5 Puzzle Games That Improve Strategic Thinking

Strategic thinking has always been a valued trait in an individual, be it in education, the industry, or simply making life’s everyday decisions. While there is significant attention given to improving this skill, there is no necessity for these methods to be dull and reward-less.

A wide range of puzzles, beloved by adults and children alike, are known for their benefits in aiding critical or strategic thinking. Such games focus on improving one’s memory, as well as the ability to comprehend connections, patterns, and concepts in mundane objects.

The following contents of this article focus on a few popular puzzle games that are well known for their usefulness in improving strategic thinking.

Rubik's Cube

The Rubik’s cube was invented by Erno Rubik in the year 1974. Being a Hungarian architect, he meant for the cube to be used for explanation of three-dimensional geometry. Once he made it, he realized he could not solve the puzzle. It took an entire month for this creator to solve his own invention.

Learning to solve Rubik’s cubes offers a threefold advantage

1. Improves concentration and allows one to process thoughts much faster
2. Improves hand-eye coordination— aids finger dexterity.
3. Improves the ability to optimize and visualize tasks more clearly.

Here are a few facts to keep in mind while starting to solve a Rubik’s cube:

The centerpieces of each side always stay the same.

Randomly shuffling the cube offers too many possible outcomes and will never lead to the solution.

This is why algorithms to solve the cube exist.

The most common Rubik’s cube is a 3x3 cube (3 rows and 3 columns). This is considered one of the simplest cubes to solve, an intermediate to expert level focuses on harder puzzles like a 5x5 cube or Megaminx Rubik Cube. How to solve a Rubik’s cube offers guidelines, detailed instructions as well as software that solves Rubik’s cubes so you can check your solutions.

Crossword

The first recorded crossword was created by a journalist from Liverpool. Arthur Wynne is accepted as the creator of this popular word game. Crosswords can improve memory functions, perception, and allow individuals to not only build vocabulary, but also learn to identify patterns and tackle problems in distinct ways.

A simpler version of the crossword was released by 7 Little Words.

In this crossword, there are two forms of clues—one, standard crossword clues in the form of synonyms, and two jumbled blocks of letters which when arranged form the solutions to the clues.

For example, the clue “Don’t leave (5)” with the jumbled tiles containing the following.

The answer is found by combining two or more tiles until you have the required number of letters. In this case, the answer is “STAYS” (ST+ AYS)

This website also releases subject related puzzles (such as science and languages).

The 7 Little Words crossword answers for their daily puzzles can also be found at Crosswordbuzz, where you can try solving the clues directly without the tiles.

Sudoku

Sudoku is a Japanese origin puzzle game where the player has to arrange the numbers one to nine in such a way that every row, every column, and every grid has each of these numbers once. Sudoku is known for simulating the mind, improving memory power, reducing the chances of Alzheimer's and increasing your concentration power.

Multiple website and applications offer online Sudoku games such as Web Sudoku.

Scrabble

Created by an American, Alfred Mosher Butts in the 1930s, this game was originally called Lexiko. Now an everyday board game, Scrabble offers a wide variety of advantages.

1. It improves both vocabulary and spelling.
2. Mathematical skills are also honed through analysis of the point system.
3. Strategizing to pick the best possible option on the board helps develop strategy forming skills as well.
4. Scrabble also offers social benefits of playing with friends, family, and colleagues and improving these bonds.

Pattern Analysis

One of the most common forms of puzzle games that can be found on various websites and mobile applications are logical puzzles. These include riddles, pattern matching, finding common factors, rebuses among various objects. All of these are usually timed so as to improve not only your thinking ability, but also the speed at which you can come up with the right answers.

A rebus is a pictorial representation of a common word or phrase. For example:

SECRET

SECRET

SECRET

The above rebus refers to “Top Secret.”

Try another one,

HEAD

HEELS

This rebus means “Head Over Heels.”

These puzzles help in the analysis of patterns and logical interpretation which in turn keeps the mind active.

Popular mobile games for such puzzles include Flow Free, Rebus and 2048.

While the above list covers only five popular puzzle games that improve strategic thinking, this list does not end here. There is a large number of games available designed to get the gears in your mind turning if you choose to look for them.