12 Best Games For Senior Citizens
Introduction
As we age, it can be difficult to find hobbies that interest us. One of the most popular and rewarding hobbies for seniors is playing games online. There are many options for games that cater specifically to seniors, such as Word Jumble, Mahjongg Dimensions 2, and Brain Tumor Solitaire. Here are some games that can help keep you mentally sharp while you play for hours on end.
12 Best Games For Senior Citizens
1. Jigsaw Puzzle
Jigsaw puzzles have been around for thousands of years. One of the most popular puzzles is the crossword puzzle. Crossword puzzles are challenging puzzles that require focused concentration, analytical reasoning, and memory retention. Because of its length, there are many different ways to solve a puzzle. Many people solve them by taking clues from other phrases in the crossword puzzle itself, but logic can lead to a solution too. There are numerous websites that offer free crossword puzzles with hundreds of question types to solve, ranging from simple letters to more difficult alternate forms of words. You can also order free crossword puzzles to be delivered right to your door.
2. Word Jumble
Word jumble is a word game that makes it difficult for players to form words out of scrambled letters. It can be played on most computer word games programs, but is most commonly found on electronic gaming systems such as Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, iOS, Android, and Facebook. Word jumble is one of the best games for seniors because it combines vocabulary knowledge with speed of thought. There are many different variations of word jumble available at most gaming websites including trivia based word jumbles where contestants are asked to solve crossword puzzles with multiple-choice answers in limited time frames.
3. Classic Solitaire and Spider Solitaire
Solitaire and Spider Solitaire are the most popular card games for seniors. Both games require knowledge of math and strategy to complete them successfully. There are several different solitaire games, including Pyramid, FreeCell, and Klondike which has 104 total possible ways to be dealt. These games can be played on computers but they’re most commonly played on electronic gaming systems such as Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, iOS, Android, and Facebook.
4. Chess
Chess is a great game for seniors because it’s a combination of strategy and logic. The objective of chess is to take all of the opponent’s pieces before the opponent captures yours. Chess uses many different types of strategies in order to win games, including sacrifice, cooperation, and deception. Luckily, there are millions of websites available to help players improve their chess skills at no cost. There are also millions of seniors around the world who love to play chess with other seniors in order to stay sharp mentally. Playing chess every day can increase memory retention levels by up to 50%. Senior citizens have become world-class chess players in recent years due to this addicting game that has spanned centuries.
5. Boggle
Boggle is a word game that uses 4 letter tiles to form words in crossword style grids. It’s similar to the game Scrabble because there are many different variations of Boggle available at most gaming websites, including the Jr. version of Boggle for younger players. There are also several different variations of Boggle; Sprint, Quickfire, Extreme, and Double Letter which keeps track of double-letter words only. Many organizations use Boggle as an educational tool because it’s a great way to challenge students’ vocabulary skills. It keeps them thinking fast and coming up with new ways to form words in order to win.
6. Mahjong Dimensions 2
Mahjong is a game that originated in China hundreds of years ago. It’s a tile-matching game that requires players to remove tiles from the board by matching pairs. It involves strategy, awareness, and problem solving skills to win matches. The dimensions version adds an extra dimension into the mix because tiles must be matched based on patterns formed by the pieces themselves. Several different variations are available at most gaming websites including Chinese, Klondike, Dominoes, Pairs, and Numbers.
7. Brain Tumor Solitaire
Brain Tumor Solitaire is a card game that involves removing cards from the board based on the rules of the game. The goal is to just get rid of all your cards. There are numerous variations of this game, including All 4’s, Simple Solitaire, Tri-Peaks, Golf Solitaire, Poker Solitaire, Yukon Solitaire, Free Cell Tripeaks, Pyramid Tripeaks, Big Two Over One Solitaire, and Pyramid Deuces. Several different variations are available at most gaming websites including Chinese Poker and Texas Hold’em Mahjong which are based on real life card games.
8. Word Search
Word search is a type of puzzle that involves finding words or phrases hidden in large grids of letters containing up to 12 different letters each. It’s similar to crossword puzzles in that it requires players to use logic and memory in order to find the hidden words. Word searches are commonly found in free newspapers, but they can also be found on most gaming websites. Many people print them off and challenge family members and friends to see who can find the words quickest.
9. FreeCell Solitaire
FreeCell is a variation of solitaire that involves dealing a whole deck of cards into eight columns of four rows each, with four open cells at the top left corner of each row. The goal is to move all cards from the tableau to the foundation piles which are built up from ace to king in suit sequence, while alternating colors from red/black/red/black…etc. It’s very similar to Klondike, but there are several differences in strategy and skill required to win. FreeCell can be played on most electronic gaming systems such as Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, iOS, Android, and Facebook.
10. Checkers
Checkers is a board game for two players where each player tries to advance their pieces round the board while jumping over their opponent’s pieces to take them out of play. The objective is to finish with checker pieces in a row across or diagonal from your starting point that the other player cannot jump over anymore. It’s similar to chess because it requires strategic thinking skills and logic to win matches against opponents who have mastered this addicting game of skill and chance.
11. Sudoku Puzzles
Sudoku puzzles are number-placement puzzles where the objective is to complete numbers in a 9×9 grid by using logic and math skills to solve each puzzle. It started out as a Japanese game and has become extremely popular all over the world. There are several different variations of sudoku including Ultra Crisp, Extreme Sudoku, Slitherlink, Minesweeper, Numlink, Kropki, Kakuro, and Killer Sudoku which involves solving math problems with fractions. Sudoku can help improve memory retention levels by up to 50%, but it only works if the person is properly educated on how to solve each puzzle correctly.
12. Solitaire
Solitaire is a game that involves dealing cards into four piles of varying suits, with the cards all facing up. The goal is to move all cards to the foundation piles by following specific rules based on each type of solitaire. The only real variation of this game is Klondike which involves forming all cards to build eight foundation rows by alternating suits and colors across the board.
Conclusion
Through playing these games, seniors can keep their minds active and sharp by learning about new things to talk about with friends. Board games are a great way to learn new techniques to use for future challenges at work or in the community. Knowing how to play chess is also an excellent skill for any career field where working with numbers is required. A senior citizen can develop their skills in these types of games, which will make them stand out from the crowd and make people think they’re smarter than they really are.
Games like chess and boggle help seniors improve their visual-spatial skills and reasoning abilities. They also develop memory retention levels by up to 50%.