Every now and then it’s nice to play a game that really challenges you mentally. It could work out your linguistic skills, get those mental math motors moving, or fire up the logical side of your brain. If you’re the kind of person who considers yourself a bit of a brainiac, then you’ll probably find these kinds of games more stimulating than just about any others. Whilst you certainly have the mental capacity to think up some challenging games yourself, why put that hard-working brain to any unnecessary hard work when we can do that for you? These games when played all together will challenge just about every area of your brain, allowing you to show off just how intelligent you really are.
Card Games
Card games are always a popular choice with those who enjoy pursuits of the mind. It’s quite incredible that an object as simple as a deck of cards could be the foundation of so many challenging games. One of the simplest to pick up is Blackjack, this game involves collecting cards until you’re as close to 21 as possible, without your cards adding up to more than 21. It’s a straightforward concept, but endless fun. It also transcends languages which is part of the reason it is played in countries all over the world. Whether you’re in Thailand finding out about blackjack known as วิธีเล่นแบล็คแจ็ค, or Hungary asking hogyan kell blackjacket játszani, the answer will always be exactly the same. With that in mind, Asiabet has compiled a guide to Blackjack for Thai language speakers and included a selection of trusted casinos that offer this game too. If you’re looking for somewhere to practice this game before unleashing your skills on your friends then online casinos can be a good choice as they offer anonymity, competitive bonuses, and plenty of other card games too if you feel like a change.
Of course, blackjack isn’t the only card game that will challenge your brain a little. If you want to play alone then Solitaire is a great choice. This game can be played with a deck of cards, or any pre Windows 10 computer has a mini-game built into it, so you can play from your desktop. The rules are a little more complicated to learn than blackjack, but once you’ve got the hang of it this game can keep you entertained for hours.
Chess
Chess is traditionally the game that most people think of when they try to think of a game for the super intellectual. It stands to reason, it is still one of the only games that has a ranking system that is so well known. Whether you know a great deal about chess or not, you’ll have probably heard about how difficult it is to become a Grandmaster. These people are part of the highest echelon of the chess world, having achieved an ELO rating of at least 2500 at one point in their careers. Achieving this is incredibly difficult, only 1721 grandmasters exist in the world today.
If you’ve never played chess before but think that you might have what it takes to reach this level then a good place to start is by learning some opening moves. There are some great instructional videos on YouTube for those who like to watch and learn. These videos go into detail about why these openers work and how you can adapt them according to the moves of your opposition. Some people prefer to learn the old-fashioned way and there are thousands of chess books that you can pick up for very little money. Books are a great way to learn because you can make notes and refer to them throughout your studies. Chess really is a game for life-long learners, one where the logic and strategy involved will keep you playing forever.
Crosswords
Not everybody has an intelligence of the same kind, some people enjoy the logic, strategy, or numbers involved in certain games and others enjoy the words. Crosswords are great for any linguists who are looking to flex their language muscles. Depending on how much of a competitive person you are, you can complete them in any puzzle book, or online without the need to compete, or you can head to a newspaper or local magazine to see if you can complete them faster than anyone else to win a prize. There are different varieties of crosswords too, which rely on different language skills. Quick crosswords are great for beginners, the standard crosswords in the Sunday supplement will be a little more challenging and cryptic crosswords are a different thing altogether!