what games help critical thinking

10 Team-Building Games That Promote Critical Thinking

Students may improve their capabilities in critical thinking and other skills that will help them be successful in the contemporary job by participating in Team-building games for critical thinking. Students who value collaboration (and who will go on to become employers!) have higher levels of motivation and creativity.

It is common knowledge that kids like collaborating in groups very lot. Why don’t we make it into a game instead? Games are often a better option than brain training activities for helping children develop lateral thinking. However, brain training activities may be employed. Implementing these strategies in your classes can help students become more critical thinkers and more successful collaborators.

Here are 10 Team-Building Games That Promote Critical Thinking;

1. minefield.

Minefield Team-building games for critical thinking is a time-honored exercise that has been shown to foster better communication and a sense of trust among participants of all ages. It requires the construction of an obstacle course as well as the grouping of the students into different teams. Students take turns navigating the “minefield” while wearing blindfolds and relying only on the support of their classmates to find their way. You might also encourage kids to use certain terms or hints in order to make it more challenging for them or to utilize information that is related to the topic in order to make it more interesting to them.

2. If You Build it

This exercise in establishing teams may easily be adapted to fit your needs. To get started, separate the children into teams and give each group an equal quantity of a certain substance. Some examples of this material are pipe cleaners, bricks, dried spaghetti, and marshmallows.

After that, you should assign them a project to work on. The challenge may take on a variety of forms, such as “which team can build the biggest castle that is also structurally sound?” Which side has the capacity to build the greatest number of castles in the least period of time? You may recycle this exercise throughout the year by modifying the challenge or the resources to correspond to other subject areas in the curriculum.

3. It’s a Mystery

Since many children, especially younger ones, like a good mystery, why not challenge them to solve it in a way that encourages them to collaborate with one another? It would be helpful to offer each child a numbered clue. The youngsters need to cooperate in order to find the answers to the clues in order to allow themselves enough time to solve the mystery, such as the case of the missing mascot. It’s possible that in order to solve the “case,” they’ll need to go about the room and look in other areas for additional clues.

Zoom team-building games for critical thinking is an old standby when it comes to games for constructing teams, and the many advantages that come with playing the game make it even more interesting. The children are seated in a circle, and one child gives each child an image of an item from Zoom.

The game begins with one child relating a story based on the image that they are holding, and the next student continues the story from where the previous student left off. The game helps youngsters improve their creativity, critical thinking, and communication abilities by compelling them to create the tales on the spot and challenging them to think critically about what they’ve written.

5. Save the Egg

During this team-building games for critical thinking, each team of three or four persons will have the opportunity to drop their egg from a certain height. They need to devise strategies that will prevent the egg from cracking while it is in the air. They are free to use whatever items or apparatus of their choosing to effect a soft landing for the egg or to guarantee that it settles in an unharmed state.

Because this one has the potential to get ugly, it is essential to choose a site that is risk-free and where no one will be worried about hurting valuable school property.

6. marshmallows-game

7. Go for Gold

The teams compete to achieve the same objective in this Team-building games for critical thinking, which is similar to the game “If you create it,” but rather than having the same resources, the teams have access to a huge quantity. For instance, the objective may be to construct, consisting of pipes, rubber tubing, and cardboard, a machine that, with the only assistance of gravity, can move a marble from point A to point B in a certain number of stages.

Although learning through textbooks is essential, teachers also have a responsibility to ensure that pupils can interact effectively with one another. Exercises that focus on fostering a sense of teamwork are an effective way to do this, and there is no sign that this fad will ever die out.

8. Keep it Real

Because it is founded on a straightforward concept that encourages conversation and problem-solving, this open-ended model functions as an efficient examination tool for students. Give the students the mission to identify and address a genuine issue that exists in their own schools or communities. For the purpose of assisting youngsters in defining their own boundaries, some restrictions, such as time limits, material limits, and physical limitations, might be put on them.

9. Shrinking Vessel

Critical thinking may be tough to understand after undergoing brain training, but after participating in exciting Team-building games for critical thinking like the shrinking vessel, it quickly becomes second nature. The participants will first be split up into smaller groups to begin the exercise. Every group is going to have to coordinate their efforts so that they can fit into a smaller and smaller area until there is no more room. Cones or a rope might be used to define the perimeter of the area. Playing this game will teach you how to collaborate with others to find solutions to challenges.

10. The Worst-Case Scenario

Students are split up into two or more groups, and each of those groups is given a tough scenario to solve. Some examples of these scenarios include being abandoned on a barren island or becoming lost at sea. They are then given the instruction to collaborate with one another within their teams in order to find a solution to the challenge and ultimately emerge triumphant. The children have to come up with a strategy in order to guarantee that everyone will live through the worst-case scenario.

In this particular situation, the students may be quizzed about the things that they will need in order to do the task, in addition to any other passages that they may come across. The fact that youngsters are required to cooperate with one another helps in the development of their ability to solve problems and teaches them the importance of working together as a team through Team-building games for critical thinking.

Bottom line

To achieve the highest productivity at work, Team-building games for critical thinking are conducted in distinct corporate games. However, these games can boost efficiency in the study if undertaken in a classroom atmosphere. They help students to break the monotony in the learning environment. We hope our blog helped you to get new ideas regarding Team-building games for critical thinking. You can implement them in your next session within the classroom.

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7 Puzzles to Challenge Your Critical Thinking

Can you spot the connections and sort these items.

Posted March 5, 2015 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

The theme of this post is critical thinking—and the kinds of puzzles that can be constructed around it. This term is used frequently in psychology and education . There are various definitions, but the one that best suits our purpose and which is, in the end, perhaps the best, is the ability to comprehend the logical connections among ideas, words, phrases, and concepts . In the relevant scientific literature, of course, the term is used much more broadly as a framework for understanding human cognition . But in my opinion, the best way to understand things is to construct puzzles to illustrate their basic essence.

Critical thinking involves skill at recognizing a pattern in given information and especially recognizing how the information is connected to the real world. Here are a couple of very simple examples. First, consider the five words below:

• Cruise ship
• Walking on foot
• Automobile (not a race car)

Now, put them in order from the slowest to the fastest, when they are going at maximum speed. The solution, of course, is: 4-2-5-1-3.

As with all such puzzles, there might be slightly different solutions—one could claim that some automobiles go faster than cruise ships. This “indeterminacy” characterizes this kind of thinking. However, some puzzles are straightforward. For instance, what do the following five things have in common?

The answer? These are all words referring to shades of blue.

The seven puzzles below are to the ones above, though hopefully more challenging. Some involve knowledge of facts, but critical thinking is still involved in such cases because the organization of the facts according to some principle is always involved—for example, a puzzle may ask you to put five items in order of their dates of invention.

The following tongue-in-cheek definition of critical thinking by Richard W. Paul, a leading expert on critical thinking theory, says it all: “Critical thinking is thinking about your thinking while you’re thinking in order to make your thinking better.”

I. What do the following 5 things have in common?

• Orange juice

II. Put the following buildings or structures in order of height, from the shortest to the tallest.

• Typical camping tent

III. What do the following animals have in common?

IV. Put the following inventions in order from earliest to most recent.

V. What feature do the following words have in common?

• Imagination

VI. Put these bodies of water in order in terms of volume, from smallest to largest .

VII. What do the following landmasses have in common?

I. They are all drinkable liquids. II. 5-1-4-3-2 III. They all have a tail. They are also all quadrupeds. IV. To the best of my knowledge: 5-4-3-1-2 V. They start with a vowel: a, e, i, o, u VI. 4-2-1-5-3 VII. They are all peninsulas.

Marcel Danesi, Ph.D. , is a professor of semiotics and anthropology at Victoria College, University of Toronto. His books include The Puzzle Instinct and The Total Brain Workout .

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Problem Solving Games, Activities & Exercises for Adults

Here is our list of the best problem solving games, activities and exercises for adults.

Problem solving games are activities that require players to use critical thinking skills to solve puzzles. Example activities include escape rooms, Sudoku, and murder mysteries. The purpose of these exercises is to sharpen reasoning and decision-making skills in group settings and to do team building with employees.

These activities are a subset of remote team games , found in problem solving books , and are similar to team puzzles , team building brain teasers and team riddles .

This article contains:

• team building problem solving activities for employees
• free problem solving games for adults
• virtual problem solving activities for students
• group problem solving activities
• problem solving team builders

Here we go!

List of problem solving games & activities

From word and number puzzles to role-playing games, here is a list of inexpensive and free problem solving team builders that help groups practice the art of critical thinking and compromise.

1. Espionage! (Team Favorite)

For an exciting game of social deduction, check out Espionage! This thrilling experience will put your team’s wits and instincts to the test.

Espionage! offers the following:

• a 90-minute session led by an experienced host
• undercover teams of agents and spies
• challenging puzzles, tasks, and maneuvers
• team conversations to help uncover secret identities

The best part is we will bring all the necessary game materials to your preferred location. If you are interested in boosting communication and critical-thinking skills within your team, then consider Espionage!

Learn more about Espionage!

2. Art Heist: The Vanishing of Van Gogh (Hosted)

You can turn your team into skilled detectives with Art Heist: The Vanishing of Van Gogh! In this captivating mystery, participants will locate the stolen artwork, The Bedroom .

Key features of this experience include:

• a 90-minute adventure led by a world-class host
• detailed puzzles, clues, and mysteries to unravel
• trails of evidence and hidden secrets
• group discussions to find the art

Additionally, you can include a cocktail kit to spice up your event. Through Art Heist, you will enhance your team’s ingenuity and problem-solving skills!

Learn more about Art Heist: The Vanishing of Van Gogh .

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• icebreaker games
• bingo cards

3. War of the Wizards (Popular)

With War of the Wizards, teams roleplay as minions of powerful wizards to vanquish forces of evil. Participants will play thrilling games and go on a quest to restore harmony to the realm!

War of the Wizards offers the following:

• a 90-minute journey guided by a distinguished host
• immersive storytelling that transports players into a magical realm
• engaging activities like world-building, role-playing games, and storytelling
• opportunities for forming alliances, facing challenges, and going on quests

Through the power of imagination and teamwork, your team can overcome tasks and participate in an epic fantasy battle. To improve communication and bonds, include War of the Wizards in your agenda!

Learn more about War of the Wizards .

Sudoku is one of the most popular free problem solving games for adults. The objective of this game is to fill each box of a 9×9 grid so that every row, column, and letter contains each number from one to nine. The puzzle makes a great team challenge. To play Sudoku on Zoom, screen share the game board. Then, turn on the annotation features. Using the add text functions, participants can fill in the numbers on the grid.

We made a starter puzzle you can use in your next meeting or virtual team bonding session:

Here are more online Sudoku puzzles .

5. Crossword puzzles

Crossword puzzles are word games that ask players to fill in words based on clues. Words interconnect, and players must think critically about the surrounding words to select the right phrase for the space.

You can use an online crossword puzzle maker to create a custom puzzle. Here are a few themes you may want to consider:

• teammates’ tastes and interests
• company knowledge and history
• industry terms and trends

Or, create a miscellaneous puzzle just for fun.

We made a sample puzzle you can use for your game:

To complete puzzles during online meetings, you can use the share screen function and add text through annotations.

Or, subscribers can play the New York Times’ daily crossword puzzle virtually . Dictionary.com also offers a free daily online crossword puzzle .

Check out more vocabulary games .

6. Online Escape Rooms

Escape rooms are timed games that get groups working together to solve puzzles. Traditionally, players enter a locked room and must complete all puzzles in an hour or two to unlock the door. However, groups can also play escape rooms online.

Digital escape rooms typically come in one of two forms: in a Zoom room and led by a host, or in a choose-your-own adventure format via Google Forms or websites. To play escape rooms virtually, enter a video meeting and follow the prompts, or screen share the Google Form and work out the puzzles together.

Check out our full list of online escape rooms .

7. Murder Mysteries

Murder Mysteries are story-based games that ask players to take on the roles of suspects or detectives while trying to identify a killer. These games often involve reading lines from a script, searching for clues, and occasionally solving puzzles to get hints.

These games make participants pay attention to conversations, analyze other characters’ behavior, and search for hidden meaning in the script. Players must use their powers of observation and logic to unravel the mystery.

Check out our list of Zoom murder mystery games .

8. Treasure Hunts

Treasure hunts are scavenger hunts with intention. While virtual scavenger hunts often ask players to collect random items, treasure hunts require participants to locate clues that lead to other prompts and hints. The game typically ends with players finding a treasure or solving a mystery, sometimes both.

The treasure hunt can have a specific theme such as secret agent missions or a hunt for pirate treasure, or you can run a more general hunt. Teammates can either compete simultaneously via Zoom call, or can play the hunt on an app individually and compete to beat each other’s scores.

Check out our list of treasure hunt apps .

9. Poem or story challenge

Most team building problem solving activities for employees revolve around science, math, and logic. Poem/story challenges rely on writing skills and are sure to appeal to the language lovers on your team.

Each player receives a limited word bank to use to create a story or poem. Then, players have a few minutes to craft their pieces. Afterward, everyone reads out or screen shares their creations.

Here are a few word challenge activities you can do remotely:

• Found poems or stories : Participants make poems or stories out of words they find by visiting websites, searching emails, glancing out the window, or taking a walk or drive around the neighborhood.
• Random word generators : Teammates use a random word generator to populate a word bank, and must use each word in the poem or story.
• Poetry magnets : Group members make poems using poetry magnets. You can send poetry magnet sets to employees and assemble the verses on a cookie pan during a Zoom call. Or, teammates can play with poetry magnets online .
• Page poems: Participants receive one page of a book or magazine, and must make a poem or story by blocking out other words so only the chosen text remains visible. This activity is part storytelling, part art, since story crafters can illustrate the pages as part of the design.
• Ransom note stories or poems : Players cut out letters from magazines and must form new words to make poems and stories. Or, players can receive a mix of random letters, form words, and run the text through a ransom note generator .

These activities are suitable for teams and individual players.

10. Moral challenge

Some problems are ethical rather than factual. Moral judgment plays just as important a role in the decision-making process as technical prowess. Players can flex their moral problem-solving skills by tackling ethical dilemmas or social puzzles.

Here are some social problem solving games online:

• Moral machine
• Scruples – the game of moral dilemmas
• Morality play

To play these games, either download the apps, or pull up the website and then screen share the prompts. These games are best played when discussed as a group, because the more belief systems and opinions, the harder an issue is to resolve. These exercises provide practice for real-life conflict resolution.

You can find similar challenges on our list of online personality tests .

11. Frostbite

Frostbite is a group game that hones team leaders’ communication skills while sharpening teammates’ listening and cooperation skills. The premise behind the game is that a group of explorers gets caught in a snowstorm and must build a shelter. Frostbite has paralyzed the leaders’ hands and snow-blinded the rest of the team. The leader must give the team instructions to build a tent that can resist arctic winds.

To play Frostbite, each teammate wears a blindfold. Then, the leader gives directions. Once the structures are complete, players turn on a fan to test whether tents can withstand the wind.

Frostbite is usually an in-person game, however you can also play virtually. In the remote version of the game, teammates construct tents out of cards and tape, while the leader surveys the scene on screen.

This exercise demonstrates the challenges of leading remotely, as teams need to operate with minimal oversight or supervisor observation. Therefore, instructions need to be clear and direct to be effective.

Check out more team building games .

12. Virtual Hackathons

Hackathons are events where participants have a set amount of time to design and pitch a new product or solution. This type of event originated in the programming world and is often used to create new apps, however you can apply the game to any industry or school subject.

Virtual hackathons are online versions of the event. Teams enter the competition, then work with each other via virtual meeting software or remote work communication platforms to design the solution. At the end of the competition, teams pitch ideas to a panel of judges and a winner is decided.

To run a virtual hackathon, first announce the theme of the event and collect sign-ups. So that no teams work ahead, hint at the general idea of the issue, and only explain the precise problem when the event begins. Then, give teams anywhere from a few hours to a few days to complete the project.

Discover more virtual hackathon ideas .

13. Improv games

Improv games are excellent problem solving activities. These exercises force participants to think and respond quickly to keep scenes moving in a logical and entertaining way.

Here are some good problem solving improv games:

Banned words : Performers cannot say certain words. Scene partners will conceive of situations that encourage the actors to use those words, and the actors must find alternatives, such as using synonyms or taking the scene in a new direction.

Scenes from a chat : Audience gives a suggestion for a scene, and players act the scene out. Though it’s a fictional and often ridiculous scenario, actors must react to the situation and solve the problem in order for the scene to end.

Miracle cure : Miracle cure is a quick-moving exercise that follows a simple format. One player declares, “I have a problem.” Another player responds, “I have a….[random object.]” The first player then replies, “great! I can use the [random object] to….” and describes how they will solve the problem.

Check out more problem-solving improv games .

14. Spaghetti Tower

The spaghetti tower is a classic team building game. Participants gather uncooked spaghetti and marshmallows, and must construct the tallest freestanding tower.

During the in-person version, players must construct one tall freestanding tower. However, for the virtual version of the game, players construct individual towers. You can send groups to breakout rooms for the build, then reconvene in the main room for judging. Teams are judged on three main factors: number of towers, height, and uniformity.

This version of the game not only tests the structural integrity of the tower, but also consistency and quality control. This exercise teaches teams to align and collaborate remotely, and produce a consistent product even when far apart.

15. What Would You Do?

What Would You Do? is a simple situational game that challenges participants to react to different circumstances. To play this game, read prompts one by one, and then ask participants to respond with gameplans. You can use the polling or raise hand feature to vote for the best option.

Here are some problem solving scenarios for adults or kids to use in the game:

• Zombies attack and you have to find a place to hide.
• You are at the zoo and the animals escape. Which one do you try to corral back into the pen first?
• After waiting in line for hours, someone cuts in front of you last minute. The person appears to be visually and hearing impaired, and doesn’t notice your protests. An official announces that due to diminishing supply, this individual will be the last in line to be served.
• You are eating a meal with important clients and/or your partner’s parents, and you want to impress. The individuals make you a dish that does not fit within your dietary restrictions, but you do not speak the same language and cannot explain why you do not want to eat.
• An imposter has infiltrated the organization, who looks, speaks, and behaves exactly like you. How do you convince your peers that you are the original?

For similar dilemmas, check out this list of Would You Rather? questions.

16. Desert Island Survival

Desert Island Survival is a game that challenges players to prioritize. The premise is that players have been stranded on an island, and must decide what order to perform survival steps.

Here are the possible actions:

• Set up shelter
• Explore the island
• Try to signal for help
• Make weapons for self-defense
• Build a raft to escape the island
• Start a fire
• Choose a group leader
• Search for other survivors

All group members must agree on the order of the steps. Players should explain the reasoning for the order of each step while ranking the actions.

Another version of the game involves players receiving a list of 15 to 20 items, and selecting five or so to bring to the island. You can also vary the location of the game, substituting remote islands for destinations like outer space or the distant past.

17. Choose Your Own Adventure

Choose Your Own Adventure stories enable readers to determine the outcome of the story by making decisions. Each action has a consequence that takes the tale in a different direction. Participants can try to guess how the story may unfold by talking through the different choices. When completing the activity in a group setting, the majority of the team must agree on an action before moving forward in the story.

There are a few ways to facilitate these activities online:

• Play an online role playing video game
• Watch an interactive movie like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
• Read from a Choose Your Own Adventure book on Zoom
• Click through a Choose Your Own Adventure platform
• Create your own story using a Google Form

Whichever way you choose to do the exercise, you can use the screen share feature in your virtual meeting software so that listeners can more easily follow along.

