Whether you're pondering a chess move, thinking up a high-scoring word in Scrabble or deciding on your investment strategy in Monopoly, board games are great for getting you thinking. Playing them not only involves a wide range of cognitive skills, including problem-solving, critical thinking, decision-making, memory retention and concentration, but also provides a way to connect face-to-face with others.
Given these cognitive and social benefits, it’s perhaps no surprise that playing board games can help keep our brains healthy as we age.
A 2013 French study found that board game players aged 65 and over had a 15-percent lower risk of developing dementia, while a 2025 Spanish study found that nursing home residents who participated in twice-weekly board gaming sessions had improved cognitive function and quality of life. But board games are beneficial at every age: they’ve been shown, for example, to improve the numerical skills of preschool children.
When it comes to specific games, a lot of research has focused on the mind-boosting properties of chess. A 2025 review of neuroimaging studies comparing the brains of expert and novice chess players found that expert players tend to have greater activity and connectivity in brain regions associated with visual processing, spatial perception and decision-making.
There’s also good news for those who prefer tabletop role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons. According to a 2024 study at Ireland’s University College Cork, the escapism, creative expression and social support provided by ‘D&D’ can boost players’ mental wellbeing.
The board game industry is booming. There are thousands of games to choose from, as well as dedicated board game cafés and bars where you can play them. So, if you’re stuck for something to do on a rainy afternoon, you could do a lot worse than immerse yourself in a good game.
This article is an answer to the question (asked by Ray Townsend, email) 'Are board games good for the brain?'
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