Researchers from the University of York explored whether puzzle and strategy games can boost memory and focus. The study results were published in Heliyon and involved a diverse group of participants who volunteered to take part in a controlled experiment.
In total, 482 individuals took part, spanning two distinct age ranges. Younger participants were 18 to 30 years old, while older participants ranged from 60 to 81. Each person reported how many hours per week they played games and when they began gaming. They also listed the specific games they engaged with in the week prior to the test, creating a detailed snapshot of their regular gaming habits and preferences.
The games most frequently cited fell into three broad categories: puzzle games that require solving logical or conceptual problems; strategy games that hinge on planning sequences of actions to reach a goal; and action games, which emphasize reaction time and precise coordination. These categories helped researchers classify gaming styles and examine potential cognitive benefits across groups.
Participants then completed a working memory task designed to assess how well information held in the mind could be maintained and manipulated. In the task, subjects had to remember the locations of red circles displayed on a monitor and later replicate those locations on a blank grid. To introduce interference, two yellow circles were shown alongside the red ones, challenging participants to keep track of the relevant information amid distraction.
The findings demonstrated that young gamers with a preference for strategy and action games tended to exhibit larger working memory capacities and greater resistance to distraction compared with their peers who played other game types. Among older participants, those who regularly engaged in puzzle games also showed strong memory performance, suggesting potential benefits that extend into later life.
Another notable observation was that older adults who frequently played puzzle games appeared to reach memory performance levels comparable to younger adults who did not game regularly. This pattern hints at the possibility that certain gaming practices can help sustain cognitive skills associated with memory across the lifespan.
The researchers also noted a broader implication: engaging in stimulating activities during childhood and adolescence, such as outdoor play, appears to support brain function later on. This aligns with long-standing ideas about the importance of diverse, physically active experiences for cognitive development, even as gaming habits become more prevalent in modern life.
Overall, the York study contributes to a growing body of evidence suggesting that different types of games can influence cognitive functions in meaningful ways. While the precise mechanisms remain to be fully understood, the work underscores the potential value of intentional gaming choices for maintaining and enhancing memory and concentration across diverse age groups.