18. MacGyver

MacGyver is a show where the hero escapes sticky situations by improvising tools out of unlikely materials. For example, in one episode the hero makes a telescope out of a newspaper, magnifying lens, and a watch crystal.

To play MacGyver, you can either list three to five objects participants can use, or challenge players to use items that are within arms reach.

Simply state a desired end result, such as “a way to open a locked door,” or “a getaway vehicle,” and then ask teams to explain what they will build and how they will build it. To make the activity more collaborative, you can give teams five or ten minutes in breakout rooms to strategize and design a prototype.

19. Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a roleplaying game where players pretend to be magical figures and creatures. One player serves as the dungeon master, who guides the game, while the other players pick characters and make decisions to move the story forward. Upon choosing a course of action, players roll a twenty-sided die to determine whether or not the plan succeeds. The game is story-based, the possibilities are nearly limitless, and truly creative problem solving options arise. Also, since gameplay is mostly verbal, Dungeons & Dragons is an easy activity to do over Zoom.

Here are the basic rules for Dungeons & Dragons .

20. Pandemic

Pandemic is a game that pits players against the forces of nature in a race to contain and control disease outbreaks. At the beginning of the game, each player receives a role such as containment specialist or operations expert. Participants must carry out the duties of their roles by choosing appropriate actions. Pandemic is a great game for groups because each team member has a clear part to play, and players must collaborate and work together instead of competing against each other.

To play the game online, you can use a Pandemic game app , or talk through the exercise while one attendee moves and displays pieces on the board.

Note: The subject of this game might hit too close to home for some players, considering recent history. You can find games with similar mechanics that deal with different subject matter, such as Forbidden Island.

Check out more team building board games .

21. Model UN

Model UN is one of the best virtual problem solving activities for students. This exercise casts participants in the role of international diplomats who must negotiate to solve realistic problems. Each player assumes the role of a country ambassador and must form alliances and propose solutions to solve crises.

Here are some sample Model UN scenarios:

• Human rights violation by powerful country
• Food shortage
• Disease epidemic
• Technology privacy violations
• Civil war branching into surrounding countries
• Natural disasters

Depending on the size of the group, participants either take on the part of an entire government of a country, or play a certain role within the government. To carry out the activity on Zoom, players can take turns giving speeches, message other countries privately via the chat, meet in breakout rooms to form alliances or have more intimate discussions, and use the polling feature to vote on propositions.

If politics does not resonate with your group, then you can alter the exercise by applying the same activity structure to a different theme, such as the Justice League, movie characters, business board members, or reality TV stars.

The main purpose of the exercise is to research, talk through problems, and compromise. As long as these elements are present, then the specifics of the setup do not matter.

There are many types of problem solving activities for adults. You can do online problem solving games, which require a different skill set than in-person problem solving. For instance, communication must be much clearer and more abundant when group members are far apart and unable to demonstrate or pick up physical cues.

Though many problem solving games include props and in-person elements, there are many games you can play together online. These exercises work well as educational tools as well as team bonding accelerators. Upon completion, participants are likely to feel a sense of accomplishment and increased confidence. These games are also great practice for real life conflict resolution, creative thinking and team building.

Next check out this list of connection games , this collection of crime-solving games , and this post with conflict resolution games .

We also have a list of the best decision making books and a list of team building problems for work .

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FAQ: Problem solving activities

Here are common answers to questions about group problem solving activities.

What are problem solving games?

Problem solving games are challenges that ask players to think critically and use logic to overcome issues or answer riddles. Examples include sudoku, murder mysteries, and spaghetti towers. These games are also known as “problem solving exercises”, “problem and solution games” and “group problem solving activities.”

What are the best problem solving games for groups?

The best problem solving games for groups include online escape rooms, moral challenges, and improv games.

What are some good problem solving team building activities for students?

Some good problem solving activities for students include crossword puzzles, choose your own adventure stories, and model UN.

How do you play problem solving games online?

The best way to play problem solving games online is to join a video call meeting to talk through the issue. Using the screen sharing and digital whiteboard features helps participants visualize the problem more clearly. Breakout rooms give teams the chance to discuss the issue more intimately.

Author: Angela Robinson

Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com. Team building content expert. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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10 Engaging Online Games To Test Your Critical Thinking Skills

Last Updated on October 4, 2023 by Editorial Team

To define it in very simple terms, critical thinking refers to the overall analysis of all the facts and figures you have at your disposal and using them in an organized way to make a judgment or a decision.  There are a lot of interactive ways that can help develop your critical thinking abilities. However, what better way to do it than playing games and having fun? 

Conventional learning methods mainly demand a longer attention span which is at times difficult for young individuals. In such cases, using online games to ace the skill can be a wise choice. This post includes a list of ten online critical thinking games to develop critical thinking skills while keeping you focused and occupied in learning new things.  

Online games to improve your critical thinking ability

Various game developers have launched games that require the player to use their deep critical thinking skills in order to play and win. From matching numbers to presenting the player with real-life situations, these online critical thinking games come in myriad forms. 

1. Spent 

The first game on the list is Spent, based on the concept of budgeting and the various challenges one has to face in day-to-day life. While playing the game, the player will face multiple difficult scenarios and has to make crucial decisions that will directly impact their income (in the game). The kind of problems and challenges that you will face while playing the game include:

• Issues related to your health concern
• Getting correctly educated
• Trying your best to provide the basic amenities for the members of your family

This game will get one’s mind racing as it requires making quick and critical decisions that will have an impact on the growth of the decision-making process. This game plays with planning, summarizing, decision-making, and information-synthesizing skills. In addition, they get to learn about poverty, unemployment, the Affordable Care Act, etc.  

2. Air Traffic Controller Game 

As the name might suggest, the air traffic controller is an online simulation game that lets a player direct and guide various aircraft on the ground, on runways, and via the medium of controlled airspace. The main purposes of the game are to manage a popular airport, ensure there are no delays in the landing or the take-off process, and see to it that there are no collisions. 

In short, the player is responsible for maintaining the air traffic of that particular airport. In addition, the game also offers three levels of difficulty. At level one or Gate 1, the player needs to manage one airstrip where the difficulty level is very low. Once they are comfortable with the first one, they can move on to the second and third levels to stimulate their critical thinking skills. 

3. Sudoku 

Sudoku is a familiar and common game. The game is based on the concepts of basic logical thinking and a combinational number placement puzzle where a player needs to fill a 9×9 grid with digits ranging from 1 to 9. But the catch is that they need to fill in the blanks so that all of the columns, rows, and nine 3×3 subblocks present within the 9×9 grid contain all the digits, as mentioned earlier. 

For example, if a player places ‘1’ in the first block of the first row, they cannot put it anywhere in that row and column again. They must use numbers 2-9 to complete that specific row and column. The game (or puzzle) requires one to stimulate their brain in a manner that involves their critical thinking skills and enables them to think logically while taking aid from numerical skills. 

4. Good Game Empire

Similar to various other RPG and strategy games you will find online, Good Game Empire is based on an MMO strategy style, and the setting of the game is in Medieval times. The central theme of this game is that you need to build a thriving empire worldwide.

But, you will start the game with only a castle to your name, and you have to develop and make your empire strategically and fight opposing nations. This game pushes you to think critically and expand your strategic ideals to the best extent to make your empire spread throughout the world. The game will also offer you various choices from which you would need to select the option that works the best for you. 

5. Chess 

Chess is one of the board games played across the globe that requires analytical skills . There are always two players in this game, and the primary objective of the game is to capture the opponent’s king. However, it is not as simple as it sounds. White and black checkered board (64 squares) with different pieces (each piece symbolizes different positions like King, Rook, Bishop, Queen, Pawn, and Knight) arranged on it in specific positions- this is what a player gets on the screen while they choose to play chess. They can move one piece at a time, and each piece has a set pattern of movements that they must follow. 

The same applies to the opponent too. Using specially designed and designated moves, the players are supposed to check their opponents (also known as Checkmate) and capture their king to win the game. It needs the players to practice critical thinking, for one cannot randomly move pieces and win the game. Well-calculated moves and timely yet quick decisions are what they need. Thus, chess highly stimulates the players’ brains, allowing them to think critically.  

6. Minecraft 

The objective of the game is to freely explore the Minecraft world, explore infinite possibilities, and create new setups. Starting from building a block to making an entire city as they see fit, one can do it all in this game. This game allows you to freely exercise your imaginative and creative side of the brain. 

The game is an ideal option for students to practice math concepts and give them the experience of how those concepts are used in our day-to-day lives. Players critically analyze situations and draw conclusions all the while building and planning the entire city. The game not only offers the experience of endless fun but also helps individuals to use and practice their critical thinking abilities.

7. Brainstorm 

Critical thinking is all about making decisions based on analytical observation and this game allows individuals to brainstorm and find answers to challenging questions. In this game, the players need to answer questions that come on the screen by choosing the correct answer from the given options. The game starts from a basic level named “Newborn.” Answering all questions enables the player to move to the next level. For example, this Newborn level has 18 questions. 

A maximum of four players can join and compete with each other to complete small tasks and objectives ahead of every other player. The players would need to push their brains to their limits which means that this game will stimulate their brains and let them exercise critical thinking skills. In addition, this will allow them to improve their decision-making process. 

8. 2048 game

2048 is a sliding puzzle video game where the primary objective is to slide the numbered tiles within the puzzle setting until the players have combined them to form a tile with the number 2048.  Even though it sounds easy, the game requires one to think before moving a single tile as it could determine the outcome. One needs to actively think of the moves ahead of making to ensure a proper flow of movements. This game is ideal for stimulating one’s brain and keeping it on its toes. 

9. Unolingo 

Unolingo is an online crossword puzzle game where you need to fill in a 10×10 puzzle box. The player needs to fill the boxes by placing the words and letters precisely and completing the puzzle. Unlike a regular crossword puzzle, there are no clues as to which letter the player should put in to make a complete word. 

They can ask for a hint but that will add 30 seconds to the elapsed time. Clicking on the “Solve” tab will show the solved puzzle. This game requires the players to think more critically and stimulate their brains further. It is a fun alternative to regular crossword puzzles and will keep a player occupied for longer as they have to think more critically as to what letter to put and what word to make. 

10. Tangram puzzle 

The Tangram puzzle is a fun game that helps one to exercise their brain. There are seven geometrical shapes in the game. Each level comes with a diagram where the players need to position the shapes such that it matches the diagram. There is a provision to rotate the shapes and place them wherever the player sees fit. 

There will be 25 puzzles to solve with these seven shapes.  The faster the player solves the puzzle, the faster they get access to the next puzzle. It requires creative and critical thinking for they have to recognize which shape will fit which part of the puzzle. Also, how to rotate it to match the puzzle needs deep thinking. It pushes the player to think creatively and use their critical thinking skills.

Critical thinking refers to understanding a piece of information, analyzing it, applying it to practical application, combining the information with other prior knowledge to draw conclusions, etc. Critical thinking is essential in all aspects of life, personal or professional.

These online games can help an individual use them in practical scenarios and draw effective conclusions. The games mentioned above help one to think critically and also to keep their brain active by stimulating it to its limit. These enjoyable games will keep a player occupied for longer, allowing them to explore and learn new things freely.

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of  Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

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Games That Help Kids Think Critically

When gamers pick up a controller, they're frequently placed in the role of the hero or the protagonist that always wins. But that doesn't always challenge them to think critically or examine all sides of a situation rationally. In fact, what can help some incredible games and apps stand out from other titles is that they don't simply ask kids for RIGHT or WRONG answers. Instead, they encourage them to experiment and consider the shades of gray in problems. Players interested in testing their emotional responses may want to check out our list of the Best Empathy Games, Apps, and Websites as well.

Tozzle - Toddler's favorite puzzle

Drag-and-drop shape puzzles made especially for toddlers.

Montessori Geometry - Recognize and learn shapes

Amazing starter geometry app is fun and comprehensive.

BoxBoy! + BoxGirl!

Think outside the box with this charming, fun puzzler.

Solve and create puzzles that gush with STEM learning.

Super Mario Maker 2

Fun, accessible editing tools expose kids to game design.

The Last Campfire

Utterly charming, brilliantly made puzzle game.

Mass transit simulator is simple, marvelous, hard to master.

Mystery Math Town

Great math practice with fun story, entertaining characters.

Savings Spree

Kids learn financial literacy through game-show action.

Co-op puzzler is violence-free and promotes teamwork.

BrainPOP Featured Movie

Daily films from educational group provide tons of learning.

Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics

Collection of classics promotes friendly social experiences.

Office-themed puzzler rewards creative and logical thinking.

Lumines Remastered

Classic puzzle game buzzes with new immersive play feature.

Maggie's Earth Adventures

Save the planet with these terrific learning activities.

Fun co-op sim is appropriate for all ages, skill levels.

Clever pinball-esque puzzler has a bit of mild combat.

The Path of Motus

Adventure tackles bullying with positivity and mild combat.

Untitled Goose Game

Don't let your goose get cooked in feathered fun puzzler.

Journey to explore big questions only gets you so far.

Other great lists from our editors

• Learning Tools for Out-of-the-Box Thinkers
• Apps and Websites with Lots of Problem-Solving
• Free Educational Apps, Games, and Websites
• Here's the Secret to Raising a Safe, Smart Kid
• How to Raise a Lifelong Learner

5 Games for Building Critical Thinking Skills

• alfordabby's Blog

Games can be more than just a fun way to pass time; they can stimulate your brain and help you develop critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is the ability to examine information rationally and make a logical judgment based on your analysis. Critical thinking skills help us solve problems, make good decisions, and understand the consequences of our actions.

In this blog, we discuss five of our favorite games to improve critical thinking skills and sharpen the mind.

Chess is the most widely played board game of all time. Your goal in chess is to get a checkmate by getting your opponent’s king into a position where it can be captured and cannot be freed by your opponent’s next move. To win, you must use critical thinking and problem-solving skills to decide which pieces to move to yield the best results on the board.

Chess is all about thinking strategically, anticipating consequences, weighing options, and making strategic decisions. If you want to beat your opponent, you’ve got to get your mental muscles moving!

2. 4 in a Row

4 in a Row is a classic strategy game that encourages players to think strategically with every move to trick and beat their opponent. The objective of the game is to connect four pieces horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Like Chess, you’ll have to plan your moves in advance to stump your opponent.

Identifying patterns and thinking ahead are both key critical thinking skills and 4 in a Row teaches both.

3. Backgammon

Despite being one of the oldest known board games, Backgammon is still one of the most popular critical thinking games. The objective of the game is to move all your checker pieces off the board and into one of the boxes on the right side.

Playing Backgammon can help teach basic arithmetic as well as more complicated themes like probability and luck. The game teaches players to not rely on pure luck by using strategies and tactics to overcome a bad roll. Players must use critical thinking skills to think ahead and identify patterns to determine the least damaging move and what move will give them an advantage if their opponent has a good roll.

2048 is a single-player puzzle game that encourages players to plan ahead and think strategically. The objective of the game is to join the numbers to get a single tile to be 2048.

2048 requires you to use critical thinking skills to identify the best way to move a tile to generate the number 2048. The game also promotes strategic planning to maximize your time before you run out of moves.

To further improve your critical thinking skills and make the game more challenging, consider setting a time limit.

5. Minesweeper

This single-player puzzle game teaches pattern recognition and deductive reasoning. Minesweeper is a game rooted in logic, problem solving, and deduction. The objective of the game is to clear all the squares on the board that don’t have mines and flag all the mines in the shortest time possible.

Minesweeper teaches pattern recognition as you’ll learn how to look at a series of numbers and figure out what the numbers mean when they’re in a specific order. The more you play the more you’ll pick up on different patterns and the quicker you’ll be able to solve deduction-based problems.

This goes to show that games are not just a form of entertainment. The right games can also be intellectually stimulating and improve critical thinking skills. To further improve your critical thinking skills while having fun at the same time, check out our favorite thinking games to put your critical thinking skills to the test and train your brain.

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Group games are ideal for developing critical-thinking skills.

The link between critical thinking and one’s education is obvious – you can’t learn well unless you think well.

Critical thinking is the ability to look at problems in new ways, to analyse how parts of a whole interact with one another and to interpret information and draw conclusions.

Critical thinking and problem-solving skills were once thought to be the domain of gifted people. Today, they are necessary for every individual and group who seeks to make sensible decisions about financial, health, civic, workplace and leisure activities.

The solutions to international concerns such as climate change and global warming require highly developed critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. These skills include the ability to effectively analyse and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs.

Benefits of Developing Critical-Thinking Abilities

The ability to solve interesting and unfamiliar problems often leads to the development of other skills such as increased engagement, higher concentration levels and improved thought processing.

Here are a few examples of experiences that occur in many programs which may provide you with an opportunity to focus on problem-solving skills:

• Forming a project team to solve an existing, yet complex problem.
• Thinking of a new campaign slogan to broadcast a difficult, yet important message.
• Adopting a rational, analytical and evidence-based approach to investigate a conflict.
• Challenging one of your group’s long-held beliefs or practices.

Naturally, one of the most powerful (not to mention, enjoyable) ways to develop and strengthen your group’s problem-solving skills is to employ the use of fun group games.

Group Activities Which Develop Critical-Thinking Skills

The images below provide links to a sample of simple group activities which may help you develop the critical thinking and problem-solving abilities of your group, drawn from playmeo’s ever-expanding activity database .

Enjoy browsing to your heart’s content.

If you’re not yet a playmeo subscriber, join today to unlock hundreds more group games and activities just like these.

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Critical Thinking Games & Activities for Kids

Critical thinking skills are essential to succeed in everyday life, and there are ways to enhance these abilities for children of all ages.

But what is critical thinking for kids? It means being open to new ideas, arguments, and information. Children with strong critical thinking skills are rational and look for alternative ways to solve problems.

We've collected together the best critical thinking games and critical thinking exercises for kids to make them become critical thinkers!

Online Critical Thinking Games

The most effective way to improve your children’s thinking skills is to engage them with educational games. Here are critical thinking games for kids to support their school success

Critical Thinking Game

This fun critical thinking game for kids is all about reasoning as fast and accurately as you can. Let’s try!

Puzzle Critical Thinking Game

It’s important to use your critical thinking skills even when you play with puzzles! Discover Tangram to develop it.

Math Critical Thinking Game

Critical thinking exercises and math can be the best friends! Here is a great critical thinking game with them.

Collaboration Game

Collaboration games are the best, and now it’s time to collaborate these numbers to find 10! Hurry, time is ticking!

Online Critical Thinking Game

Here is a fun critical thinking activity with candies! Attention and critical thinking skills make you eagle-eyed.

Basic Critical Thinking Game

In this critical thinking activity for kids, they need to select the image that is appropriate for the given condition.

Easy Critical Thinking Game

These fun critical thinking questions for kids are perfect for students in the early grades of school to sharpening their counting and math skills.

Cool Critical Thinking Game

It’s a critical thinking test for kids! Use your thinking skills to find out the correct answer!

MentalUP offers 150+ critical thinking games besides attention, concentration, logic, language, visual intelligence, and memory games ! 🚀✨

The best part of the multi-awarded app is all these gamified exercises are developed by pedagogues , academicians , and game designers . 🎓🙌

That’s why kids enjoy playing these games a lot; meanwhile, they boost their cognitive skills. 🤩

As parents, you can track your kids’ development with different report tools . These analyses are helpful to you in determining your kids’ strengths and the skills that need to be improved according to their peers ! 📊🎯

PLAY MENTALUP

Critical Thinking Activities for Kids

Now, let’s take a look at some fun activities that can help you encourage younger children to improve their critical skills! These exercises can help them to think critically whether they are at home, at school, or in online classes. Critical thinking in classroom can make them more successful even in their exams, such as the Kangaroo Math Competition .

