The Brain Game Myth: Are We Really Getting Smarter? (June 2025) 

Brain games are taking the world by storm with promises of improved cognitive health and increased “brain power” or memory skills. Luminosity, for example, is one such booming cognitive app that has over 75 million users, and there are hundreds more like it. But how justified are these claims? Are brain games actually improving intelligence and cognitive performance? 

The idea of training the brain is nothing new; in fact, it dates back to the 1880s! One such early training was pelmanism, which claimed to improve mental efficiency and included the well-known card game Concentration as part of its regimen.1 Now, mental training is being modernized through the advent of digitalization, but this still raises the question of whether brain training is legitimate. 

A 2020 study investigating this question, published in International Psychogeriatrics, found that individuals above the age of 80 showed few improvements in cognitive thinking or memory after undergoing cognitive training or playing brain games, compared to the control group. This landmark study suggests that the effects of mental training and brain games do not provide statistically significant overarching cognitive benefits.2 

On the other hand, another study conducted between 2015 and 2016 regarding Luminosity found that the game had positive effects on cognitive functions in young adults. However, the game only improved performance in areas closely related to the game’s training domains, such as flexibility, attention, and speed.3 

The science behind why brain games and cognitive training make you feel smarter but have little to no cognitive effect can be understood through the concepts of near and far transfer. Near transfer tasks are tasks or challenges that involve applying learned skills or abilities to situations that are similar to the original learning context. On the other hand, far transfer tasks are those that include performing in a context different from the trained situation and involve more fluid intelligence.4 

When playing brain games, you may feel a gradual improvement in completing the tasks given to you because they rely on near-transfer tasks. So, these brain games improve your ability to fulfill tasks similar to the ones in the game, but they don’t truly improve your overall cognitive skills as they may advertise. And yet, a considerable portion of those who play brain games or participate in digital brain training feel themselves becoming “smarter” and have a high motivation to continue.  

Brain games may feel effective because they’re designed to keep users engaged through motivational feedback. They rely on intrinsic motivation, which is essentially internal motivation to pursue an activity for its own sake, without considering its rewards. Brain games exploit this by using simple phrases like “Well done!” accompanied by other encouragement to create a positive feedback loop. Users gain a sense of accomplishment and are more likely to continue playing and return to the game in the future.5

In conclusion, brain games provide cognitive benefits that are limited to the specific skills they introduce. Their long-term benefits are debatable, but through motivation loops and encouragement, they continue to capture the attention of today’s digital audiences. Next time you play a brain game or any game that claims to improve cognitive abilities, consider its inner workings! 

Sources:

1. Katz B, Shah P, Meyer DE. How to play 20 questions with nature and lose: Reflections on 100 years of brain-training research. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2018;115(40):9897-9904. doi:10.1073/pnas.1617102114

2. West RK, Rabin LA, Silverman JM, Moshier E, Sano M, Beeri MS. Short-term computerized cognitive training does not improve cognition compared to an active control in non-demented adults aged 80 years and above. International Psychogeriatrics. 2019;32(1):65-73. doi:10.1017/s1041610219000267 

3. Al-Thaqib A, Al-Sultan F, Al-Zahrani A, et al. Brain training games enhance cognitive function in healthy subjects. Medical Science Monitor Basic Research/Medical Science Monitor Basic Research. 2018;24:63-69. doi:10.12659/msmbr.909022

4. Traut HJ, Guild RM, Munakata Y. Why does cognitive training yield inconsistent benefits? A Meta-Analysis of individual differences in baseline cognitive abilities and training outcomes. Frontiers in Psychology. 2021;12. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.662139

5. Burgers C, Eden A, Van Engelenburg MD, Buningh S. How feedback boosts motivation and play in a brain-training game. Computers in Human Behavior. 2015;48:94-103. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.01.038