Games can offer fun and learning opportunites all in one box. Sometimes the execution is done well, and sometimes it falls flat. Today we will take a look at a game trying to do this and see how it stacks up to the rest!
Brainwaves games are designed by Reiner Knizia. They are published by Thames and Kosmos with illustrations by Marc Margielsky and Bluguy Graphic Design. They are designed for 1-5 players for ages 8 and up.
Overview
Brainwaves games are designed to be played in 15 minutes to help train your brain. They have been tested by neuroscientists to test what parts of the brain are working and being stimulated from the game play-more on that later.
Gameplay and setup
The game comes with 25 Suspect cards, 6 Number cards, 5 Feature cards, 2 dice and 1 Notepad.
The game is setup with each player receiving a feature card to start. The Number cards are laid out in the middle of the table based on the difficulty level and the Suspect cards are placed shuffled in a face-down deck.
The tableau of number cards and face-up suspects is placed in the middle of the table and each player has about two minutes to study it. Each suspect has 3 specific features with 5 variations of those features. They include:
-Clothing Colors
-Clothing style/features
-Animals
All the cards are flipped face-down and the active player will roll both dice. The number die will be the specific suspect card and the feature die will show you which feature needs to be identified. Once the player gives their answer, they take the card and look at it. If they are right, they keep it in their points pile. If they are wrong, each other player going clockwise has a chance to guess and get the point.
A new card is then placed in the lineup and the game moves to the next player clockwise. When there are no more cards to draw, the game continues until a die rolls an empty space, indicating the end of the game. The game can also be played solo to try and get as many correct as they can. There is even a cooperative version where a team tries to guess together.
The science behind the game is interesting: Neuroscientists from the University of Ulm, Germany investigated the 3 Brainwaves games as part of a scientific study to see which brain functions are used or required by the games. The games were found to placed demands on the three brain functions examined: fluid intelligence, working memory and long-term memory. The study found that compared to other memory games the Brainwaves games require dynamic updates because the elements are constantly changing. The study found the playing these games help to train your memory.
Impressions:
Brainwaves brings an interesting approach to the world of memory games. No longer is static memory the driver here, but instead there are many factors changing and really challenging your memory throughout the game. The constant updates needed in what you recall provide an interesting challenge-this game is not easy! You really need to pay attention to what is going on and be able to recall things you saw turns ago or just the turn before.
That being said, it really feels more like mental challenge/exercise than a board game per sae. What I mean by that is that the game aspects such as scoring and rolling dice and declaring a winner are there but the challenge to my memory is very difficult and definitely what stands out. I don’t see this being the main drive of a game night or something people are constantly asking to replay.
But I will say that the memory training that this does is stellar. I find that the challenge to the categories the scientific study tested is spot-on. My short-term working memory is challenged, the fluid intelligence or reasoning is a big part and the long-term memory of trying to recall as best you can shines throughout.
So if you are looking for a challenging puzzle when it comes to training your brain, this is a great pickup for that. You and your fellow gamers will definitely be feeling the brain-burn on this one. The game aspects give you just enough challenge to move this away from a simple activity and one I would recommend for young and old alike.
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