1. Encourage Thinking

Children are full of questions, aren't they? So, to encourage their thinking process, you can ask them to try answering their questions or want them to answer would you rather questions for kids . And in the process, you can help them arrive at the answer using logical thinking instead of providing them with a direct answer.

It is possible to improve critical thinking skills even for preschoolers; one of the key elements of high-order thinking is making rational choices and justifying kids' own decisions.

Let's help your preschooler analyse the objects to make a logical decision themselves using critical thinking worksheets for preschoolers.

2. Play Sorting Games

Critical skills include the reasoning ability to solve real-life problems. And, of course, one of the great ways to support children’s reasoning and classification skills is sorting games that also function as strategy games for kids .

This activity will help children see the differences among various groups and enhance their understanding of the objects.

To play, you can simply ask your children to sort the same kind of objects using different features like colors, shapes, or sizes. Or if you would like to have an online solution here it is: Educational Games for 4 Year Olds

3. Solve Brain Teasers Together

To trigger brain activity, you can always benefit from brain teasers. Solving any kind of brain teasers together will allow your children to learn from you and challenge their problem-solving skills at the same time.

Also, brain teasers are one of the greatest and fun critical thinking games for adults!

4. Ask Them Riddles

Riddles are also an excellent way to help your children become critical thinkers, not to mention how fun they actually are. Asking riddles as team building activities high school are great examples of critical thinking in the classroom!

So, let your children promote their reasoning, problem-solving, and many other skills with a critical thinking activity as simple as riddles!

5. Create Games from Real-life Problems

Since critical skills are absolutely necessary for our daily lives, then why not apply them to some educational activities ?

You can take real-world problems like recycling or water scarcity as an open ended questions game and ask your children to think of solutions.

These kinds of pretend competition games for kids will not only boost their problem-solving skills as they focus on creative problems but also help them learn about their environment and develop their good sense.

Critical Thinking Questions and Answers for Kids

These fun critical thinking questions and answers are perfect for students in the early grades of school to sharpen their critical thinking, counting and math skills. It is also a very good alternative for kindergarten math games .

Critical Thinking Test for Kids

Bip bip! Can you tell which scooter will reach the gas station? 🛵

The answer is B!

If you follow the road path, you will see that only B can reach the gas station.

Want to solve more puzzles? Let’s try MentalUP Brain Teaser for Kids

Click to Try

Critical Thinking Example for Kids

Can you guess who is left-handed and why? 🧐

It’s irregular to serve drinks with left hand for a right-handed person. So, the answer is 5.

You’re good at hard riddles! Let’s continue with MentalUP to see your detailed performance reports.

Critical Thinking Activity for Kids

What am I? 😋

Tip: You’re using this magic word every day!

The answer is easy. It’s a plate!

Use the app for more questions and exercises.

Play for free

Critical Thinking for Kids

Which way is the bus going? 🚌

Here is a tip for you: This is a bus in the U.K

The bus is moving left.

Because we cannot see the door of the bus in this picture!

Couldn’t find the answer? You can always do brain exercises and improve your visual attention easily with MentalUP!

get Brain Teasers App!

Critical Thinking Question for Kids

What colour was the bear?

The bear was white!

The only place you can hike 3 miles south, then east for 3 miles, then north for 3 miles and end up back at your starting point is the North Pole.

There are only polar bears in the North Pole, which are white.

Can’t find the answers? Do brain exercises and improve your problem-solving skill with MentalUP Brain Teasers App!

Get the app

Critical Thinking Game for Kids

Which shadow corresponds to the image on the left? 🐓

The correct answer is D.

For more visual brain teasers for kids, download MentalUP and test your visual intelligence skills. You can see your detailed working reports and even compare your results with your peers!

Download MentalUP

FAQ About Critical Thinking For Kids

How to improve a child’s thinking skills.

The most effective way of improving a child’s thinking skills is to support them with educational games. If you are looking for the right games to develop critical skills, you can jump right into MentalUP games specifically designed for your children. Also, don’t forget that MentalUP provides kids with lots of different options such as Math Kangaroo problems , math riddles , and puzzles to empower their critical thinking abilities.

How to raise critical thinkers?

Whether you are a parent or a teacher, you can do activities with your children to help them become critical thinkers. Some of these activities include encouraging their thinking process, playing sorting games, solving brain teasers and riddles, and creating pretend games from real-world problems.

What are the 5 critical thinking skills?

Critical thinking skills are a combination of various abilities, including analysis, evaluation, explanation, problem-solving, and decision-making. There are more elements to be included, but most people accept that these are the 5 most important critical thinking skills.

At what age does critical thinking develop?

They start developing around the age of 2 since a two-year-old can communicate, recognize objects around them, and comprehend the differences between them.

Does critical thinking increase with age?

Critical abilities are related to one’s age and education. But it can be improved with practice at all ages. For example, the list we’ve created “ Best Apps for 11 Year Olds ” offers a huge help for that.

Is critical thinking taught in schools?

It is a part of most educational programs, such as solving math word problems requires critical thinking skills. However, critical thinking in school must be especially encouraged by teachers to help children develop and upgrade these skills. It is possible to improve it by using suitable back to school activities .

What activities improve critical thinking?

Playing critical thinking games for kids like MentalUP, doing puzzles, and solving riddles are the most important thinking activities.

Which game is the best for thinking?

It would be wrong to choose only one game to develop any skills. Instead of looking for the best game, playing beneficial critical thinking games for kids and adults would be more helpful. MentalUP offers 150+ critical thinking games, so the brain keeps being active with different kinds of games all the time.

Is Sudoku good for critical thinking?

Sudoku is suitable as a critical thinking game that both kids and adults enjoy to play. It stimulates other types of cognitive skills like attention and concentration too, so playing Sudoku is always a good choice.

MentalUP Educational Games are designed by academicians, game designers, and scientists to support the mental development process of your children. Because they are in the category of best safe kids games , you can be at ease! 🌈 You can benefit from MentalUP, which is among the best funny apps for kids to boost their skills. 💪

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5 Board Games to Develop Critical Thinking Skills

Do you know why board games are called that way? It’s because you only play them when you’re bored .

Lousy puns aside, board games have come a long way from being just lowly time passers. Board games can be as simple as token-and-dice races to as complex as world building, role-playing sessions. But did you know that board games can give more than just fun and entertainment? Did you know that they can make you smarter?

Brief Evolution of Board Games

Board games or tabletop games have been around since 3500 BC, and are as many as there are cultures in the world. Board games have been found buried with the ancient pharaohs of Egypt. There are ancient books in Iran and China that talk about in-depth rules and descriptions of board games. Chess, a game enjoyed by many all over the world, originally came from India. Backgammon, a game still enjoyed today, has been played since 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia.

People still enjoy these games even today, which proves the staying power of tabletop games. You might think that because technology has paved the way for more advanced and visually appealing games, casual tabletop games would’ve died out. But actually, board games have been gaining steady traction since 2010 . This is because the internet has actually made it easier to promote and sell board games. Unlike before, you’d need to walk through a toy shop to see board games. Now you can just search for them online. You can buy them with a click and have them delivered to your doorstep.

Not Just for the Bored

Tabletop games continue to be popular because of a number of reasons. For one thing, they’re mostly meant to be played with others on a face-to-face setting. This means board games naturally build camaraderie and friendly competition. In fact, chess is one of Armenia’s national sports , and Scrabble is a huge deal in Nigeria .

Aside from giving enjoyment, many board games can also enhance or train the brain. It’s true that some board games are simple and require pure luck or chance to win. However, many games will need some level of physical or mental skill.

This is where the “brain training” can actually happen. As you play the games over and over, your mind must learn the skills needed to win the game. Chess and Clue, for example, are great games for training logic and problem-solving. Boggle and Scrabble on the other hand can improve language and memory. And then, some board games improve critical thinking skills.

Critical thinking is the analyzation of information to make a decision or judgment. There are many skills associated with the critical thinking, but the six core ones are:

• Interpretation – This skill is the ability to recognize information and understanding them by putting them into categories and giving them meaning. An example is when you see a leaky faucet and recognize it as a problem.
• Analysis – This skill helps you examine the information or ideas and deciding which course or courses of action to make. An example of analytical thinking is deciding to fix the leaky faucet while also putting a basin to collect the dripping water while you get to work.
• Evaluation – This skill is useful when you need to weigh different options or approaches and decide on the best one. An example would be evaluating whether fixing the same leaky faucet or replacing it with a new one would be better.
• Inference – This skill is used when you draw patterns or connections from abstract elements so you can draw reasonable hypotheses or conclusions. An example would be deducing that the leak in the faucet is caused by a worn O ring after observing the source of the leak.
• Explanation – This skill involves communicating the justification behind the decision. An example would be explaining how you deduced the worn O ring because the leak stems from the handle and not the spout.
• Self-regulation – This critical thinking skill involves sensing your own lapse in judgment and taking steps to correcting yourself.

These six cores often work with each other in quick succession to display critical thinking as a whole.

Brain Games

But could board games really enhance your critical thinking skills? Yes, they can . In fact, some institutions encourage the use and play of certain board games rather than casual handheld games.

Now, if you’d like to get in on the action, you’ll be happy to know that it’s easy to get mind-enhancing board games. Here are 5 that you should check out:

Mancala has been around for thousands of years. There are several variations of Mancala found in Africa and Middle East and Southeast Asia. Players select a hole or pit, and then place a counter (known as “seed” but commonly uses beads) taken from the selected pit in to each of the pits they will pass as they make their move around the board. Players often attempt to capture the other’s seeds. The one with the most seeds in their storage at the end of the game wins.

Mancala develops mathematical skills, as well as the ability to think and plan ahead.

Also known as Settlers of Catan, is a multiplayer board game. Designed by Klaus Teuber, Catan trains players how to strategize.

Players begin with two settlements and two roads. The goal is to build the most successful and effective civilization of all. Players will roll dice to get the resources they need to build their empire—stone, brick, lumber, and the like.

Catan develops communication, strategy, and inference. Players can trade for resources they need, which needs communication. They will also learn to strategize and plan ahead based on their assumptions on what the others players’ immediate goals are, based on their actions.

Bonus: Catan has several spin-off board games, such as A Game of Thrones and Star Trek .

3. Quoridor

Quoridor is an abstract strategy game that can be played by 2-4 people. Mirko Marchesi designed the game and Gigamic Games published it.

The object of the game is simple: players must move their token from one end of the board to the other. However, here’s where the challenge and strategy come into play. Instead of moving your piece, you can opt to place a wall to block the path of your opponent’s instead.

Quoridor is a Mensa Mind Game awardee, and with good reason. It’s simple, but its trial-and-error playthrough can lead to hundreds of unique gameplays. This board game develops adaptability, inference, logic, and the ability to plan ahead.

4. Pandemic

Pandemic is a bit different from other board games. While most of tabletop games will have players compete against each other, Pandemic will have players cooperate with each other to achieve a common goal.

Designed by Matt Leacock and published by Z-Man Games, Pandemic can be played by 2-4 people. Players will be randomly given one of these roles: medic, dispatcher, operations expert, scientist, and researcher, and will have four actions per turn. Players must all work together to stop four diseases from spreading and becoming a pandemic.

This board game develops problem-solving skills, cooperation, and teamwork. Pandemic is a great way to enhance your evaluation and explanation skills.

Pandemic has several expansions and editions, including On the Brink , which includes a fifth player.

Lastly, no list about mind-enhancing board games will be complete without chess. This classic game from India has been around for centuries, and will be probably be around for centuries more. Chess has been ported into several digital platforms, and has even been modified into fantasy and fiction (such as wizard’s chess in Harry Potter ).

Chess is played by 2 people. The goal is to capture the opponent’s king. Each player has a set of pieces, either black or white. Each set has the same number and kind of piece, including knights, pawns, bishops, rooks, and a king and queen. Each piece has a unique way of moving and capture, and players must manipulate one per turn until they can checkmate the opponent’s king.

Chess develops focus, concentration, logic, inference, and evaluation. In competitions, moves are marked for time, so players will be trained to think fast. Chess has thousands of combinations of moves and playthroughs, which will also enhance players’ creativity and adaptability.

Chess has many variants. For example, a hexagonal chess board exists. The board has three cell colors, and each player has three sets of bishops. Another variant is the 3-player chess , which also uses a hexagonal board. However, the board and set pieces have the same standard colors and numbers. The board for the 3-player chess converges in the middle.

Learning While Having Fun

Who says board games are only for children? The wide varieties of board games available will assure you that you can find one that you can enjoy at any age. The best part? You also get to give your brain a workout while having fun with family and friends.

Today’s modern technology has paved the way for solo games and casual time-wasters. Much of the beauty of playing with a real person has been lost. It’s nice to try playing board games every once in a while to bring back the dying skill of interpersonal communication and socialization. Why not give these a try?

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How Video Games Can Help Children Develop Critical Thinking Skills

To relax and kill time, video games have become a popular pastime. The impact of video games on children’s cognitive development, especially in the area of critical thinking, has been debated for some time. In this article, we’ll look at the ways in which kids can benefit from playing video games that encourage them to think critically.

A Definition of Critical Thinking.

The ability to reason logically and make sound decisions based on evidence is known as critical thinking. It’s a key ability for solving problems and making choices in life. Children who learn to think critically will be better able to handle challenges and make wise decisions as adults.

Why and how video games can help you think critically

Playing video games can be a great way to exercise one’s critical thinking skills because of the environment they present. In order to advance through the game, players often have to use their critical thinking skills to solve puzzles, choose appropriate strategies, and evaluate data. Having these abilities is crucial for improving one’s critical thinking.

Some concrete examples of how video games can foster analytical thinking in kids are as follows:

First, the ability to think critically and creatively is fostered by the problem-solving nature of many video games. Players will need to utilize critical thinking abilities like analysis, evaluation, and synthesis to overcome challenges.

Second, the ability to make good decisions is essential in video games because players are frequently given multiple paths to take with varying outcomes. Players need to think analytically about the consequences of their actions in order to make the most informed decisions.

Third, strategy: to succeed in many games, you’ll need to come up with and put into action a plan. Planning, prioritizing, and analyzing the available resources are all examples of critical thinking skills that will be needed.

Fourth, the ability to analyze and make sense of complex situations is essential in the gaming industry. To be successful, players need to employ critical thinking skills and dissect these systems.

Gaining proficiency in critical thinking has many advantages.

There are many positive outcomes for a child’s academic and social development when they acquire critical thinking skills through gaming. Some examples are as follows:

Students who are able to think critically about their schoolwork and grasp difficult concepts at a younger age perform better in school.

Enhanced Personal Decision-Making: Children who practice critical thinking grow up to make better choices about their health, safety, and relationships.

Children who practice critical thinking grow up to be better problem solvers in all walks of life, from their personal relationships to their careers.

Children who learn to think critically are more likely to grow up to be creative problem solvers because they have the tools to think outside the box.

In conclusion, video games can be a great way for kids to exercise their brains and learn to think critically. Children can learn to handle difficult situations and make educated decisions by practicing problem solving, decision making, strategy, and analytical thinking. Video games can be a fun and effective way for children to develop critical thinking skills, so parents and teachers should think about incorporating them into their children’s learning experiences.

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Fun Games to Sharpen Critical Thinking Skills

In today’s fast-paced world, sharpening our thinking skills is crucial. Games can be a fun and effective way to do this. Some games can improve your ability to think critically. Whether it’s solving puzzles, making decisions, or analyzing information, playing certain games can give your brain a workout and provide entertainment.

In this article, we’ll explore some fun games that can help sharpen your critical thinking skills.

The Role of Engaging Games in Enhancing Critical Thinking

Interactive games help students develop critical thinking skills. Students can improve their problem-solving abilities, think strategically, and make evidence-based decisions through challenging gaming scenarios. Using games in the classroom encourages collaboration, as students can work together to solve problems. Incorporating hypothetical and real-world problem-solving tasks into game activities promotes systematic and creative thinking.

Top Interactive Games to Develop Analytical Proficiency

The ‘worst case scenario’ challenge.

The ‘Worst Case Scenario’ Challenge has benefits like improved problem-solving skills, thinking under pressure, and being more creative and resourceful in tough situations.

It helps people develop critical thinking skills by evaluating, analyzing, and making decisions based on hypothetical problems.

To overcome challenges in the challenge, participants can use strategies like brainstorming solutions, solving problems collaboratively, and using real-world examples to simulate challenging situations.

Participants gain experience in challenging scenarios and improve their critical thinking skills using these techniques.

‘If You Build It’ – A Construction-Based Puzzle

‘If You Build It’ – A Construction-Based Puzzle is designed to help students think and solve problems through hands-on construction activities.

This puzzle encourages students to evaluate solutions, think creatively, and make informed decisions. It addresses key elements of critical thinking, such as logical reasoning, problem-solving, and analytical thinking.

Students must figure out the best approach to build a given structure using limited resources. This practical application challenges students to think critically about the construction process, understand cause-and-effect relationships and make strategic decisions.

The Perspective-Shifting Puzzle ‘Zoom’

The game ‘Zoom’ is unique and challenges players to think critically. It encourages problem-solving from different viewpoints by requiring players to shift perspectives.

For example, a player might need to manipulate an object in one area to advance in another. This fosters analytical proficiency and strategic thinking as players have to consider interconnected elements in the game. Playing ‘Zoom’ helps develop crucial critical thinking skills for success in problem-solving inside and outside the classroom.

‘Keeping it Real’ with Practical Problem-Solving

Practical problem-solving can be integrated into real-life scenarios through activities that encourage students to analyze and interpret problems and logical solution methods.

For example, hypothetical scenarios involving real-life situations can stimulate critical thinking skills and promote logical decision-making. Real-world problem-solving tasks, such as case studies and research projects, enable students to apply their critical thinking skills to actual issues and develop effective solutions.

These strategies provoke students to think through situations systematically and critically, preparing them to tackle similar challenges in the future.

Furthermore, debate activities, such as role-playing or group discussions, offer hands-on experiences for students to engage in practical problem-solving and encourage diverse perspectives and creative solution brainstorming.

These activities can be tailored to different learning styles and abilities by providing various methods for problem-solving, such as visual, auditory, or kinesthetic approaches, accommodating diverse student needs and promoting inclusivity in the learning process.

‘Save the Egg’ – A Team Protection Strategy Game

The game ‘Save the Egg’ involves a team protecting an egg. Players work together to keep the egg safe from damage. They need to plan, communicate, and collaborate to get the egg through obstacles like bad weather or limited resources.

This game helps players think carefully and make smart choices as a team. They learn to spot problems, develop creative answers quickly, and understand the results of their actions. By adding ‘Save the Egg’ to a school or team activity, players can improve their problem-solving skills and ability to analyze situations. The game also helps them learn teamwork, communication, and working together to solve problems, which are valuable real-life skills.

Encouraging Strategic Thinking Through Structured Debate

Organizing classroom debates for improved argument analysis.

Classroom debates can help students improve how they analyze arguments. To do this, teachers must set clear rules for respectful discussions and give students enough time to research and prepare. Students can work on topics that make them think about both sides of an argument. This will encourage them to see different points of view and use evidence to support their ideas.

A clear structure will help students practice putting together information, making logical arguments, and expressing their thoughts well. Also, hypothetical scenarios, real-world problem-solving tasks, and debate activities can help students learn to think critically and effectively explain their thoughts.

