back task” or puzzles with many steps that need you to hold several rules or parts in your mind.
• For long-term memory: These games might be less direct but are still helpful. For example, apps for learning new words that use spaced repetition help words go into your long-term memory.

Game	Description
Meteor Escape	In this game, your task is to manipulate objects on the screen in order to prevent yourself from being hit by incoming meteors that are falling from the sky
Single Line	You are challenged to draw a continuous line that touches every single one of the circles on the playing field without ever crossing over a line you have already drawn
Dot Connector	The goal of this puzzle is to find the correct way to connect all of the dots that have the same color so that the lines you draw do not cross paths with one another and every empty square on the game board is filled with a line
Color Spill	Your objective in this puzzle is to carefully pour different colored liquids from one glass flask to another until you have managed to make each and every flask contain a liquid of only one single color
Fruit Slice	You must quickly swipe your finger across the screen to slice all of the fruits that are flying through the air while also making sure that you avoid slicing any of the dangerous objects, like bombs, that are mixed in with them
Rocket Race	In this game, the camera moves rapidly upward while your task is to swipe left and right to maneuver your rocket and avoid all of the obstacles that appear on your path automatically

Combining Games with Other Methods

Games are a great tool, but they should not be the only way to train your mind. To get the best results, you must use them with other methods.

Mnemonics are old and proven ways to make your memory better; one of the most famous is the method of loci or the “Memory Palace,” where you imagine a place you know well, like your room, and you mentally put the things you need to remember in it. 

Other mnemonics include making associations or acronyms, and an easy way to remember the colors of the rainbow is with the phrase “Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain,” which stands for Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet.

Also, regular activities like reading books and learning new languages are strong ways to make your mind work. They make your mind create new connections and work actively with information, which is a great training. 

Meditation is also very important, as it improves your focus and ability to pay attention for a long time, which is the base of a good memory.

And finally, we cannot forget how important a healthy lifestyle is. No game will help if your mind does not get what it needs. 

Good sleep is very important because during sleep, memory consolidation happens; your mind sorts and saves information from the day. A healthy diet with good fats, antioxidants, and vitamins gives your mind the energy and food it needs to work well.

Finally, regular physical activity makes your blood flow better and gives your mind oxygen and nutrients, which helps new brain cells grow.

Conclusion

If you truly want to make your memory better, games can be a good start, but do not forget to use them with other methods and, most importantly, take care of your health. Start with something simple, play regularly, and you will soon notice that remembering information has become easier.