Not Only Fun: Unexpected Positive Effects of Daily Word Games

Scrabble was first introduced to the public in 1938, so you might think that word games have been a part of everyday life for almost a hundred years. That’s an impressive number - but it’s far from the truth.

Word puzzles were part of ancient Egyptian culture. They have often been found on the walls of tombs and temples. Archaeologists suggest that they were used to test the literacy skills of scribes, who were trained to solve these puzzles.

Later, the Greeks and Romans played games similar to modern-day crosswords and even Scrabble!

The popularity of various word games rose with the invention of the printing press. In 1913, for the first time in history, the crossword was printed in a newspaper.

What has made word games so attractive to people throughout the centuries? And what positive effects do word guessing games have on our mental and cognitive health? Let’s find out.

1. Sense of Achievement

Admit it - you love winning. Of course, the process of playing a game is fulfilling on its own, but nothing beats the sweet taste of victory! Why? Our mood largely depends on the hormones produced by our brain. Winning - even small achievements like guessing the correct word in Proximity- triggers the production of dopamine, also known as the “happiness hormone.” Dopamine, in turn, boosts our motivation and focus, helping us tackle everyday tasks. Playing a daily word-guessing game might even be a better way to start your morning than a cup of coffee.

2. Cognitive Abilities

Keeping your brain strong and agile is just as important as maintaining physical fitness in order to extend longevity. Research suggests that engaging in activities like Sudoku or similar puzzles is significantly associated with improved grammatical reasoning, spatial working memory, and episodic memory. Simply put, playing intellectually engaging games has a long-term positive impact on cognitive function.

3. Delaying Memory Decline

Unfortunately, there is no cure for dementia (as of yet), and thousands of people lose their loved ones to this disease each year. However, methods to slow its progression do exist, including medication, therapy, and diet. Surprisingly, research has found that intellectual activities like crossword puzzles can delay the onset of memory decline in the preclinical stages of dementia, possibly by improving cognitive reserve.

4. Social Connections

Playing daily word games online isn’t the same thing as gathering with friends to try a new board game or watch a good movie. But social gatherings aren’t always possible, especially during a workweek. On the other hand, laptops and cell phones are always accessible. Clevergoat allows you to create squads and compete with friends and family while playing your favorite word games. It’s one more topic to bond over!

5. Expanding Vocabulary

Regularly playing word games pushes your brain to work at full capacity! You must dig deep into the farthest corners of your brain’s library to find a word the perfect word for WordGrid or secure a win in Proximity. These mental exercises are especially beneficial for language learners. Word games are a fun way to expand your vocabulary and reinforce the words you already know.

6. Social Media Replacement

Social media addiction is no joke. According to reports from California State University, an estimated 10% of Americans are addicted to social media, spending hours scrolling, posting, and messaging. A great way to fight this habit is to replace it with something more productive and less time-consuming. Daily word games provide the same dose of dopamine while stimulating your brain - and they’re far less likely to consume hours of your time. Sounds like a win-win, doesn’t it?

7. Improved Grades

Playing CleverGoat games might not prepare you for your geography test or math exam, but, according to this Harvard article, playing word games have shown to improve scores on tests of attention, reasoning and memory. These are essential skills for academic success. Just remember to balance game time with actual studying - attention, reasoning and memory alone won’t help with lab reports or research papers!

We’re confident that there are even more reasons to play daily word games. The most important one? You love playing them! After all, you didn’t accidentally stumble upon the CleverGoat blog… So don’t waste your time here – go challenge your brain with a new Word game :)

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