By doing these activities, students can better think logically, make fair decisions, and solve complex problems. Through these practices, students can improve their skills in analyzing arguments and understanding different issues more deeply.

Creative and Collaborative Thinking Exercises

‘create and invent’ – an exercise in innovation.

One benefit of the ‘Create and Invent’ exercise is enhanced creativity. When students engage in this exercise, they are encouraged to think outside the box, develop new ideas, and explore different possibilities. This fosters creativity and original thinking, which is important for innovation and problem-solving.

The exercise also promotes collaborative thinking by encouraging students to work together, share ideas, and build on each other’s creativity. This enhances teamwork and communication skills and allows students to benefit from multiple perspectives and diverse thoughts.

Moreover, the ‘Create and Invent’ exercise encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills by presenting students with real-world challenges and asking them to devise unique solutions. This prompts students to analyze situations, think critically about potential outcomes, and apply logical reasoning to develop practical and effective solutions.

As a result, students learn to approach problems systematically and think critically, developing valuable skills useful in various life aspects.

Decision-Making Drills: ‘Select from Alternatives’

Decision-making drills help individuals practice considering multiple options and choosing the best one. For example, students can analyze hypothetical scenarios in class to improve their decision-making skills. This prepares them for real-life situations where critical thinking is necessary.

Using decision-making drills in the classroom is an effective way to develop students’ critical thinking skills. By solving real-world problems and analyzing data, students learn how to apply theory in practical situations. These activities also help students build cognitive abilities by systematically understanding complex issues.

Additionally, decision-making drills encourage students to develop analytical skills by challenging them to evaluate the significance and implications of their choices. Students can discuss and defend their viewpoints through debates, improving their ability to analyze and reason critically.

Critical Reading and Critique Activities

In-depth analysis with ‘reading and critiquing’.

One way to improve critical thinking skills in the classroom is to use hypothetical scenarios, problem-solving tasks, and debate activities. These activities help students learn how to analyze and critique information. Educators can also guide students in analyzing texts by encouraging them to ask questions like “How do you know?” and “Is your source credible?” This helps students evaluate information and make better decisions.

To balance promoting critical thinking and giving feedback during analysis activities, educators can offer guidance while allowing students to form their own conclusions. This ensures that students actively engage in critical thinking while receiving valuable feedback.

Interactive Pair Work Strategies to Foster Critical Thinking

Using ‘think pair share’ for peer-to-peer learning.

‘Think Pair Share’ is a great way to promote learning and critical thinking. Students think about a question or idea and then discuss it with a partner. This helps them express their ideas and listen to others’ viewpoints. It creates a collaborative and thoughtful learning environment. Through this method, students better understand the subject and learn to consider different perspectives.

‘Think Pair Share’ helps students practice self-reflection, express their thoughts, and actively listen. It also encourages critical thinking and more profound understanding through working together. This approach engages students in learning and develops essential critical thinking skills for their academic and personal growth.

‘Big Paper – Silent Conversation’ for Reflective Thinking

The ‘Big Paper – Silent Conversation’ strategy is a great way to encourage reflective thinking in the classroom. It involves collaborative learning and open dialogue.

Students can anonymously share their thoughts and ideas on a large sheet of paper. This promotes deeper reflection and critical thinking on various topics.

For instance, students can discuss complex social issues or ethical dilemmas. This prompts them to consider different perspectives and alternative solutions.

This strategy fosters meaningful discussions and encourages independent thinking. It also allows students to rationalize their ideas without the pressure of speaking in front of the class.

The ‘Big Paper – Silent Conversation’ strategy has several benefits for developing critical thinking skills. It exposes students to diverse viewpoints and opinions, enhancing their ability to analyze and synthesize information. It also encourages creativity and innovation by providing a platform for brainstorming and exploring unconventional ideas.

Moreover, it creates a classroom environment where students feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and questioning existing knowledge. This leads to the development of well-rounded critical thinking skills.

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Barriers to success in critical thinking.

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Developing critical thinking skills through gamification

Claudia viviana angelelli.

a Heriot-Watt University, Centre for Translation and interpreting Studies in Scotland; School of Social Sciences, EH144AS, Edinburgh, Scotland

Geisa Muller de Campos Ribeiro

b Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG) – Faculdade de Informação e Comunicação (FIC) and Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT), Avenida Esperança s/n, Câmpus Samambaia, 74690-900, Goiânia, Brazil

Maico Roris Severino

Eilidh johnstone, gana borzenkova, dayane costa oliveira da silva.

Misinformation as well as the proliferation of fake news has been a problem during COVID-19 pandemic. This has affected many vulnerable communities in Brazil. The ability to understand and sort out pieces of reliable information and fake news has become a fundamental cognitive skill. In this study we report on the development of a serious game (a card-based role-playing game) using Brazilian folk heroes aimed to develop critical thinking skills to empower vulnerable communities affected by misinformation and fake news. Four groups located in the city of Goiânia (Brazil) participated in this research: one group of people experiencing homelessness; two groups of favela residents (one urban and one in the suburbs) and one group of recyclable material collectors from a cooperative. We gained entry and built trust with each of these groups and worked together for 10 months during the pandemic. We conducted participatory observations, individual interviews with each participant and discussed their daily interaction with information, specifically in the context of the covid-19 pandemic. The analyses of the observations and interview data gave us a glimpse of the communicative needs of the groups. Inserting players into a narrative where they can make decisions based on critical thinking and their own reflections on the pandemic was important for building knowledge and developing critical thinking in these communities. The nature of the game (interactive and cooperative) allowed participants to focus on problem-solving skills and group work. It encouraged them to use real-life knowledge and skills to solve the fictional problems presented by the narrative.

1. Introduction

“Liberating education consists in acts of cognition, not transferrals of information” ( Freire, 2009 [1970], p. 170)

The global coronavirus pandemic has led to major changes in human behaviour, habits, and thought processes. Once simple decisions such as sending children to school, visiting the supermarket or meeting friends and family must now be preceded by complex assessments of the potential risks. People must make safe choices to the best of their ability based on the information available to them, which may be drawn from sources such as broadcast news, public health campaigns, social media posts and word of mouth. Unfortunately, not all of these sources are reliable. Misinformation has been a major issue worldwide throughout the pandemic ( Zarocostas, 2020 ), and understanding which information to trust has become a key cognitive skill.

Literature suggests that critical thinking can effectively combat misinformation ( Machete & Turpin, 2020 ; Roozenbeek & van der Linden, 2019 ), but much of the existing research on teaching it has been carried out in schools or universities, and in the Global North ( Cicchino, 2015 ; Halpern, 2001 ). It is time to develop methods for teaching critical thinking beyond formal education settings, beyond traditional teaching materials and classroom management and particularly to diverse learners from disadvantaged communities. Paulo Freire, on whose philosophy this project is grounded, saw education as central to the fight against oppression. He argued for a process he called ‘conscientisation’, where people are led to analyse and think critically about how inequality features in their lives. As Lucio-Villegas (2018, p. 163) writes, “It can be said that this process of becoming conscious is also the long and winding road to emancipation”. Widening the scope of critical thinking education could contribute to building the emancipatory pedagogy Freire hoped for.

Disadvantaged communities in Brazil have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Limited access to specialised hospital care plays a role, as does the relative lack of official public awareness campaigns compared to higher-income districts. This is compounded by the prevalence of widespread misinformation and fake news, which have hindered efforts to mitigate the impact of the pandemic ( Ricard & Medeiros, 2020 ).

Distinguishing accurately between real and fake news is a vital skill, particularly during the pandemic. However, it is a skill that must be learned, and as with any other type of education, the chance to learn and practice critical thinking skills is not evenly spread across the socio-economic scale ( Freire, 1992 , p. 71). This project, rooted in Dewey (1933) and Freire (1992) focussed on developing participant's abilities to make informed decisions by understanding and applying concepts such as making a point, identifying the supporting evidence on which the point is based and evaluating this evidence. We saw the need to develop critical thinking individually but also to negotiate it with others, to raise awareness on the consequences of one's own decisions on others. Two activities supported participants to develop these abilities: 1) Conversation circles sessions: during five sessions participants worked individually and in pairs with materials tailored to their realities (including degrees of literacy, disabilities, as well as contextual information); 2) Serious game: one session provided participants opportunities to collaboratively analyse information and draw reasoned conclusions about its accuracy. In the conversation circles, we engage in critical thinking activities moving along steps adapted from Bloom's taxonomy (1956) , using materials which reflect participants’ daily lives and stories from their communities. During these sessions, participants learn to deal with the onslaught of fake news that has become a dangerous part of everyday life. This learning empowers them to make informed choices about their own and others’ health – something that has, perhaps, never been more important than now. This article focuses on a serious game to complement the conversation circles, aiming to develop critical thinking skills to empower vulnerable communities which are particularly affected by misinformation and fake news. In this article we report on the development and implementation of a serious game (a role playing game) in the context of developing critical thinking skills.

2. Serious games: brief review of the relevant literature

Serious games can be defined as “games whose primary intent is training or learning with definable learning goals, instead of being primarily intended for entertainment” ( Harz & Stern, 2008 , p. 13). Serious games can be used to enhance learning in a wide range of fields and for learners of all ages. They often incorporate simulations and role-play of real-life experiences, which can be used to support both formal and informal learning ( Qian & Clark, 2016 ; Romero et al., 2014 ) and the engaging learning experience promotes effective recall ( Boyle et al., 2016 ; Connolly et al., 2012 ; McDonald, 2017 ). Serious games can be digital or analogue, but some research suggests that analogue games may support learning more effectively than digital ones ( Talan et al., 2020 ). This could be because of the increased opportunity for cooperation and communication between players, or because of the flexibility offered by analogue formats (ibid., p.494).

Mitgutsch (2011) differentiates between learning in games, where players acquire new knowledge or information, learning through games, where players develop skills based on their in-game interactions, and learning beyond games, where players are able to apply these newfound or newly-improved skills to the real world). This final type of learning can set in motion a “transformative learning process […] in which the players explore new perspectives and develop new concepts of themselves, others and the world that they connect to real life circumstances” (ibid., p.56). Mitgutsch asserts that there is not yet conclusive evidence that such transformative learning can occur through serious games. However, there are growing indications that it might. Researchers and educators have found that participants’ cognitive skills can be enhanced by the need to cope with a variety of challenging scenarios within the interactive game environment ( Hwang et al., 2013 ; Prensky, 2001 ). Others in the education sector have noted the effect of game-based learning on players’ problem-solving abilities and their ability to think critically ( Michael & Chen, 2006 ; Qian & Clark, 2016 ; Romero et al., 2014 ). Serious games can be considered an effective tool for the development of 21st-century skills including communication, collaboration, and critical thinking ( Romero et al., 2014 ). An ever-widening range of audiences are now recognising the potential of serious games to change the way players learn ( McGonigal, 2011 ).

In this research project, a serious game provided the ideal complement for the critical thinking sessions. Although the project's goal was an educational one, in the widest sense of the word, it was vital that whatever activity was created for the participants did not feel academic. This would likely have discouraged participation, particularly by those who had negative experiences in school or who have had little formal education. Using a serious game creates a relaxed, engaging environment where participants are positioned not as ‘learners’ but as co-creators of knowledge.

2.1. Serious games, fake news, and COVID-19

In February 2020, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that, “We're not just fighting an epidemic; we're fighting an infodemic” ( Zarocostas, 2020 ). The spread of misinformation has been a well-recognised issue since at least 2016, when the Oxford Dictionaries declared ‘post-truth’ their Word of the Year ( Higgins, 2016 ). In post-truth situations, people are more easily influenced by emotions than by facts. The effects of misinformation and fake news have been particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Susceptibility to misinformation may make people less likely to get vaccinated against the virus and less likely to comply with public health measures ( Roozenbeek et al., 2020 , p. 12), endangering themselves and those around them. Conspiracy theories disseminated on social media have led to violence, with telecommunications masts in Europe, North America and Australasia destroyed due to a belief that COVID-19 is caused by 5 G technology ( Jolley & Paterson, 2020 ).

Although recent studies have specifically targeted the COVID-19 ‘infodemic’, serious games research has a long history of exploring issues of misinformation and fake news. These studies have demonstrated that serious games can contribute to participants’ ability to identify and think critically about misinformation.

Roozenbeek and van der Linden (2018 , 2019 ) base their research on inoculation theory, which suggests that exposing participants to incorrect information and providing them with means to argue against it can create ‘mental antibodies’ allowing them to recognise misinformation when they encounter it again, in much the same way that viral antibodies allow the immune system to recognise and react to a virus. Controlled exposure to misinformation could therefore provide a ‘vaccine’ against fake news ( McGuire, 1964 apud Roozenbeek & van der Linden, 2018 , p. 571). In their 2018 study, Roozenbeek and van der Linden created a multi-player board game in which players created their own misleading news articles. The game was designed to encourage players to think actively about the techniques used in misinformation, and they found that this process of ‘active inoculation’ did reduce the perceived reliability and persuasiveness of fake news articles (2018, p. 576). The researchers stress that their board game study was necessarily small-scale and exploratory; however, their 2019 experiment, which involved 15,000 participants playing an online browser game designed along the same principles, had similar results. Playing the game “significantly reduced the perceived reliability of tweets that embedded several common online misinformation strategies” (2019, p. 7). They also found the greatest change in those participants who had been most susceptible to fake news before playing the game, suggesting that inoculation could be of significant help to those most at risk of misinformation (2019, p.8).

Focussing on misleading multimodal texts, Clever et al. (2020) developed an app-based game in which participants have to match a headline to an image, and are rewarded both for successfully misleading others and for finding the true headline. Their study does not measure participant sensitivity to fake news before and after playing the game, so they are not able to identify whether the game succeeds in sensitising participants to fake news. Likewise, Katsaounidou et al. (2019) do not measure the effectiveness of their browser-based information-verification game, although their players did report feeling that it had helped them to better identify fake news. This is self-reported rather than empirically verified, but since these studies follow a similar process of inoculation to Roozenbeek's and van der Linden's, it is certainly possible that the games involved have similar effects.

Although the inoculation metaphor predates the outbreak of COVID-19, it seems particularly apt for the current moment. Basol et al. (2021) have designed a game along these lines which specifically targets misinformation around the pandemic. In Go Viral!, participants post on simulated social media sites and create their own conspiracy theories. Researchers found that participants were much more likely to identify manipulative misinformation about COVID-19 after playing the game (2021, p.6). Players were also more likely to suspect real news of being manipulative immediately after playing the game, but a follow-up assessment carried out a week later showed that this effect dissipated entirely with time, while participants’ increased sensitivity to fake news remained (2021, p.13). Basol et al. also found that players were less inclined to share fake news with others after playing the game (2021, p.14), suggesting that such interventions could be key in the worldwide fight against COVID-19 misinformation. Go Viral! has also been listed by the WHO as an anti-misinformation resource, and has been played over 300,000 times ( Basol et al., 2021 , p. 3).

Other researchers have focused on designing serious games to encourage responsible pandemic behaviour. Hernández (2020) created a game focused on COVID-19 prevention measures among the general public, and her results demonstrate the importance of game mechanics as well as informativity: her participants reported that the game provided useful facts, but was overly simple (2020, p.39). Suppan et al. (2020) targeted healthcare workers in long-term care facilities, identifying this as a sector where patients are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, but where resources are lacking and overwork may impact workers’ ability to adhere to guidelines. Suppan et al. (2021) found that participants were significantly more willing to change their behaviour after playing the game than when they were shown infection prevention and control guidelines in a non-game format. The game is translated into German and Italian and will be deployed at the national level across Switzerland ( Suppan et al., 2021 ).

The current project shares a range of attributes with the games mentioned above. As Roozenbeek's and van der Linden's (2018 , 2019 ) inoculation approach, our project provides participants with small amounts of misinformation in a controlled environment, and scaffolds analysis and discussion. However, working with disadvantaged communities in Brazil required the development of a game that would be accessible with minimum technology to participants with a range of literacy levels, as well as one that was appropriate to the target culture. These requirements led to the use of a critical-thinking-focused tabletop role-playing game rather than the more common board game or digital (whether app- or browser-based) formats.

3. Serious role-playing games

The term ‘role-playing game’ (RPG) can refer to a range of phenomena including tabletop role-playing games, single-player video games, and multiplayer online games. In all these types of game, the player takes on a character role that is different from their everyday persona. Tabletop RPGs, arguably the common ancestor of all the RPG genres ( Zagal & Deterding, 2018 ) and the type of game used in this research, are usually played in a group led by a facilitator. The facilitator describes the fictional world for the players, who react by narrating their characters’ actions. The game exists primarily in the facilitator's and the players’ shared imagination. This open-endedness is the key difference between tabletop RPGs and other types of game and has led to some difficulty in defining RPGs at all: Zagal and Deterding describe them as “the exception, the outlier, the not-quite-a- game” (2018, p.19). However, it is this very open-endedness and flexibility that makes RPGs useful serious games, as they can be adapted to reflect a wide range of real-world scenarios ( Ferrand et al., 2009 ).

Researchers have used serious RPGs to tackle subjects from wetlands management ( Morardet & Milhau, 2012 ) to migratory bird identification ( Chu & Chang, 2014 ). Several studies have used RPGs to encourage climate-adaptive farming practices ( Salvini et al., 2016 ; Sautier et al., 2017 ; Villamor & Badmos, 2016 ), to explore climate-aware infrastructure planning ( Schenk, 2014 ) or to raise awareness about the climate crisis ( de Suarez et al., 2012 ; Rumore et al., 2016 ). These are highly complex issues involving a range of factors, tensions and stakeholders, and RPGs are able to capture this complexity without requiring extensive technical knowledge from the players ( Flood et al., 2018 , p. 5). They provide ‘inhabitable learning systems’ ( de Suarez et al., 2012 , p. 13) which are able to challenge inadequate mental models. De Suarez et al. compare games to flight simulators: in the same way that pilots can learn to fly using sophisticated simulations, decision-makers can learn to balance delicate issues using serious games (2012, p.12–13).

Various serious games can act as ‘flight simulators’, but collaborative RPGs are particularly effective for social learning. Assuming a role allows participants to depart from their usual viewpoints and consider other perspectives ( Ahamer, 2013 ), and it empowers them to voice their opinions. As Morardet and Milhau note, role-playing “levels the playing field between stakeholders, allowing them to sit at the same table informally. Freedom of speech is higher in the game than in reality” (2010, p.47). The game provides a safe space for the exploration of contested issues, and for collaborative problem-solving.

Although the facilitator may provide guidance, problem solving is led by the players. Knowledge is not imparted by a lofty authority figure, but rather co-created by the group. Rumore et al. (2016) found that the social learning fostered in the RPG setting seemed to translate into increased awareness, political engagement and community action. Participants are empowered to take their newfound knowledge and skills beyond the game setting, and RPGs can become the catalyst for continued independent learning ( Flood et al., 2018 , p. 12). Social learning also provides space for the integration of local and traditional knowledge systems into decision-making processes ( Villamor & Badmos, 2016 ).

Flood et al. identify three types of learning that can occur in games including RPGs: cognitive learning, where participants acquire new knowledge; relational learning, where participants develop communication and cooperation skills; and normative learning, where participants are led to question accepted norms and values (2018, p.17–8). RPGs may highlight certain aspects over others – for example, Schenk (2014) focuses on building understanding and cooperation between stakeholders, while Hertzog et al. (2014) emphasise disseminating information about water management practices – but all RPGs, to some extent, involve all three of these learning types. This makes them immensely powerful tools for capacity building, skills development and information sharing.

