As we age, our cognitive function begins to decline. However, research has suggested that keeping our minds active can help to keep our brain functioning at a higher level over time.

One way to keep your mind active and improve cognitive function is by playing games that challenge your brain. Here are 30 of the top brain stimulating games to help boost your cognitive function:.

1. Sudoku

Sudoku is a great game for improving your cognitive function in several ways. It helps to improve your memory and concentration, and it can help to improve your problem solving and critical thinking skills.

There are many different levels of difficulty to choose from, so you can start simple and work your way up to more difficult puzzles as your skills improve.

2. Crossword puzzles

Crossword puzzles are another great way to improve your cognitive function. They help to improve your vocabulary, memory, and concentration, and they can be a great way to challenge your problem solving skills.

There are many different types of crossword puzzles to choose from, so you can find the ones that suit your interests and skill level.

3. Jigsaw puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles can be a fun and relaxing way to exercise your brain. They help to improve your attention to detail, visual perception, and problem solving skills.

You can choose from a wide variety of different puzzle themes and difficulty levels to suit your interests and skill level.

4. Chess

Chess is a strategic game that can help to improve your cognitive function by challenging your problem solving, planning, and critical thinking skills. It can also help to improve your memory, concentration, and attention to detail.

There are many different levels of chess players, so you can find someone to play with who is at your skill level.

5. Scrabble

Scrabble is a great game for improving your vocabulary and critical thinking skills. It can also help to improve your memory and concentration, as you need to remember words and their spellings in order to play effectively.

You can play with friends or family members, or online against other players.

6. Brain training apps

There are many different brain training apps available that can help to improve your cognitive function.

These apps typically include a variety of different games and exercises that challenge your memory, attention, problem solving, and other cognitive skills. Some popular brain training apps include Lumosity, Elevate, and Peak.

7. Memory games

Memory games can be a fun and effective way to improve your memory and cognitive function. They typically involve remembering a sequence of numbers, pictures, or words, and then trying to repeat them back in order.

There are many different types of memory games to choose from, so you can find the ones that suit your interests and skill level.

8. Trivia games

Trivia games can be a great way to improve your general knowledge and critical thinking skills. They challenge your memory, attention, and problem solving skills, and can also be a fun way to learn new things.

There are many different types of trivia games to choose from, including general knowledge, sports, history, and pop culture.

9. Video games

While some video games can be a mindless way to pass the time, many others can actually help to improve your cognitive function.

Games that challenge your problem solving, attention, and memory skills can be particularly effective at improving your cognitive function. Some popular video games that can help to improve cognitive function include Minecraft, Tetris, and Portal.

10. Charades

Charades is a fun and entertaining game that can also help to improve your cognitive function. It challenges your memory, attention, problem solving, and communication skills, as you need to act out words or phrases without speaking.

You can play with friends or family members, and it can be a great way to spend time together and improve your cognitive function at the same time.

11. Logic games

Logic games are designed to challenge your mathematical and problem solving skills. They typically involve solving puzzles or riddles that require you to use logic and critical thinking to come up with a solution.

There are many different types of logic games to choose from, including Sudoku, Minesweeper, and Kakuro.

12. Bingo

Bingo is a fun and social game that can also help to improve your cognitive function. It challenges your attention and concentration skills, as you need to keep track of the numbers that are called out and mark them on your card.

You can play with friends or family members, or online with other players.

13. Cryptic crosswords

Cryptic crosswords are a type of crossword puzzle that challenges your problem solving and critical thinking skills. They typically involve solving clues that require you to think creatively and use logic to come up with a solution.

Cryptic crosswords can be a fun and challenging way to improve your cognitive function.

14. Word searches

Word searches are a fun and relaxing way to exercise your brain. They challenge your attention and visual perception skills, as you need to find words hidden within a grid of letters.

Word searches come in a wide variety of themes and difficulty levels, so you can find ones that suit your interests and skill level.

