Games

Online Games

Ever since I heard Tim Ferris interviewing Jane McGonigal on his podcast, I’ve been curious about online games. Ms. McGonigal is a brain scientist and she had a terrible head injury and ended up coming out of it SuperBetter! She created an app that helped her recover. She also talks a lot about how games can help us stay connected to our loved ones. That has led to me playing Words with Friends with family members and it’s true – I do feel more connected.

The other main online game I play is chess via chess.com. I’m always looking for new challenges and it’s also neat to play people I know – so, come find me @ https://www.chess.com/member/albertkaufman and we can play together. For 10-minute a-side games, I’m generally rated between 1350 and 1410 if that helps you decide whether or not you’d like to play.

There are many places to find new games, of course. Usually, I get recommendations from friends, but after playing a while I usually tire of the game, but some have stayed with me from my childhood. I grew up when pong first came out and I remember our family gathering around the TV to play and how amazed we were to be able to hit a ball back and forth and young children. I imagine even my parents were amazed and amused by pong.

A place I’ve gone looking for games is https://plays.org/games/. They have everything from silly games like one where you throw a banana at apes to lots more complex games. They also have games for children. I eventually have stumbled on a whole set of board games and found Battleship! It looks like you can find ways to play one another or against a computer opponent. I love the sound effects! I’ll have to go and see if they have some of my other childhood favorites like Risk, Stratego, and the Game of Real Life. So, if you’re headed out camping or to a beach house and are seeking ways to keep entertained but not through a TV, this looks like it could be a very useful site.

And now it’s time to get back to the game of my life! How to beat this 100-degree heat in Portland, Oregon. Part of me enjoys the loopy Summer heat, but I know I’ll have to figure out some ways to stay cool, too.  If you decide to jump in, enjoy the games – leave a comment if you find a game you want to play me in or even if you just find something interesting or notable.

Have a great Summer!

Albert

PS – Snakes and Ladders, anyone?

https://plays.org/battleship/

https://plays.org/battleship/

Yum, Cranium Crunches – a review

Cranium Crunches

So, for a little extra cash and because it sounded like a really fun assignment, I find myself reading about the founder of Cranium Crunches, Ruth Curran.  After I felt well-versed in where she’s going with this, I start checking out their various social media properties, listed below, because that’s where I tend to travel most. After a little feedback back to the company of some improvements they could make, I dive into a game. It’s this one, Match!

After playing just one round I find that my brain feels a little recharged. It’s funny, I’d just been writing recently that I want to be entertained less, and be more active in life, and this certainly feels like that result.

Next up I learn that one should practice brain fitness as much as possible and that they provide a new “everyday thing” that one can do on their fan page each week. Here is the most recent one I could find – part of the Find the Difference set of games. But this game is a little too difficult for me, and I’m also interested in a more active game to pick up my energy at 4:30 pm.  I still have some more work to do after this on a couple of projects!

Cranium Crunches: “It helps us feel as if we have a bit of control over what happens to our brains as we age.”  from an interview with Ruth Curran, Founder Cranium Crunches.

So, I try a scramble. Tough, but the way the game is designed, I’m looking forward to working on this one more.  It’s funny, in the next image I try to unscramble, my first thought is that I wish the picture were different – it’s a sky full of chem-trails.  And, I know some great photographers! So, perhaps there is an opportunity there.

More about the Games Page: “Brain games help fire pathways in the brain – keep the chemicals and electricity that nourish and fire the brain active and moving. There is so much research out there now to support the tangible benefits of playing a variety of games and working on a variety of skills. The unifying theme though is this: active brains not only age more slowly but injured brains can also heal, re-wire, and open new pathways through an activity.” from an interview with Ruth Curran, Founder Cranium Crunches.

Now they’ve got my Sesame Street side – “One of These Things is not like The Other” – OK, I’ll bite!  4:48…  Wow, that’s a tough one – and, I’d recommend having your screen set for the greatest brightness.  Again, I’m going to talk to the company about the photographs they’re using, but I live in paradise, so perhaps that’s part of my bias 🙂

If you’re looking to improve your brain or help someone you know this might be worth your time. I was about to say – “someone you know who is experiencing brain issues” but then I realized that it’s never too early to start a program like this.  I’ll probably update this blog posting as I learn more about the games and try them out more. Until then, happy thinking!

Cranium Crunches on Facebook
Twitter
A review by a professional writer!  

My current favorite game on the site. Memory Match

I wrote this blog post while participating in a campaign by BOOMboxNetwork.com on behalf of Cranium Crunches and received payment for my participation. All opinions stated within are my own.  Albert