RPGs feature prominently in serious games research carried out in the Global South ( Edwards et al., 2019 ; Hertzog et al., 2014 ; Morardet & Milhau, 2012 ; Salvini et al., 2016 ; Villamor & Badmos, 2016 ). In communities where there may be limited access to digital resources, or where literacy levels may vary, RPGs provide a low-resource, replicable medium for collective learning and engagement. The minimal written material involved also likely simplifies translation of the game into local languages where necessary (cf. Evans, 2013 ), or localisation to different cultures. The game itself provides a common language for the players, scaffolding discussion of the issues involved among participants with different knowledge bases ( Eisenack, 2013 ), and far from being a hindrance, having participants with different backgrounds and stakeholder positions involved in the game enriches the experience for all players ( Edwards et al., 2019 ).

An RPG therefore presented the ideal serious game format for this project. It provided an opportunity for participants to collaboratively develop critical thinking skills and deal with allegorical scenarios which reflected real-world issues; it required few resources and could easily be played in a range of settings; it was accessible to participants who did not have smartphones, and to those with lower literacy levels; it was easily replicated, both by the facilitators within this project and, potentially, by future projects. For some of the participants with lower literacy levels, the team noted the need to have more than one facilitator while playing. Even when participants did help each other out, it was important to make sure all of them could access all the information available at the same time.

Deciding to create a collaborative, analogue game enabled this project's success, but also changed its course. The team initially included game developers and programmers whose research focused on individual, digital games. As a result of the decision to pursue a RPG, these team members could not implement their initial research agendas and left to other projects. When working with vulnerable communities and designing empirically driven games these changes are to be expected, and researchers working with vulnerable communities are familiar with this risk.

4. Methods and initial results informing the game development

To design the RPG, which is the focus of this article, the team relied on various methods to assess and understand the participants’ needs, as well as to design and implement the RPG. Our approach was ethnographic. The project lasted 18 months (from October 2019 to March 2021). A team of 7 researchers in Brazil (including 2 co-Is and 3 research associates/assistants) and 4 in Scotland (including PI, co-I and 2 research assistants) divided tasks during the lockdown. Some activities needed to be done in situ (e.g., observations, implementation of activities) while others could be done remotely (e.g., design of data collection instruments and of materials for the conversation circles and the game, training of community leaders, and data analyses). By the time travelling between Brazil and Scotland was opened, PI and CIs worked together in Brazil to discuss findings with the participants on site and finish the project.

Once we received ethical approval, we started ethnographic observations (Brazilian team) to build trust and gain entry in four distinct communities (See Section 5 below). Simultaneously, the Scottish team worked remotely on a series of training sessions for local community leaders to act as local researchers. After gaining entry to four sites (3 months), we observed and interacted with participants for 6 months. Based on observations and informal conversations we designed a survey to capture how participants’ get information on COVID-19 and news in general. Each participant could fill the questionnaire with a researcher. Based on the data gathered we designed a semi-structured protocol and conducted a series of semi-structured interviews to explore partcicipants’ perceptions on media, how/to whom they assign trust, how they access news, among other questions. The data collected during the survey and interviews informed the design of two key activities in the project: the conversational circles and the serious game. Interviews and focus groups were conducted at the end of the Conversation Circles sessions and at the end of the game session to explore participants'positions vis à vis fake news.

The characteristics of the participants influenced the project's focus on critical thinking about (fake) news. Findings from initial interviews ( n  = 60), conducted by researchers in situ to explore participant's selection of sources of news, showed that broadcast television is the main source of news and information for these communities. There are two main news channels, Globo and Record, with conflicting political leanings, which seemed to split the population into two camps. Interviews suggested a high level of trust towards information gained from either news channel, with some participants triangulating the information by viewing both channels. Word of mouth and WhatsApp are also seen as fairly reliable sources of information. Other sources such as Facebook are viewed as less trustworthy and are treated with some caution. This is a positive sign, indicating some awareness of the spread of misinformation on social media. However, mixed public messaging and the prevalence of scientific denialism within the Brazilian political sphere ( Dall'Alba et al., 2021 ) mean that even information provided through authoritative channels may not be reliable. People also get information through the internet, friends and family. In this environment, critical thinking must extend to all information sources.

Community preferences also informed the design of the game. Interviews with community leaders and representatives suggested that phone-based games are unpopular and that phones are used exclusively for social media, further justifying the use of an analogue RPG rather than a browser- or app-based game. The interviews also highlighted that a game-based learning approach could provoke resistance, as participants might associate the game with gambling and addiction. Most forms of gambling have been banned in Brazil since 2008, but gambling addiction continues to be a problem, and treatment options are few and far between ( Tavares, 2014 ). To avoid any adverse effects on participants, it was important for the project to ensure that the game did not use any mechanics that could resemble gambling or prove addictive, as community members might have refused to take part in the game activity for fear of addiction or for religious reasons.

Therefore, in order to protect participants and to foster open debate, an allegorical story was used for the game. The story, in which players discover and combat a blight in the rainforest, mirrors the COVID-19 pandemic but frees participants from the complex real-world dynamics surrounding it. This is an innovative measure, as serious RPGs (e.g. Morardet & Milhau, 2012 ; Rumore et al., 2016 ; Salvini et al., 2016 ; Schenk, 2014 ; Speelman et al., 2013 ; Villamor & Badmos, 2016 ) tend to replicate real-world scenarios rather than using allegory. This often seems to work well, as participants are able to gain factual knowledge about the issues involved as well as develop critical thinking skills ( Salvini et al., 2016 ; Sautier et al., 2017 ). However, in some cases it has led to non-participation of stakeholders or conflict between players. For example, Hertzog et al. (2014) found that international companies involved in water management refused to participate in a role-playing activity, stating that they were unable to discuss their corporate strategies in public (2014, p.6). Villamor and Badamos, who note the processes of peer pressure at work during their game, quote one participant as saying to another, “We really need to talk after this game; I don't like the way you manage your cows” (2016, p. 7). Future research could consider whether an allegorical approach, as used in the present study, might help to mitigate these frictions.

The research methods used in this research is presented in Fig. 1 .

Methods used.

5. Participants and communities

The project targeted three participant groups in the city of Goiânia: residents from two favelas, members of a recycling cooperative, and people experiencing homelessness (PEH).

For over 100 years, Brazil's metropolitan centres have been characterised by the presence of favelas. No longer properly translated as ‘shanty towns’ or ‘slums’, some favelas have developed into “consolidated urban villages built of masonry and reinforced concrete” ( Cummings, 2015 , p. 1). However, favelas still tend to be densely populated, with high levels of poverty, food insecurity and crime, and are still marginalised within Brazilian society. Fix and Arantes (2021) write that favelas “sum up contradictions and conflicts and simultaneously embody forms of resistance and urban imagination” (2021, p. 13). The most recent census reports that in 2010, over 11 million people or around 6% of the total population of Brazil lived in favelas ( Pereira, 2020 , p. 42).

Informal waste collectors or catadores perform a valuable social function in Brazil, collecting recyclable materials to be sold for processing. However, the work is underpaid, heavily stigmatised and brings significant health risks ( Gutberlet et al., 2013 ). Catadores can find some protection from these issues by organising into cooperatives, which in Brazil are sometimes supported by governmental or nongovernmental organisations (ibid. p.4608). These cooperatives vary in size, level of organisation, and available resources, but they may provide training and safety equipment, and some campaign for better public recognition of the catadores’ work (N. F. Ramos et al., 2013 , p. 235). The cooperative involved in this research supports vulnerable people both by providing them with a stable income and by helping them to gain access to basic services such as vaccination programmes and child support. Catadores must also follow the rules of the cooperative, which mandate PPE and prohibit alcohol or drug use. During the pandemic, additional rules have been put in place to prevent virus transmission. The cooperative experiences high personnel turnover, as catadores move between areas or into other employment.

People experiencing homelessness live in precarious circumstances and often have difficulty accessing healthcare. In Brazil, the situation for PEH has deteriorated in recent years, particularly since 2017, as the result of economic and political instability ( Honorato & Oliveira, 2020 , p. 1065). Brazil's National Policy for the Homeless Population, or Decree 7053/2009, defines PEH as “a heterogeneous population group having in common extreme poverty, interrupted, or weakened family ties, and lack of regular conventional housing, thus using public places and degraded areas as temporary or permanent living spaces, as well as shelters for temporary overnight stays or as temporary housing” (quoted in Nunes et al., 2021 , p. 2). This heterogeneity sets the PEH group apart from the other two target audiences for this study. Favela residents and catadores are likely to have low levels of education, but PEH come from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds and are likely to have had other living and employment situations prior to their experience of homelessness. Nunes et al. (2021) highlight PEH as a complex population with distinct needs which existing public health services rarely meet, and this has remained the case during the pandemic. The charitable organisation that assists PEH involved in this research has delivered thousands of masks and hygiene kits to PEH and provides over 1500 meals per day. They have also worked hard to raise awareness about COVID-19, finding that since PEH are isolated from usual channels of communication, they have limited access to information about the pandemic. In the table below ( Table 1 ) we present the number of participants per site attending the conversation circles and the RPG.

Participants per site.

CC – Number of participants who attended at least 3 of the total of 5 Conversation Circle (CC) sessions.

GS – Number of participants who attended the single Game Session (GS).

Each of these three groups have distinct characteristics, but there is one main commonality: all are particularly at risk from COVID-19. Crowded living conditions in the favelas make social distancing or self-isolation impossible, and facilities for handwashing are often limited or non-existent ( Pereira, 2020 ). For catadores , infections and illness resulting from exposure to contaminated materials have been an issue since before the pandemic (N. F. Ramos et al., 2013 ). For PEH, the exhortation to “stay home” is impossible to follow ( Honorato & Oliveira, 2020 ). All these factors increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission, and measures to raise awareness of safe pandemic behaviour among these populations are vital. This project aimed to contribute to this effort.

The following section briefly discusses the ‘conversation circles’, a series of workshops designed to build the critical thinking skills which participants then need to apply during the serious game.

6. Conversation circles

Before playing the game, participants take part in workshops or ‘conversation circles’ (CCs) designed to develop critical thinking skills and apply them during the game experience. Each of the five CCs begin with a social activity intended to build trust between participants, then progress to activities focused on critical thinking, and end with guided reflection on what has been learned during the session.

The sessions gradually increase in complexity, scaffolding in-depth critical thinking in an accessible and enjoyable way. Learners are given explicit information about critical thinking techniques ( Abrami et al., 2008 ). They are encouraged to apply these techniques to familiar, everyday situations such as deciding which pair of shoes to buy as well as to more abstract topics such as trusting or not trusting a person. After completing the five sessions, participants are well-equipped with conscious critical thinking skills, which they can then apply effectively during the serious game.

Conversation circles and the serious game complement one another in raising awareness on critical thinking. While the CCs included discussion and training for participants, the serious game provided reflection about the content presented in the conversation circles. It also provided the opportunity for participants to work with others as well as to negotiate and plan strategies and courses of action. Games allow for interactive teaching-learning strategies and knowledge construction. Their fun, interactive and cooperative nature encourages group problem solving, one of the project's aims.

7. Facilitating critical thinking in the game

Critical thinking is “a metacognitive process, consisting of a number of sub-skills (e.g., analysis, evaluation and inference) that, when used appropriately, increases the chances of producing a logical conclusion to an argument or solution to a problem” ( Dwyer et al., 2014 , p. 43). One of the earliest attempts to classify the processes involved in critical thinking, Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives (1956), identifies six thinking processes, divided into lower-order and higher-order processes. Dwyer et al. note that although more recent work has built on this framework, the six categories of thought defined here remain fundamentally consistent with modern conceptions of thinking (2014, p.43). For Dwyer et al., the six key learning outcomes are memory, comprehension, analysis, evaluation, inference and reflective judgement (ibid, p.43), as can be seen in Fig. 2 . Memory and comprehension facilitate the higher-level thinking skills; analysis, evaluation and inference combine to enable reflective judgement (ibid. p.49). It is this reflective judgement that empowers critical thinkers to reject fake news and make informed decisions on topics such as COVID-19 vaccination or safe pandemic behaviour.

Bloom's taxonomy (adapted from Dwyer et al., 2014 , p.43).

The importance of teaching critical thinking has long been recognised ( Halpern, 2001 ). However, it is notoriously difficult to teach ( Willingham, 2008 ). Approaches to teaching critical thinking, and the success of those approaches, vary widely. Meta-analysis of studies on teaching critical thinking has shown that both the type and the pedagogical basis of the teaching methods used have significant effects on whether and how much participants’ critical thinking improves ( Abrami et al., 2008 , p. 1120). It seems to be particularly important that participants are explicitly told that they are learning critical thinking skills: the least effective interventions were the ones that embedded critical thinking techniques implicitly into course material (ibid., p.1120). Participants in this project were informed during the recruitment process that the conversation circles and game would focus on critical thinking, and so they were aware of the project's goals from the outset.

As demonstrated in the literature review, serious games and game-based learning have been used to teach a wide range of knowledge and skills. Although most games do not explicitly teach critical thinking, many have the requisite complexity to foster it ( Romero et al., 2014 , p. 158) and recent projects are turning towards a specific focus on critical thinking ( Cicchino, 2015 ; Halpern et al., 2012 ; Lee et al., 2016 ; McDonald, 2017 ). In an analysis of 20 studies focused on teaching critical thinking, Mao et al. (2021, p. 19) found that game-based learning (GBL) had a significantly positive impact on players’ critical thinking skills, particularly when the game involved role-playing.

Cicchino (2015) outlines six principles of GBL which a game must fulfil in order to foster critical thinking. Although Cicchino's work mostly comes from elementary school groups, we found these basic principles can be applied to adults, as can be seen in Table 2 .

Adapted from Cicchino, 2015 , pp.3–4.

Within the game setting, these principles led to engagement, collaboration, higher-level (in the Bloom's taxonomy sense) discourse, and a meaningful experience for players. The overall outcomes of a game created based on this framework include deeper and longer-lasting understanding of the content, flexible understanding which can be adapted to new situations, and increased critical thinking skills ( Cicchino, 2015 , p. 4). Since these were the planned outcomes of this project, a game-based learning environment was developed according to these six principles.

In the freeform tabletop roleplaying game, participants take on the roles of traditional Brazilian folk heroes. The story evolves through the actions of the characters, as interpreted by the facilitator, following a basic pattern of play. First, the facilitator sets the scene, providing situations to which players can react. The players then collectively decide how they want to act or respond, and the facilitator describes the effects of these actions on the story. The facilitator has the final say on what happens, ensuring that gameplay never deviates too far from the intended plot. Some of the narrative is emergent, but certain points in the game involve pre-set choices which players must resolve appropriately for the story.

To help structure play for participants unfamiliar with role-play, players are provided with a set of cards describing their character's abilities. Cards were used because they are an effective and compact way of presenting knowledge. The cards include visual elements, which are helpful for players with lower literacy levels, and can be referred to throughout the game. They can also be hidden, which contributes to the communicative aspect of the game: players must share their abilities and knowledge verbally, rather than by showing their character cards to the group. The strengths and weaknesses listed on the cards help players decide on the best course of action for their character.

Players are also provided with a handout which describes the game environment. Like the cards, these use visual representations to ensure that all participants are able to understand the information provided.

The game complies with Cicchino's six principles in the following ways, as can be seen in Table 3 .

Adapted from Cicchino, 2015 .

Participants are thus able to develop transferable critical thinking skills in a safely allegorical environment. The information provided to players is inconsistent between sources, and the players must discuss and interpret it in order to assess its accuracy. This critical approach to new information is an essential skill in a ‘post-truth’ world ( Higgins, 2016 ), and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

8. Game characters and story

Players take the role of one of five characters based on Brazilian folk heroes. Each character can also be played by two or more participants working together, introducing a further layer of negotiation into play by requiring participants to agree on how their shared character should proceed. This also allows larger groups to take part in the game. Table 4 shows an example of the cards prepared for the game.

Example character.

The character roles were modelled on Brazilian mythological heroes for several reasons. Many of these characters are seen as guardians of nature, which provides logical motivation for them to work together in the story setting. They have diverse skills, knowledge and abilities, meaning that each character can make a unique contribution to the team. Importantly, participants are usually familiar with the characters’ abilities and motives prior to playing the game. Players can use their background knowledge of the characters to decide what they might do within the game, which alleviates some of the difficulty of role-playing for participants new to the format.

The characters’ diverse knowledge bases are central to the game's goal of fostering critical thinking, as players synthesise their characters’ knowledge to solve the problems presented in the story. The characters’ skills and personality are less important to the game mechanics. For example, Saci Pererê's medical knowledge is the most important. If the game were to be translated or localised for other cultures, it would be vital to find characters with the same knowledge bases.

8.1. The story

The characters meet by a river in the rainforest and notice that something is wrong. They work together to cross the river and discover a blight on the trees. The characters investigate the blight by looking at it, smelling, touching or tasting it, or asking forest animals for information. A supernatural white deer, Anhangá, appears, and tells the characters about a kind of medicine that can be used to treat the blight. The characters can acquire this medicine by finding an amulet for Cuca, a mysterious alligator-like creature, or by making it themselves with ingredients they find in the forest. Applying the medicine to the trees cures the blight, but any characters who previously touched the infected trees now discover that they too are infected. They must now discuss whether to take the medicine themselves or not and justify their decision.

9. Results and discussion

The game was developed as a communicative strategy to establish a bridge between researchers and participants, but in a more relaxed and informal environment. Inserting the players in a narrative where they can make decisions based on critical thinking and their own reflections about the pandemic was important to the construction of knowledge in these communities. The nature of the game (playful, interactive and cooperative) helped to focus participants on problem-solving skills and groupwork outside of traditional methodologies, which was part of the project's aim. The game also helped to reinforce many concepts and habits that were discussed during the conversation circles, and it allowed participants to use real-life situations to solve the fictional problems presented by the game's narrative. They were also capable of comparing fictional characters and objects to real life events. Some evidence on these findings will be presented below.

In each community, the participants were separated into groups according to the number of people present during each session. Local researchers narrated the game and facilitated discussions, presenting new cards and scenarios. More dynamic participation from local researchers was necessary to guide the participants during the game as the story evolved. Each of the communities included people with learning difficulties, and facilitators worked to ensure that all participants understood the dynamics of the game.

In many instances, some participants gave suggestions on how to advance the story and their suggestions sometimes came ahead of the facilitator's narrations, as for example, in Buena Vista, even before Anhangá appeared in the story, one participant asked if they had a glove to touch the slime and another commented that there could be a medicine to save the forest from the plague.

In Cooperrama, some participants associated the game with their own personal experiences to solve problems. For example, some participants had knowledge of plants, fungi and they decided to apply the remedy in the game to the soil, since fertilizers are also applied in this way. It was evident that some decisions were made based on participants' environmental awareness, as they work with recyclable materials. Many participants refused to cut down the trees, burn the forest to eliminate the pest or injure animals, even when it was necessary for the game to continue.

In all of the locations, there was suspicion about Cuca's morals. In Brazilian popular culture, Cuca is often presented as a villain and in the game, Cuca is portrayed as a character of dubious morals. In both the cards and the storybook she is described as a character with questionable traits, but she still helps the other characters during their journey.

In the Buena Vista favela , even though they did not fully trust Cuca, the participants believed that trusting Cuca was the best option. One participant compared Cuca to pop culture anti-heroes such as Batman and even joked that if Cuca tried anything against the group, she would be at a disadvantage, five to one, so they could beat her in a fight or tie her up. Another participant also compared Cuca to a bandit who only cares about gold, since at the end of the story, she asks the characters to find the Muiraquitã , an amulet buried in a nearby region. The story does not explain Cuca's intentions, desires or motivations, just that she wants to possess the amulet.

