Do strategy games make you smarter?

It is generally known that brain games have a positive influence on our thinking. However, other video games don’t need to hide either. In a 2019 study, scientists found that not only “official” brain games affect IQ, but games of all sorts of genres.

Real-Strategy Games

These findings, published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, suggest that real-strategy games (RTS) can cause long-term changes in the brain and lead to improvements in temporal visual selective attention.

For the study, 38 male League of Legends (LoL) players were surveyed, half were veterans and the other half were novices. They found that experienced LoL players performed better on this task than novices. Veterans identified targets more accurately and quickly, and devoted more cognitive attention resources to each target.

RTS requires players to concentrate hard and make quick decisions.

To win, they must react spontaneously to the enemy. This is in contrast to turn-based strategy titles, where you always have a lot of thinking time between your actions.

How video games affect our brains

In this video, you’ll find some more info on how our brains are affected by different games. Among other things, video games are said to be able to promote cognitive development such as sensitivity of contrasts, better eye-hand coordination and better memory.

In addition, strategy games may help increase the size and effectiveness of brain regions related to visuospatial thinking.

Another study found that strategy game players were better at making quick decisions in real time and correctly allocating brain resources in different environments. This skill is important for professions in a fast-paced environment to make quick decisions.

Conclusion

Computer games are not only fun, they can also have a positive impact on our thinking skills. But too much gaming can also lead to addictions and serious illnesses. But if you treat yourself to a good strategy game every now and then, you can certainly benefit from the positive effects.