Feeding my brain with games

My family and I are gamers to varying degrees, and among the games we play, board games are something we all enjoy. Our current focus is Pandemic, a cooperative game played over multiple sessions with the goal of saving the world. Next is Viticulture, a competitive game centered around running a winery. Lastly, there’s Wingspan, a competitive deck-building game. I’m the master of Wingspan, but not so much with the other two.

In our first game of Pandemic, we lost and allowed a terrible disease to spread across the planet. Despite hours of teamwork, we were defeated in a tense and stressful ending, powerless to stop the outbreak. While it was a fun experience, it was also incredibly challenging. Since then, we’ve played the game three more times and won each time—proving that we learned from our initial failure.

We also enjoy escape rooms, which are immersive gaming experiences. So far, we’ve completed six this year. The Weeping Witch is our favorite room, and The Playground was our favorite experience. We’ve also started playing a virtual escape room called Escape Simulator. It’s challenging and fun—I think eight hours of my life disappeared after starting the game last Sunday. My wife and I play well as a team, so I don’t feel too bad about spending virtual time with her.

Video games are another outlet for me. I’m a bit old-school in this area, still enjoying Team Fortress II and Counter-Strike, but I also play other types of games, like the excellent deck builder Balatro. Like Escape Simulator, Balatro has a way of making time fly. I recently started a game on a hard level, and when I looked up, two hours had flown by. I highly recommend Balatro— I dare you to complete its puzzles.

Gameplay in aging adults is a concern for me now that I’ve retired. Fortunately, plenty of scientific studies show a link between gaming and maintaining a healthy brain. One technique I’ve picked up is to move outside your gaming comfort zone. I recently added The New York Times’ puzzles Connections and the Crossword Mini to my routine, trying to play each day. I’m hit and miss with Connections so far, but The Mini is easy. Even though I dread the thought of a full crossword puzzle, I intend to step up within the next week. I’ll add a few more puzzle types as well.

What do you do to keep your mind sharp and healthy? Are there any games that you recommend?