In Cooperama, one participant compared Cuca with Brazilian politicians due to the lack of clarity in their actions. In Vila Lobo, the group unanimously decided to take the medicine because they did not think Cuca was reliable. After some discussion, the second group of PEH chose to go to Cuca for the medicine, because they came to the conclusion that she had knowledge, and also because she is a being that lives in the forest. One participant commented that “she wants good things for the forest too”. In addition, they did not feel confident preparing the remedy, even with the step-by-step procedure.

This evidence shows that participants demonstrated a high degree of creativity, critical thinking and the ability to associate game-based learning with reality. All noted the need to make collective decisions and find shared solutions. Among the observed critical thinking skills, there is an emphasis on the evaluation and analysis phases. In their testimonials gathered at the end of the session, participants talked about the importance of listening to others with respect, of being mindful of different points of view and of making decisions based on dialogue. One participant from the favela Buena Vista stated: “Listen and help friends when they need it… do not think only of yourself… to make decisions, we need to evaluate and always put ourselves in the other's shoes and that for every action there is a reaction”. In the Vila Lobo favela , one participant even made an association between the forest and plague with the current pandemic, stating that we must join forces to fight COVID-19: “If we don't work together, the pandemic will last a long time”. Therefore, the games showed to be efficient in building critical thinking among participants and offering opportunities for socialisation. One participant from Cooperama said: “I learned that you have to discuss to reach an agreement and I learned that people have different opinions. I learned this by having more dialogue with friends”.

It is of course difficult to know whether the observed results will last over time. In a longitudinal game-based study on fake news inoculation, Maertens et al. (2021) found that for a group of participants who were regularly tested on their ability to identify fake news, the increased sensitivity to misinformation generated by the initial intervention lasted for up to three months. However, for participants who were not regularly tested, the effect dissipated within two months. They suggest that the assessments carried out with the first group may have served as ‘booster shots’, reinforcing the initial inoculation (ibid., p.12–13). Inoculation theorists have emphasised the role of boosters in forging long-term resistance to misinformation ( Ivanov et al., 2018 ; Pfau et al., 2006 ).

A game-based intervention, if sufficiently engaging, could provide an organic way of delivering inoculation boosters. For example, in Eisenack's work with the commercially-available board game Keep Cool, some participants found the game so entertaining that they wanted to purchase it (2013, p. 345). Continuing to play the game could refresh the skills these participants gained in the initial intervention and playing the game with other people could spread these skills beyond the project's initial reach. There are some indications that a similar process could occur with this project: game facilitators reported community interest in holding more game sessions. At the time of writing this article, some sites have already completed their second and third rounds of workshops. However, it is unlikely that all participants will be involved in these sessions, and it is possible that those who are not may see their critical thinking skills developed during their involvement in the project degrade over time. Exploring whether this occurs and to what extent would be insightful for a future follow-up study.

10. Limitations of our study, final considerations and call for further research

Snowball/convenience sampling was carried out due to relationships of trust within the communities which worked well for this study. However, this sampling method is not without its limitations. As participants were self-selected, it is possible that those who decided to take part in the study were already interested in critical thinking, an inclination which could make them particularly receptive to learning about it. An entirely random sample might produce different results but, randomization of subjects and experimental design was not the goal of this study.

As previously outlined, this study covered a range of target populations, each with their own characteristics. This meant that for the purpose of this study, one small group of participants could be drawn from each participating site. Using this range of participants demonstrated that the game-based methodology can be effective across different disadvantaged communities. Observational evidence indicates changes in how participants payed attention and listened to others, questioned the sources of information and justified their own claims. Differences in results between the groups, however, may be the result of individual tendencies and cannot be generalised to the wider community. A study focusing exclusively on, for example, PEH or catadores could draw wider conclusions about that community's particular tendencies around critical thinking. This could provide further insights into targeted methods of developing critical thinking with that specific population. There was also some turnover within the groups, as 27% of participants dropped out of the study during the circle conversation sessions. This happened mainly in the Vila Lobó favela , perhaps due to the fact that the facilitator was not a residing member of the community, impacting engagement. This suggests that the involvement of a residing community member as a facilitator is an important aspect of participant engagement.

An important consideration for the wellbeing of participants and the success of the project was to avoid conflict within the game setting. The COVID-19 pandemic and the government's handling thereof are highly-charged emotional issues. Additionally, in Brazil as in many other countries, public opinion is polarised. There were concerns that an open discussion of the pandemic could antagonise participants who support the government at the time or stifle debate if participants felt unable to voice their opinions for fear of others’ reactions. Research has demonstrated that conflicting opinions about the pandemic can even lead to violence ( Jolley & Paterson, 2020 ), and this risk should clearly be avoided at all costs when designing a research project. Consequently, the team decided not to include any statement/situation that might have the slightest potential of creating conflict among participants.

Looking ahead, our team plans to replicate this study in other vulnerable communities of Brazil. Our community partners have articulations with organizations that work with favela residents (such as Central Única das Favelas - CUFA), collectors of recyclable materials (such as the National Movement of Recyclable Materials Collectors - MNCR) and homeless people. Project materials have been developed in English and Portuguese. We also anticipate the possibility to work in other Spanish speaking countries in Latin America.

In sum, this study has contributed to the existing bodies of work on both serious games and critical thinking pedagogy. Previous work on game-based inoculation against fake news has tended to use digital games ( Basol et al., 2021 ; Clever et al., 2020 ; Roozenbeek & van der Linden, 2019 ), and this study has demonstrated that an analogue RPG can provide an accessible, low-resource alternative. It has also shown that using an allegorical game setting rather than a realistic one (such as Hertzog et al., 2014 ) can remain relevant to real-world events while mitigating some of the tension involved in discussion of highly charged issues, as was the case with discussions about self-care during the pandemic in an environment of political polarization. Finally, it has illustrated that a game-based approach to critical thinking can be effective and engaging not just for schoolchildren ( Cicchino, 2015 , p. e.g.; McDonald, 2017 ) but also, as evident from the information on Table 1 , for adult learners with varying levels of literacy and previous critical thinking experience.

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Claudia Viviana Angelelli: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. Geisa Muller de Campos Ribeiro: Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Resources, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. Maico Roris Severino: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. Eilidh Johnstone: Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. Gana Borzenkova: Data curation, Investigation, Resources, Writing – original draft. Dayane Costa Oliveira da Silva: Data curation, Investigation, Resources, Visualization.

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding this publication.

Acknowledgments

Research reported in this article was supported by United Kingdom Research and Innovation/Global Challenge Research Fund grant AH/V007025/1. Our deepest gratitude goes to the participants from all sites and the local community leaders who worked with us for over twenty-one months.

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20 Games that Help Kids Think Critically

Critical thinking helps with real life problem solving and making connections between ideas, logic, and reasoning. Teaching our kids to think critically will help them across all subjects and prepare them for future challenges. Why not incorporate some fun critical thinking activities into your child’s playtime or school? Here are 20 fun critical thinking games to help your kids build critical thinking skills. They’re perfect for school, playtime, or gifts.

20 Critical Thinking Games

Magnetic Creation Station

These brightly colored magnetic blocks will boost fine motor and visual thinking skills. Kids can create one of 50 design challenges or come up with their own designs. (ages 3-15)

Laser Maze This beam bending brain game comes with 60 challenges. It improves logical reasoning, spatial reasoning, and planning skills through fun game play. (ages 8+)

Tangram Brain Teaser Brain teasers of all types are fun, but this set is a favorite in our house. It comes with a wooden tray and 40 wooden puzzle pieces. It improves hand-eye coordination, shape & color recognition, and sparks imagination. (ages 3+)

Instead of using numbers to solve the puzzle, this game uses brightly colored wooden balls. 104 puzzle cards come in 5 levels of difficulty and is an effective and fun logic game.  Playing will improve your child’s memory and logic and will require him to think strategically and solve problems creatively. (ages 8+)

SmartGames Our family loves Smart Games. These Belgium brain games are designed for preschoolers through adults. There are over 45 different games. Each single-player game has between 48 and 120 challenges. Some of our favorites are Three Little Piggies , Walls & Warriors , Asteroid Escape , and IQ Twist . (ages 3+)

Bambino LUK & MiniLUK

These fun sets each provide over 2,000 brain challenges using a controller, tiles, and workbooks. Students build visual perception, concentration, critical thinking, language, and math. I love that these sets are high-quality, visually appealing, and promote independence.  (ages 3-7)

Smart Cookies This cookie game offers 64 brain-building puzzles in a fun format. The game promotes reasoning skills for young kids in a gradual way. It is a favorite in our home.  (ages 6+)

FoxMind Brain Builder Series This company offers five fun 3D brain games for all ages. These single-player games use just eighteen blocks to experiment with construction, geometry, logical analysis, perspective, design, and spatial logic . The series includes Equilibrio , Tangramino , Architecto , Cliko , and Perspecto .   (ages 5+)

Marble Circuit This solo-player marble marble strategy game teaches logic, problem-solving, spatial recognition and cause and effect. Marble Circuit includes 64 puzzle cards with solutions. (ages 8 +)

The Genius Square This fun solo problem solving puzzle has 62,208 possible solutions! It promotes problem-solving, spatial awareness, logic, strategic planning, visual discrimination, motor manipulation skills, and concentration. (ages 6+)

Chess is a classic strategy game that will exercise your child’s critical thinking, spatial, analytical, and decision-making skills. For beginners, our family enjoys No Stress Chess .  (ages 6+)

Q-Bitz Solo Q-bitz is a fun visual agility game. With twenty pattern cards and sixteen cubes, kids will recreate the patterns as quickly as possible. (ages 8+)

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Can computer games keep your brain fit?

Computer games are being touted as a way to keep the body fit . Can they do the same for your brain? Although that’s the promise behind commercially available computerized brain-training programs, most experts say “Not so fast.” As described in Improving Memory: Understanding age-related memory loss , a new Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School, people who play these games might get better at the tasks they practice while playing, but the games don’t seem to improve users’ overall brain skills, such as attention, memory, use of language, and ability to navigate.

A 2010 study published in the journal Nature included 11,430 men and women between the ages of 18 and 60 who were randomly assigned to one of three online brain exercise programs. One focused on reasoning, planning, and problem solving. Another focused on broader tasks of memory, attention, mathematics, and other skills. The third (the control) involved searching online for answers to obscure questions. After six weeks, people in the first and second groups boosted their scores on their assigned brain-training exercises. But they showed no improvement (compared with the control group) when they repeated several general memory and thinking skills testing that had been done at the start.

An earlier study, sponsored by Posit Science , the company that created the popular Brain Fitness Program, used standard memory tests to assess 487 people over age 65. Half were then assigned to complete the program’s 40 hour-long sessions. The other half—the control group—watched educational DVDs and were quizzed on the material. The software users boosted their memory and attention scores more than the control group. But self-reported improvement in everyday situations was fairly similar: 48% for the Brain Fitness group versus 40% for the controls.

There are no studies comparing one commercially available program to another or to mind-stimulating hobbies. Other factors that make it tricky to assess the worth of brain-building computer programs are the potential effect of programs that become more challenging as the player becomes more successful; the effect of competitive features in a program; and the player’s desire to get his or her money’s worth from buying the software, some of which costs nearly $400.

So far, it looks like simply playing games that require concentration won’t help you remember important names, faces, and appointments. What can work are practical tools designed to address specific problems encountered in daily life. You can learn some memory-training techniques in the free excerpt of Improving Memory .

To stay sharp, your mind needs regular workouts in creative thinking, problem solving, and intellectual focus. To stretch and exercise your brain, choose an activity you enjoy—reading, playing cards, or doing crossword puzzles are some good examples. If you’re feeling ambitious, try learning to speak a new language or play a musical instrument. Most of these activities come at a much lower cost than brain-training programs, and you’ll probably find them to be a lot more enjoyable, too.

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Christine Junge , Contributor

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4 Games That Can Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills

Games can be more than just fun time-wasters. The right game can also stimulate your brain and teach you problem-solving and logic skills. These types of games, whether they be physical board games, online games, or video games, can allow you to think outside the box and strengthen your mind when it comes to thinking several steps ahead. The following is a list of four puzzle games across different media that, with enough practice, can improve your critical thinking skills and sharpen your mind.

Mine Sweeper

The classic computer game about numbers and bombs, Minesweeper is a great way to teach yourself to analyze a board and think carefully before making your move. The object of the game is to clear the board of deadly mines by deducing where each mine is placed. By left-clicking a square on the board, you will be given numbers that will indicate how close you can find a nearby mine. Right-click a square where you suspect a mine is hidden to flag it; flag all mines to win the game. The game can be played at varying difficulty levels, and once you have mastered the basics, you will make it your personal goal to clear each round as fast as possible. This game will teach you pattern recognition and reasoning, and the better you get at understanding the patterns, the quicker you will be able to solve deduction-based problems.

Mancala is an ancient two-player board game suspected to date back thousands of years. It is typically played with marbles or stones on a board with twelve pits. As dozens of games with this board exist, there is no single officially-trademarked game of mancala, though the goals of a typical game usually tend to be the same: capture your opponent’s pieces. If you do not have access to an official mancala board, you can make your own board with household items like an empty egg carton and bowls. A commonly-played version of mancala requires each pit in the board be filled with four pieces, in which the players take turns gathering pieces. Mancala is a game about strategy, and is great for teaching players to visualize their techniques and think several steps ahead.

Picross, also known as a nonogram , is a single-player logic-based grid puzzle. The game can be played digitally or on paper, and, similar to sudoku, involves filling in a grid with deduction skills. The player is given an empty grid in which a picture must be uncovered by filling in blank squares as instructed by a series of numbers on the left side and the top side of the panel. You are required to reason which squares can be filled based on the numbers given, and if completed successfully, you will have filled in a picture. This game is another example of a logic puzzle that teaches you to analyze the board and make calculated moves based on what information is given to you. Once you understand the basics of how the game works, you will find it difficult to stop playing until you have completed a board, as the puzzle will test your mental strength and will satisfy you by filling in the blanks.

A widely-known strategy board game, chess is one of the quintessential games about teaching how to strategize and plan moves accordingly. Understanding the rules of the game and the basics of how each piece moves is only the first step, as chess can take years to master. However, you will find very few logic puzzles that will challenge your mind in quite the same way. Take your time to strategize and think, and you will be fully immersed. Whether playing against a partner or just examining the board alone to plan your moves, chess is great at building critical thinking skills.

Of course, these four games are fun. However, you will find that not only are they entertaining, they are also intellectually stimulating and can improve your thinking skills. Enjoy!

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Critical Thinking Games

If you’re looking for an engaging way to develop critical thinking skills in the classroom, you’ll want to consider critical thinking games. Games are a great educational tool to help students develop their higher-order thinking skills. They allow students to experiment and practice decision-making in a series of playful tasks. From role-playing activities to puzzles, these fun and rewarding mental exercises will get your students thinking outside of the box while honing their problem-solving abilities. You can download a FREE PDF of Critical Thinking Questions at the bottom of the post.

WHY ARE CRITICAL THINKING GAMES IMPORTANT?

Critical thinking games are important because they provide an engaging and fun way for students to develop their problem-solving skills. Games also allow students to practice creative thinking, brainstorming, and logical reasoning which can all be applied to real-world situations. By playing these games, students will better understand the complex theories related to critical thinking and become more proficient problem-solvers. They’ll also learn to make better decisions in the classroom and eventually their workplace.

Think Outside the Box Questions for Kids

Puzzles as critical thinking games.

One of the best ways to develop critical thinking skills is through puzzles. Puzzles provide a mental challenge that can help students develop their cognitive skills. They also allow for trial and error so that students can learn from their mistakes or come up with new ideas to solve complex problems.

Jigsaw Puzzles

Players look at a picture and then put together different pieces to complete it. This type of game promotes problem-solving skills, pattern recognition, and critical thinking as the player must pay attention to small details to complete the puzzle successfully.

Logic Puzzles

Logic puzzles are great for older students and require more advanced problem-solving skills. These games are typically set up in a grid with clues that the player must use to determine which items go in each square. This type of puzzle stimulates critical thinking as players must look for patterns and logical deductions to solve it.

ROLE-PLAYING GAMES FOR CRITICAL THINKING

Role-playing games are another great way to practice critical thinking skills. These games involve characters that interact with each other and the environment, which allows for problem-solving and creative thinking. Through role-playing games, students can learn how to think on their feet as well as develop strategic planning skills that will be useful in the future. Here are some role-playing games:

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is an iconic role-playing game that requires players to work together to solve puzzles and overcome obstacles. This type of game allows students to practice problem-solving skills as they develop their character’s story and strategies for success.

Magic: The Gathering

In Magic: The Gathering players are tasked with building their own deck of cards and playing against other opponents in a turn-based strategy game. This type of game requires players to think logically and strategically as they develop their deck and make decisions during the game.

MATH CRITICAL THINKING GAMES

Math critical thinking games can be a great way to help students learn and practice mathematical concepts. By playing math critical thinking games, students can become more comfortable with numbers while developing their problem-solving skills. Some examples of math critical thinking games are:

This requires players to fill in blank squares with the correct numbers in order to complete a 9×9 grid. This game encourages critical thinking because it involves finding patterns and using logic to solve the puzzle.

In Battleship, two players take turns guessing where their opponent’s ships are located on a grid. This game encourages critical thinking as players must think strategically and use logic to guess the correct location of their opponent’s ships.

Math Memory

Math Memory is a card game where players match numbers or equations with their corresponding answer. This game allows students to practice memorizing equations while also developing their problem-solving skills.

CREATIVE CRITICAL THINKING GAMES

Creative critical thinking games are a great way to stimulate the mind and creative ideas. These games help students work through problems collaboratively, learn how to think outside of the box, and come up with innovative solutions. Working on crafts and art projects can also be a great way to practice critical thinking. Here are some creative crafts to try:

Pipe Cleaner Sculptures

Pipe cleaner sculptures are a great way to practice creative problem-solving. Players create sculptures with pipe cleaners that must fit certain criteria, such as being able to stand on its own or having three points of contact.

Marshmallow Challenge

The Marshmallow Challenge is a team-building activity that encourages creative problem-solving. Players are given a limited amount of time and materials to build the tallest free-standing structure possible using only marshmallows and spaghetti noodles.

Handwriting Prompts – 100 Questions of the Day

Problem-solving critical thinking games.

Problem-solving activities are great critical thinking games that can be used to test abilities. These puzzles require the use of logic and creative thinking, which can help develop analytical skills. You can also consider asking students to answer some critical-thinking questions to expand their thought processes.

Brain Teasers

Brain teasers are puzzles or riddles that require players to think critically and solve problems. These types of games encourage problem-solving skills as players must work through the puzzle and come up with a solution.

Escape Rooms

Escape rooms are a great way to practice problem-solving skills in a fun environment. Players are placed in a room and must work together to find clues, solve puzzles, and escape the room within a certain amount of time. You can add a good mystery to an escape room to add to the intrigue. This type of game encourages critical thinking as players must use logic and problem-solving skills to progress through the game.

SORTING CRITICAL THINKING GAMES

Sorting critical thinking games are a great way to help students develop their problem-solving abilities. These games can involve sorting objects or categorizing items based on logical principles. By playing these types of games, students can learn how to think analytically and break down complex problems into simpler pieces.

Card Sorting Game

Players must sort cards into piles based on certain criteria, such as type of animal or color. This game encourages critical thinking as players must logically categorize the items to solve the puzzle correctly.