15. Memory matching games

Memory matching games can be a fun and effective way to improve your memory and cognitive function.

They typically involve remembering the location of matching pairs of cards or tiles, and can be a great way to challenge your attention and memory skills. There are many different types of memory matching games to choose from, so you can find the ones that suit your interests and skill level.

16. Set

Set is a card game that challenges your pattern recognition and critical thinking skills. It involves identifying sets of three cards that either share the same shape, color, number, or shading.

Set can be a fun and challenging way to improve your cognitive function.

17. Boggle

Boggle is a word game that challenges your vocabulary and critical thinking skills. It involves finding as many words as possible within a grid of letters, and can be a great way to improve your memory and concentration skills.

Boggle is a fun and entertaining game that can be played with friends or family members.

18. Riddles

Riddles are a great way to exercise your brain and improve your problem solving skills. They typically involve solving a puzzle or riddle that requires you to use logic and critical thinking to come up with a solution.

Riddles come in a wide variety of themes and difficulty levels, so you can find ones that suit your interests and skill level.

19. Memory card games

Memory card games are similar to memory matching games, but typically involve a larger number of cards and more complex patterns. They can be a fun and challenging way to improve your memory and cognitive function.

There are many different types of memory card games to choose from, so you can find the ones that suit your interests and skill level.

20. Hangman

Hangman is a word game that challenges your vocabulary and critical thinking skills. It involves guessing letters to try and uncover a hidden word, and can be a great way to improve your memory and concentration skills.

Hangman is a fun and entertaining game that can be played with friends or family members.

21. Solitaire

Solitaire is a card game that can help to improve your cognitive function by challenging your problem solving and critical thinking skills.

It involves arranging cards in a specific order and can be a great way to improve your memory, concentration, and attention to detail. Solitaire can be played with a standard deck of cards or online.

22. Sequence

Sequence is a strategy game that challenges your problem solving and critical thinking skills. It involves placing chips on a game board in a specific sequence, and can be a fun and challenging way to improve your cognitive function.

Sequence can be played with friends or family members.

23. Mahjong

Mahjong is a tile-based game that challenges your pattern recognition and critical thinking skills. It involves matching tiles to remove them from the game board, and can be a great way to improve your memory, attention, and problem solving skills.

Mahjong can be played with friends or online against other players.

24. Dominoes

Dominoes is a strategy game that challenges your problem solving and critical thinking skills. It involves placing dominoes in a specific order and can be a great way to improve your memory, concentration, and attention to detail.

Dominoes can be played with friends or family members, or online against other players.

25. Checkers

Checkers is a classic board game that can help to improve your cognitive function by challenging your problem solving, planning, and critical thinking skills.

It involves moving pieces across a checkerboard and can be a great way to improve your memory, concentration, and attention to detail. Checkers can be played with friends or family members.

26. Puzzles and brain teasers books

Puzzle and brain teasers books can be a great source of brain stimulation and cognitive function improvement.

These books typically include a variety of different puzzles and problems to solve, and can be a fun and challenging way to exercise your brain.

27. Tangram puzzles

Tangram puzzles are a type of geometric puzzle that challenges your spatial reasoning and critical thinking skills.

They involve arranging seven pieces of a puzzle into a specific shape, and can be a fun and challenging way to improve your cognitive function.

28. Go

Go is a strategy game that challenges your planning and critical thinking skills. It involves placing stones on a board to capture territory, and can be a great way to improve your memory, concentration, and attention to detail.

Go can be played with friends or online against other players.

29. Mancala

Mancala is a strategy game that challenges your problem solving and critical thinking skills. It involves moving stones or beads around a board with the goal of capturing more than your opponent.

Mancala can be a fun and challenging way to improve your cognitive function, and can be played with friends or family members.

30. Mastermind

Mastermind is a logic based game that challenges your problem solving skills. It involves guessing a code that has been created by your opponent, and provides feedback to help you refine your guesses.

Mastermind can be a fun and challenging way to exercise your brain and improve your cognitive function.