Shape Sorting Game

The shape sorting game involves sorting various objects and shapes into the correct slots. This type of game requires players to think logically in order to correctly place each item.

SCIENCE CRITICAL THINKING GAMES

Science critical thinking games are a great way to help students learn and practice scientific concepts. These games often involve finding patterns and analyzing data, which can help bolster problem-solving skills. Science critical thinking games are especially beneficial for younger students who are just beginning to explore the world of science.

Lego Challenge

The Lego challenge is a great way to practice critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Players are challenged to build something out of Legos that meets certain criteria, such as having three points of stability or being able to move on its own. This type of game can help students learn how to think outside of the box and come up with creative solutions.

Paper Airplane Challenge

The paper airplane challenge is a great way to encourage critical thinking skills among students. Players are challenged to create a paper airplane that can fly the furthest or stay in the air for the longest amount of time. This type of game requires players to think critically and come up with creative ways to make their plane fly better.

The egg drop is a classic critical thinking game that can be used to test problem-solving skills. In this activity, players are challenged to build a structure that will keep an egg safe when it is dropped from a certain height. This type of game encourages creative problem-solving and teamwork as players must collaborate in order to come up with a successful design.

It’s clear that critical thinking games are an effective, engaging tool for developing problem-solving skills in the classroom. Whether it’s puzzles, math problems, team-building activities, or creative exercises, these fun activities and rewarding mental challenges will help your students become more proficient problem-solvers and thinkers.

20 Critical Thinking Questions to Ponder

Critical thinking questions challenge children to think deeply and articulate their thoughts and solutions. Here are 10 examples of such questions, each followed by additional prompts to encourage deeper exploration and reasoning:

• How would you go about solving this problem?
• Who would you need to help you solve this problem, and why?
• What clues would you look for?
• How would you decide which suspects to question?
• How would your invention work?
• Who would benefit most from your invention?
• What could you have done differently?
• How did the resolution affect your relationship with your friend?
• How would you decide the best course of action?
• What would you do if you couldn’t find the owner?
• What steps would you need to take to keep it a surprise?
• How would you ensure that the party is something your friend would enjoy?
• How would your change benefit students?
• Can you think of any negative consequences of your change?
• How would you prepare for your journey?
• What challenges do you think you would face?
• What questions would you ask the animal?
• How do you think this ability would change your perspective on animals?
• How would it be different from cities today?
• What technologies would you incorporate to improve people’s lives?
• What skills or knowledge would students gain from this subject?
• How would it benefit them in their daily lives and future careers?
• Describe the creatures that live there. How do they interact with their environment?
• What kind of weather does your planet have, and how do the inhabitants adapt to it?
• What traditions or activities would people do on this day?
• How would your holiday promote positive values or behaviors?
• Who would use your invention, and how would it change their habits?
• What challenges might you face in convincing people to use your invention?
• How would animals, plants, and humans adapt to this new law?
• Could there be any unintended consequences of this change?
• How do players win, and what do they learn in the process?
• Can you think of a way to include players who typically have a hard time in competitive games?
• How would this shared dream experience affect society and relationships?
• Would people interpret the dream differently? Why or why not?
• What do you think plants would want to tell humans?
• How could this ability change the way we care for our environment?
• How does their power help them solve problems?
• What challenges do they face, and how do they overcome them?
• Why is this chore important, and how would having it done automatically affect your daily life?
• How would you make your machine environmentally friendly?

These questions encourage kids to blend creativity with critical thinking, pushing them to consider not just the immediate implications of their ideas, but the broader impact on society, the environment, and interpersonal relationships. Encouraging children to explore such questions can foster a mindset that values thoughtful inquiry, imaginative problem-solving, and ethical reasoning.

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE PDF OF THE CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS.

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Developing critical thinking skills in kids.

Developing Critical Thinking Skills

Learning to think critically may be one of the most important skills that today's children will need for the future. In today’s rapidly changing world, children need to be able to do much more than repeat a list of facts; they need to be critical thinkers who can make sense of information, analyze, compare, contrast, make inferences, and generate higher order thinking skills. 

Building Your Child's Critical Thinking Skills

Building critical thinking skills happens through day-to-day interactions as you talk with your child, ask open-ended questions, and allow your child to experiment and solve problems.  Here are some tips and ideas to help children build a foundation for critical thinking: 

• Provide opportunities for play .   Building with blocks, acting out roles with friends, or playing board games all build children’s critical thinking. 
• Pause and wait.  Offering your child ample time to think, attempt a task, or generate a response is critical. This gives your child a chance to reflect on her response and perhaps refine, rather than responding with their very first gut reaction.
• Don't intervene immediately.   Kids need challenges to grow. Wait and watch before you jump in to solve a problem.
• Ask open-ended questions.  Rather than automatically giving answers to the questions your child raises, help them think critically by asking questions in return: "What ideas do you have? What do you think is happening here?" Respect their responses whether you view them as correct or not. You could say, "That is interesting. Tell me why you think that."
• Help children develop hypotheses.  Taking a moment to form hypotheses during play  is a critical thinking exercise that helps develop skills. Try asking your child, "If we do this, what do you think will happen?" or "Let's predict what we think will happen next."
• Encourage thinking in new and different ways.  By allowing children to think differently, you're helping them hone their creative  problem solving skills. Ask questions like, "What other ideas could we try?" or encourage your child to generate options by saying, "Let’s think of all the possible solutions."

Of course, there are situations where you as a parent need to step in. At these times, it is helpful to model your own critical thinking. As you work through a decision making process, verbalize what is happening inside your mind. Children learn from observing how you think. Taking time to allow your child to navigate problems is integral to developing your child's critical thinking skills in the long run. 

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Critical Thinking Games

Prosocial video games supporting critical thinking . Presented by the Gaming Against Violence program from Jennifer Ann's Group ®, a nonprofit charity.

★ Congratulations to MushWhom? and Figure It Sprout for winning 2023 Silv-E Awards! Corporation, Inc. (KSU Narrative Game Lab) Figure It Sprout (David Li, Quang Nguyen, Gaby Sanchez, Kitty Huang, Isaac Orozco) Mushwhom? (Collin Lang, Knitwit Studios) Critical Thinking Games Press Release for more details. -->

• About Critical Thinking
• Critical Thinking Game Design Contest

What is critical thinking?

Here are some definitions about critical thinking to give you an idea of what is meant by "critical thinking." Although there is a general consensus regarding its meaning, these definitions offer a variety of perspectives to better understand critical thinking.

"Critical thinking refers to the ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned judgment. It involves the evaluation of sources, such as data, facts, observable phenomena, and research findings."

~ ThoughtCo

"Critical thinking is a kind of thinking in which you question, analyse, interpret, evaluate and make a judgement about what you read, hear, say, or write."

~ Monash University

"[...] careful thinking directed to a goal."

~ The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

"The process of thinking carefully about a subject or idea, without allowing feelings or opinions to affect you."

~ Cambridge Dictionary

"Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action."

~ University of Louisville

"Thinking critically is a skill that is taught at school and university BUT its main purpose is to better equip you to understand the world, to make more sense of the vast amount of information that is available to us and to avoid, being manipulated. It is a life skill."

~ University of Greenwich

• Critical Thinking Resources

Critical Thinking Articles & Resources

These resources and articles about critical thinking are helpful in designing critical thinking games .

• ► A Guide to Costa's Levels of Questioning [The Edvocate] "Like Bloom’s taxonomy, the questions in Costa’s lower levels encourage students to use their more fundamental cognitive processes. [...] A sizable body of research backs up Dr. Costa’s schema. Following a constructivist theory of education, Newmann (1993) discovered that higher-order thinking forces students to 'manipulate information and ideas in ways that modify their meaning' and 'expects students to solve issues and build meaning for themselves.'"
• ► 5 Tips for Critical Thinking [Psychology Today] "[Critical Thinking] is necessary when you care about your decisions or when the consequence of a decision is impactful. According to Jean Paul Sartre, every time an individual acts, they are making a choice to commit that act as opposed to not acting, or acting in an alternative manner. With that in mind, if we were to think critically about every single decision we make, we would be mentally exhausted before we even got to work."
• ► 60 Critical Thinking Strategies for Learning [teach thought] "A critical thinking strategy is simply a ‘way’ to encourage or facilitate the cognitive act of thinking critically. "Critical thinking is the ongoing application of unbiased, accurate, and ‘good-faith’ analysis, interpretation, contextualizing, and synthesizing multiple data sources and cognitive perspectives in pursuit of understanding. "What are the 7 critical thinking strategies? Someone emailed me recently asking that question and I immediately wondered how many more than seven there were. 27? 77?"
• ► Critical Thinking [Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy] "Critical thinking is a widely accepted educational goal. Its definition is contested, but the competing definitions can be understood as differing conceptions of the same basic concept: careful thinking directed to a goal."
• ► Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving [The University of Tennessee, Chattanooga] "In essence, critical thinking is a disciplined manner of thought that a person uses to assess the validity of something (statements, news stories, arguments, research, etc.)."
• ► Critical Thinking Definition, Skills, and Examples [ThoughtCo.] "Good critical thinkers can draw reasonable conclusions from a set of information, and discriminate between useful and less useful details to solve problems or make decisions."
• ► Critical Thinking: Why Is It So Hard to Teach? [AdLit: All About Adolescent Literacy] "Learning critical thinking skills can only take a student so far. Critical thinking depends on knowing relevant content very well and thinking about it, repeatedly. Here are five strategies, consistent with the research, to help bring critical thinking into the everyday classroom."
• ► CRITHINKEDU Impact Report - A journey on critical thinking in European higher education [CRITHINKEDU] "Funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ Programme, the ‘Critical Thinking Across the European Higher Education Curricula – CRITHINKEDU’ project arises from the background and experience of European Higher Education Institutions, business corporations and Non-Governmental Organisations, and their ongoing concern to improve the quality of learning in universities and across different sectors, which converge in a common need on how to better support the development of Critical Thinking (CT) according to labour market needs and social challenges."
• ► Defining Critical Thinking [The Foundation for Critical Thinking] "Critical thinking is a rich concept that has been developing throughout the past 2,500 years. The term 'critical thinking' has its roots in the mid-late 20th century. [In this article, we] offer overlapping definitions which together form a substantive and trans-disciplinary conception of critical thinking."
• ► How To Teach Critical Thinking in K-12 [Forbes] "What’s needed is not necessarily new courses, but a critical thinking focus throughout the curriculum. Some of these changes can happen quickly with tweaks to existing curricula and the incorporation of deeper and more creative thinking exercises."
• ► Logical Fallacies: Examples and Pitfalls in Research and Media [Research.com] "In public discourse, research and academic writing, logical fallacies should always be avoided because they invalidate conclusions and arguments. Unfortunately, it is easy to commit such logical fallacies ourselves. "A recent analysis of medical fallacies can be found in a paper titled, 'Fallacies in medical practice: Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibition and COVID-19 as a Paradigm' in the Hellenic Journal of Cardiology. "It states that 'In emergency situations, such as during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, medical community looks for quick answers and guidance. Under these circumstances, experts instead of admitting ignorance, feel obliged to give an answer, often pressurized by political or other authorities, even when such an answer is unavailable. Under these circumstances, publications based on fallacious reasoning are virtually unavoidable. (Triposkiadi, Dean Boudoulas, Xanthopoulos, and Harisios, 2020).'”
• ► The Critical Thinking Consortium [TC2] A collection of resources for educators and parents supporting "critical, creative, and collaborative thinking as an educational goal and as a method of teaching and learning." Many of these resources require payment but the website also includes several excellent free online collections and published lessons.
• ► What is critical thinking? [Monash University] "People who apply critical thinking consistently are said to have a critical thinking mindset, but no one is born this way. These are attributes which are learnt and improved through practice and application. "In the academic context, critical thinking is most commonly associated with arguments. You might be asked to think critically about other people's arguments or create your own. To become a better critical thinker, you therefore need to learn how to: clarify your thinking purpose and context; question your sources of information; identify arguments; analyse sources and arguments; evaluate the arguments of others; and create or synthesise your own arguments."

Critical Thinking Game Design Challenge

Note: the critical thinking game design challenge has ended. Here is the press release announcing the award-winning critical thinking games . The following information is for reference and will be archived soon.

Background: About the Critical Thinking Games Contest

Since 2008, Gaming Against Violence , an award-winning program from the nonprofit charity Jennifer Ann's Group , has produced prosocial games in an effort to improve the lives of young people around the world. Every year a new game design challenge is issued for game designers and developers to create compelling games about that year's topic. Previous game challenges have focused on a variety of topics and themes including consent , culture , gaslighting , healthy relationships , and resilience . This year the game design challenge theme is critical thinking .

Critical Thinking Game Overview

The Critical Thinking Game Design Challenge consisted of two rounds. For Round One , contestants submitted a game pitch using the theme of critical thinking. For Round Two , Finalists were selected based on their submitted game pitch. These Finalists will then design and develop their critical thinking video games based on their game pitches. They will have three months to develop their games.

Each Finalist who submitted an eligible game was guaranteed a prize of at least $100 (USD). The Winning Game was guaranteed a prize of at least $3,000 (USD). The total prize pool awarded to the group of Finalists was $10,000 (USD). All Finalists also receive critiques of their submitted games from experts in game design and/or critical thinking.

The critical thinking game design contest was open to everybody age 13 and older (minors will need a parent or guardian to sign the prize acceptance agreement in the event they are selected as a Finalist). The critical thinking games should be designed to be generally appropriate for ages 11 and up. Your entry should be a video game that has never been published before. And, as has been the case since 2008: the games cannot contain any depictions of violence .

Critical Thinking Game Timeline

Round One consisted of submitting a proposed game pitch. This entails answering six questions and providing other registration data.

Round Two was limited to Finalists who will be selected from the Round One proposed game pitch submissions. You do not need to be a game developer or game designer in order to become a Finalist - you just need to have a clever idea that you believe would translate well into a compelling video game that supports critical thinking!

• Round One: Game pitches were submitted by March 19, 2023.
• Finalists were selected and notified by March 30, 2023.
• Round Two: Finalists had until June 30, 2023 to submit their completed critical thinking game.
• Judging and critiquing of the critical thinking games during July 2023.
• The winning critical thinking games will be announced after Labor Day Weekend 2023.

Critical Thinking Game Prizes

A total of $10,000 (USD) awarded in prize money to the Finalists. Distribution of prize money will be announced when the Winning games are announced. At least one Winning game will receive at least $3,000 (USD). Each Finalist will receive at least $100 (USD). Additional Winning Games might be selected from among the Finalists.

In addition to the prize money:

• All qualifying Finalists will have their games judged and critiqued by industry and subject matter experts.
• All qualifying Finalists will be granted a license to use the FINALIST graphic.
• The Winning game(s) will be granted a license to use the WINNER graphic.
• The Finalist and Winning game(s) will be promoted on Jennifer Ann's Group websites and on their profile pages at game marketplaces.
• The Winning game(s) will be published by Life Love Publishing once they are ready to be published.
• All Finalists will receive critiques about their game entry from the critical thinking game contest judges.
• More details available in the Critical Thinking Game Design Challenge Rules below.

► Jennifer Ann's Group is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and relies on donations, sponsorships, and grants to fund our violence prevention work. Like what we're doing? Donate online to support our innovative violence prevention work .

Judges: critical thinking games design challenge, susan bonner.

Susan Bonner (she/her) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Information at Michigan State University teaching in the Serious Games Certificate and the Games and Interactive Media program. Educational games she produced through The EPIC Project have won Serious Play and Meaningful Play Awards. She is the creator of The Road Crew Social Emotional Health Game , which aims to teach young children coping skills for anger, loneliness, and anxiety through an AR experience. Accessible, universal, and inclusive design is at the heart of her teaching, art, design, and the work she produces. Susan actively participates on panels for the National Science Foundation, specifically focusing on Small Business Innovative Research in VR, AR, AI, and Learning Cognition. Susan holds an MFA from the University of Cincinnati and a BFA from Columbus College of Art and Design. Find out more at SusanBonner.com

Dr. Nick Bowman

Nick Bowman is an Associate Professor of Emerging Media in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. He is a media and communication scholar with an extensive research career focused on the uses and effects of video games. He has published more than 140 peer-reviewed academic manuscripts , with recent studies focused on the functional role of video games in daily life, from video game nostalgia to use of gaming for mood management. He works with other scholars and game developers to advance the study and design of video games for prosocial purposes, including violence reduction and perspective-taking. He is the editor of the Journal of Media Psychology , and was recently the Fulbright Taiwan Wu Jing-Jyi Arts & Culture Fellow at the National Chengchi University in Taipei. He has taught courses on video games and media psychology in Belgium, Germany, Mexico, and Taiwan.

Dr. Mark Danger Chen

Mark Danger Chen is an independent games scholar and part-time professor of interaction design, qualitative research, and games studies at the University of Washington Bothell. They oversee Esoteric Gaming , an alternative publication outlet that celebrates gaming diversity through detailed accounts of arcane and marginal gaming practices. Mark also wrote Leet Noobs: The Life and Death of an Expert Player Group in World of Warcraft , an ethnographic account of how a new team learned to excel through the use of game mods and then died in a fiery meltdown catalyzed by the same mods. In a previous life, Mark was a webmaster and game designer for the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Mark wants a die-cast 1st generation Soundwave for Christmas. You can reach Mark at @mcdanger .

Drew Crecente, JD

Drew Crecente (he/him) is founder and executive director of Jennifer Ann's Group , a nonprofit charity preventing teen dating violence. He also runs the Gaming Against Violence program for Jennifer Ann's Group. Drew is a teen dating violence lead at Emory's Injury Prevention Research Center (IPRCE) and a published researcher on violence prevention through video games . Drew speaks at conferences about the use of video games as a solution for violence prevention. His speaking engagements include GDC, Games for Change, Games for Health, Meaningful Play, PAX Unplugged, and Youth at Risk conferences. Drew's game production credits include ADRIFT , a consent game featured at the future-focused museum MOD in Australia; Rispek Danis , a game about healthy dating relationships designed for ni-Vanuatu youth and 2019 Games for Change Awards Finalist in the category of Most Significant Impact ; and the media literacy game Culture Overlord , a 2021 Finalist for the GEE! Learning Games Award and 2022 Games for Change Awards Finalist in the category of Best Learning Game .

Sabrina Culyba

Sabrina Culyba (she/her) is a Pittsburgh-based game designer and founder of Ludoliminal . Her professional work has spanned online games, VR, mobile apps, location-based entertainment, and board games across a variety of industries from healthcare to education. She is the author of The Transformational Framework (ETC Press, 2018) and has spoken on game design and the transformational power of games at a number of conferences including the Games for Change festival, Serious Play, Meaningful Play, and Dataviz+Cancer. Sabrina serves on the Board for Global Game Jam and Broke the Game . She also co-hosts the yearly XR Brain Jam at the Games for Change Festival.

Dr. Ruud Jacobs

Ruud Jacobs is an assistant professor at the Department of Communication Science of the University of Twente . His research is mediapsychological, mostly focusing on the impacts of persuasive games and the ways in which they work to change attitudes. In 2017 he defended his dissertation, titled Playing to Win Over , as part of the Persuasive Gaming in Context joint research effort. Ruud lectures in technological aspects of communication science, and talks about games whenever he can.

Dr. Krista-Lee Meghan Malone

Dr. Krista-Lee M. Malone is a faculty associate with the Department of Curriculum & Instruction’s Game Design Certificate at UW-Madison and Director of the UW Game Lab. Her past research includes studies on raiding guilds in World of Warcraft, the making of educational games in Taiwan (where she concurrently worked as a designer and consultant) and using game design to teach in the social sciences. Dr. Malone is currently working on designing engaging educational games as well as examining gender issues and educational uses of Twitch.tv and Discord. She is also a board member of MKEsports , an alliance aimed at positively growing the culture and connectivity of regional esports groups, gamers, businesses, and community partners. If you want to geek out with her, she can can be found experimenting with teaching at twitch.tv/profgameranthro and experimenting with everything else at twitch.tv/gameranthro .

Dr. Amy Mueller

Amy Mueller is an assistant professor of learning technologies at the University of Oklahoma in the Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum program . She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on educational and instructional technologies to pre-service and practicing educators. Prior to her arrival at the University of Oklahoma she taught 4K for Head Start and worked as a K-5 Technology Teacher at a dual language immersion program in a diverse, public, urban title-1 school. Her research interests include: culturally and linguistic responsive and sustaining education, Indigenous education, liberatory education, elementary education, games-based learning, maker education, STEM education, digital literacy, multiliteracies, design based research, and codesign & community action research. In her limited free time, she likes to play video games with her kids.

Dr. Brooke Morrill

Dr. Brooke Morrill serves as the Senior Director of Education at Schell Games . Morrill uses her expertise in behavioral science, psychology, and research to increase the impact of and engagement in the company’s educational and transformational games. She identifies and secures extramural project funding in both the federal and private sectors in order to create and iteratively develop innovative, interactive experiences. In addition, she collaborates with universities and research institutions for product development and evaluation. She also maintains an active Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral credential from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Morrill serves on the XR Education and Training Advisory Group for the Academy of International Extended Reality (AIXR), a membership network of industry leaders that helps to enable growth, nurture talent, and develop standards while working to bring wider public awareness and understanding to virtual and augmented reality. She is also a Principal Member of grant review panels for the Institute of Education Sciences at the US Department of Education.

Dr. Andy Phelps

Bio coming soon.

Dr. Elizabeth L. Richeson

Dr. Elizabeth L. Richeson is a Psychologist in El Paso, Texas , the head of the Advisory Board for Jennifer Ann's Group , and former president of the Texas Psychological Foundation. She was recognized as the 2018 Psychologist of the Year by the Texas Psychological Association; is an expert on teen dating violence; appears regularly on news and talk shows; and lectures nationwide on a variety of issues related to teenagers, young adults, and healthy relationships. She lived and worked in a variety of settings in Japan, Micronesia, South Korea, and Thailand and wrote her doctoral dissertation on Adaptation to Geographic Relocation at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Her clinical and administrative positions have included Program Director of Adult Psychiatric Units, Adjunct Professor at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center and University of Maryland International, and maintaining a full-time clinical practice for more than 30 years. She is considered the area authority on eating disorders for the Air Force and Army for outpatient and inpatient treatment.

Jo Sharpen is a specialist in violence against women and girls, child development and the impacts of trauma. She has a special interest in how the online space can be used to support and empower survivors of abuse. Jo is now a freelance consultant after previously being the director of policy at AVA, a national UK charity.

Dr. Sarah Stang

Dr. Sarah Stang (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Game Studies in Brock University’s Centre for Digital Humanities . She is also the Secretary for the International Communication Association’s Game Studies Division and an At-Large Representative for the Canadian Game Studies Association . She received her PhD from the Communication & Culture program at York University and her research primarily focuses on gender representation in both digital and analog games. Her published work has analysed topics such as female monstrosity, androgyny, parenthood, interactivity, and feminist media studies, and can be found in journals such as Games and Culture , Game Studies , Critical Studies in Media Communication , Human Technology , and Loading , as well as several edited collections.

Dr. Moses Wolfenstein

Moses Wolfenstein is a professor at El Camino College in Torrance, CA where he serves as Distance Education Faculty Coordinator and is leading the development of the new Games and Playable Media Department. Moses has been working in and around game design since 2006 as a designer, research, and teacher. His doctoral research with the Games+Learning+Society research group at UW–Madison focused on the intersection of games, learning, and leadership in MMO's.

Critical Thinking Game Pitch Submission

( Note: game pitches were due by March 19, 2023 )

You are pitching an idea for a non-violent prosocial video game intended to encourage and support critical thinking and the use of critical thinking tools and strategies by the players of your game.

If you can envision a video game that will help the player use and apply critical thinking then we want to learn about your game idea. We hope you will submit your idea to the critical thinking game challenge.

An important note about the critical thinking game design challenge:

Although our organization's primary focus is on the prevention of teen dating violence, your game does not have to be about dating relationships. There are several reasons for this, but the most important reason is that we want to help all young people (ages 11-22) learn this important information in order that they are more likely to understand the value of critical thinking and are better equipped to apply critical thinking skills. The past few years have been especially challenging. This is true for nearly everybody and in many aspects. We believe some, if not all, of those challenges would have been easier to navigate were we all better equipped to use and apply critical thinking. We believe that intentionally designed video games are an ideal approach to helping young people appreciate and understand how to use critical thinking skills. Our hope is that these critical thinking games will be used by: educators in classrooms; by parents and trusted adults at home; and directly by young people themselves. If we were to limit the critical thinking game design challenge to narrowly focus on the topic of healthy dating relationships then that might limit the reach and use of these critical thinking games. With that said, you are welcome to incorporate themes about healthy relationships into your critical thinking video game should you choose to do so.

Round One: game pitches were due by March 19th, 2023

These questions were answered by those submitting a game pitch.

Critical Thinking Game Pitch Questions

• (Q1) What is the title of your critical thinking game?
• (Q2) Write a short description of your critical thinking game. After reading this description players should want to play your game. (100-150 words)
• (Q3) How will your critical thinking game use visual and auditory elements to engage and inform players about critical thinking and how best to use it? (100-150 words)
• (Q4) How will your critical thinking game effectively use game mechanics , storytelling , and/or rhetoric to engage and inform players about critical thinking and its importance? (Please realize that this means that your game does not have to be story-based; it may use other design strategies or it may be story-based, as you prefer.) (100-150 words)
• (Q5) How will your critical thinking game effectively use persuasion to engage and inform players about critical thinking and its importance? (100-150 words)
• (Q6) How will your game help players identify critical thinking skills and learn how to strengthen those skills in order to help them become better able to use critical thinking in their lives? (100-150 words)

Round Two: were due by end of June 2023

Finalists were notified by March 30, 2023 if their proposed game pitch was selected to move on to Round Two of the contest. For Round Two, Finalists were given until June 30, 2023 to design, develop, and complete their critical thinking game. The finished critical thinking games will then be reviewed and scored to determine the winner.

• No VR or AR games . We want to reach as many people as possible with these critical thinking games and we feel that VR and AR technologies are currently too limiting.
• No subscription-based services . We cannot afford to pay for recurring subscriptions.
• Ideally you will use Unity to develop your game . Due to its large user base it is easier for us to get support if needed and the majority of the games we have published in the past were developed using Unity. Also, it is generally easier for us to export Unity games to a variety of platforms. Importantly, Unity supports exporting to HTML5 . Browser-based games are often more accessible because they can be played, for example, in public libraries and at schools. We strive to publish games that are accessible.
• Some suggested game design engines: Godot , Unity , and Unreal Engine . If you are wondering about a particular engine or technology please contact us.

Critical Thinking Games: FAQs

About this contest.

What is the Life.Love. Game Design Challenge?

The Life.Love. Game Design Challenge is an annual game design contest focused on violence prevention. The contest is open to game designers and game developers around the world. Entries have been received from six continents. Designers and developers are invited to create their own prosocial games intended to engage, educate, and empower game players. This contest is from the award-winning Gaming Against Violence program presented by the nonprofit charity Jennifer Ann's Group. The games are published, localized, and maintained by Life Love Publishing.

Why is Jennifer Ann's Group running this contest?

Violence is a public health issue and games are an effective approach at engaging young people about serious and complex issues. Jennifer Ann's Group is a non-profit organization working to prevent violence since 2006 in memory of Jennifer Ann Crecente.

Although traditional outreach programs about violence prevention are available, many schools lack the funding to implement these programs and so Jennifer Ann's Group considered how to leverage technology to reach and help young people at no cost. Given the popularity of video games -- especially among young people -- Jennifer Ann's Group launched the first annual Life.Love. Game Design Challenge in 2008, challenging video game designers to create prosocial games intended to prevent dating violence. In 2023, for the 16th annual Life.Love. Game Design Challenge, the focus is on supporting the use of critical thinking skills by young people to help them be better informed and self-sufficient. These skills will lead to better outcomes for themselves and for those around them. This will help them to lead happier, healthier lives.

In the years since launching the contest it has become increasingly clear that games are fantastic tools for engaging players in uniquely compelling ways. As compared to traditional methods: players more easily understand complex, nuanced issues; they become invested and engaged in the success of the game's outcome; and they can safely explore and experience difficult situations in context.

Every year since 2008 Jennifer Ann's Group has presented an annual game design competition encouraging developers to create games about selected themes intended to help young people in the short term and benefit society in the long term. Prosocial games help engage, educate, and empower young people around the world.

What else can you tell me about the games that have come from this program?

Entry Information

How do I get started?

Game pitches for the Critical Thinking Game Design Challenge were due by March 19, 2023. However, the 2024 game design challenge is coming February 2024 with the topic of connectedness . Visit the website for the connectedness video games for the latest info.

Who is allowed to enter?

Anybody age 13+ at the time of entry is eligible to enter (except in countries or regions where prohibited). Officers, employees, and immediate family members of Jennifer Ann's Group and Life Love Publishing are prohibited from entering the game design challenge.

Can I enter more than once?

Sorry, but no. Make sure and enter your best game because you only get one chance to enter each year!

What are the technical requirements?

Round One of the contest only requires submitting the text of your proposed game narrative. If you are selected as a Finalist you will receive all necessary information for Round Two, including any technical requirements for your final game entry. There are some notes in the Critical Thinking Game Pitch Submission section, including some technical suggestions and limitations. Our intention is to be as flexible and supportive of as many different formats as possible but we do need to be able to reliably judge the games and, in the event that it is a winning game, be able to: modify the game; make the game available through various channels; possibly translate the game into other languages; and also to provide support for game players. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask us.

What are the content requirements?

As with all of our game design challenges no violent content is permitted in the game entries. Games should be age-appropriate for those ages 11 and up.

How long do I have to enter?

Registration was from March 7, 2023 through March 19, 2023. The Finalists were notified by March 30, 2023 and had until June 30, 2023 to submit their finished game.

Do you accept group entries?

Yes - please just identify a primary contact person when you submit your game pitch on the Round One submission form.

Where can I learn more about critical thinking?

Visit the About Critical Thinking section for information and resources about critical thinking.

How can I keep up to date about the contest info?

Register for our newsletter to be notified about our next game design challenge. You can also follow the Critical Thinking Mastodon account at: games.ngo/@CriticalThinkingGames . Finalists will be invited to join our Discord server.

Judging and Selection Process

What criteria will be used for judging?

Round One of the contest will be judged based on the creativity of your proposed game pitch and the potential for that idea to be developed into a compelling video game which will help players: be more aware of the importance of critical thinking; be better informed about critical thinking skills; have strategies to strengthen skills associated with critical thinking; and as a result, be generally better at making informed decisions and become more self sufficient.

Judging details and scoring rubric for Round Two were distributed to all Finalists at the time that they were notified of their Finalist status.

Information about the judges, including their bios, will be added to the contest website June 2023.

Critical Thinking Games: Official Rules

No purchase necessary to enter or win. Void where prohibited. Entry in this contest constitutes your acceptance of these official rules.

The 2023 Life.Love. Game Design Challenge (the " Contest ") is designed to encourage participants (" Entrant(s) " or " You ") to use their creativity to create their own video game that helps players of the game: be more aware of the importance of critical thinking; be better informed about skills supporting the use of critical thinking; have strategies to strengthen skills associated with critical thinking; and feel more empowered through the use of critical thinking, especially for those players in the approximate age range of 11 - 22 years of age (the " Target Age Group "). Life Love Publishing and/or its representatives will select Finalists (" Finalists ") from those eligible entries submitted in Round One. Finalists will be eligible to participate in Round Two and will submit completed games. Judges will choose the winning entries from the Round Two eligible Finalist submissions and prizes will be awarded in accordance with these Official Rules (these " Rules ").

• BINDING AGREEMENT : In order to enter the Contest, you must agree to the Rules. Therefore, please read these Rules prior to entry to ensure you understand and agree. You agree that submission of an entry in the Contest constitutes agreement to these Rules and that you may not submit an entry to the Contest and are not eligible to receive the prizes described in these Rules unless you agree to these Rules. These Rules form a binding legal agreement between you, Jennifer Ann's Group, and Life Love Publishing with respect to the Contest.
• ELIGIBILITY : To be eligible to enter the Contest, an Entrant must: (a) be 13 years of age (or older) at time of entry; and (b) have obtained a parent's or legal guardian's prior permission if under the age of majority (" Minors ") in their jurisdiction. Minors who enter must have the written consent of a parent or legal guardian in order to be eligible to receive any prizes, as described in Section 8 of these Rules. Contest is void where prohibited by law. Employees, interns, contractors, and official office-holders of Jennifer Ann's Group, Life Love Publishing, and any affiliates, and their respective directors, officers, employees, advertising and promotion agencies, representatives, and agents (" Contest Entities ") are ineligible to participate in this Contest.
• SPONSOR : The Contest is sponsored by the Jennifer Ann Crecente Memorial Group, Inc. d/b/a Jennifer Ann's Group(" Jennifer Ann's Group " or " Sponsor "), a Georgia non-profit corporation (501 c(3)) with principal place of business at 2554 Drew Valley Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30319, USA. (EIN: 20-4618499) .
• CONTEST PERIOD : The contest period is from March 7, 2023 through August, 2023. Round One of the Contest begins on March 7, 2023 and ends on March 19, 2023 at 11:59pm Eastern Time (ET) Zone (GMT-4) (" Round One Contest Period "). Round Two of the Contest begins on March 30, 2023 and ends on June 30, 2023 at 11:59pm Eastern Time (ET) Zone (GMT-4) (" Round Two Contest Period "). All dates are subject to change. Winning Games will be announced in August or September, 2023.
• HOW TO ENTER : NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. To enter the Contest, visit the Contest website located at https://CriticalThinker.games (" Contest Site ") during the Contest Period and follow the instructions that appear in the "Critical Thinking Game Submission" section. You will be requested to complete an official entry form (" Entry Form ") with all requested information, including your responses, or "game pitch", to the questions about your proposed critical thinking game (" Game Narrative "). Entry Forms can only be submitted by Entrants. Those Entrants notified by Jennifer Ann's Group that they have been selected to proceed to Round Two of the Contest (" Finalists ") shall participate in Round Two of the Contest by submitting their completed game entry (" Completed Game "). LIMIT ONE (1) GAME NARRATIVE PER ENTRANT IN ROUND ONE. Subsequent entries will replace, and be treated as, the initial entry. Any submission not meeting the aforementioned criteria will be disqualified. Jennifer Ann's Group and Life Love Publishing accepts no responsibility for submissions lost, delayed, damaged, defaced, or mislaid, howsoever caused. All entries will be deemed made by the Entrant submitted at the time of entry. LIMIT ONE (1) COMPLETED GAME PER FINALIST IN ROUND TWO. Subsequent entries will replace, and be treated as, the initial entry. Any submission not meeting the aforementioned criteria will be disqualified. Jennifer Ann's Group and Life Love Publishing accepts no responsibility for submissions lost, delayed, damaged, defaced, or mislaid, howsoever caused. All entries will be deemed made by the Entrant submitted at the time of entry.
• They must not contain any depictions of violence.
• They must not be derogatory, offensive, threatening, defamatory, disparaging, libellous or contain any content that is tortuous, slanderous, discriminatory in any way, or that promotes hatred or harm against any group or person, or otherwise does not comply with the theme and spirit of the Contest.
• They must be unique creations that have not been previously published and will remain unpublished until after the contest has ended.
• They must not contain content, material or any element that is unlawful, or otherwise in violation of, or contrary to, any applicable federal, state, or local laws and regulations including the laws or regulations in any jurisdiction where the entry is created.
• They must not contain any content, material, or element that displays any third party advertising, slogan, logo, trademark, or otherwise indicates a sponsorship or endorsement by a third party or commercial entity. For Round Two Finalists, text acknowledgements are acceptable in the Completed Game entries; additionally, Jennifer Ann's Group will supply a graphic image identifying Jennifer Ann's Group as the game's sponsor; the image will be placed at an appropriate location as part of the Finalist's Completed Game entry.
• They must only contain text, graphics, audio, designs, and game mechanics that entrants have proper rights to use (e.g. works in the public domain; original creations by the entrant; third-party works with rights granted by rights owner).
• They cannot contain any content, element, or material that violates a third party's publicity, privacy, or intellectual property rights.
• During the Contest Period, the Sponsor, its agents and/or the Judges will be evaluating the Entries to ensure they meet the Entry Requirements. The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any Entrant who submits an entry that does not meet the Entry Requirements. Incomplete entries or entries not complying with these Rules are subject to disqualification.
• potential educational value of the proposed game to discuss, demonstrate, or otherwise engage players about critical thinking and its importance, especially for those in the Target Age Group
• potential entertainment or otherwise compelling value of the proposed game
• potential of the proposed game to increase awareness about critical thinking and its importance
• potential of the proposed game to encourage discourse about critical thinking and its importance
• potential of the proposed game to persuade game players about critical thinking and its importance
• potential of the proposed game to help players identify critical thinking skills and learn how to strengthen those skills in order to help the player become more adept at using critical thinking
• game elements of the proposed game
• adherence to the Game Narrative , Entry Requirements , and these Rules .
• educational value of the game to discuss, demonstrate, or otherwise engage players about critical thinking and its importance, especially for those players in the Target Age Group
• entertainment or otherwise compelling value of the game
• potential of the game to increase awareness about critical thinking and its importance
• potential of the game to encourage discourse about critical thinking and its importance
• potential of the game to persuade game players about critical thinking and its importance
• potential of the game to help players identify critical thinking skills and learn how to strengthen those skills in order to help the player become more adept at using critical thinking
• game elements
• adherence to the Game , Entry Requirements , and these Rules .
• Round One Finalists Finalists will be notified on or before March 30, 2023 by email.
• Potential Winners Potential winners will be notified August 2023 by email.
• Decisions of the judges are final and binding. In the event there are not enough eligible entries, not all prizes will be awarded. If a potential winner is unable for whatever reason to accept their prize, then Life Love Publishing reserves the right to award the prize to another entrant.
• Notification of Potential Finalists / Winning Game(s) : Becoming a Finalist / Winning Game is subject to validation and verification of eligibility and compliance with all the terms and conditions set forth in these Rules. If a potential Finalist is disqualified for any reason, a replacement Game Narrative Entry entrant might be chosen as a potential Finalist. If a potential Winning Game is disqualified for any reason, the Completed Game that received the next highest total score will be chosen as the potential Winning Game. The potential Finalist(s) / Winning Game(s) will be selected and notified by email.
• If a potential Finalist does not respond to the notification attempt within three (3) days from the first notification attempt, then such potential Finalist may be disqualified and an alternate potential Finalist might be selected from among all eligible Game Narrative entries received based on the judging Criteria described herein.
• If the Entrant of a potential Winning Game does not respond to the notification attempt within three (3) days from the first notification attempt, then such potential Winning Game may be disqualified and an alternate potential Winning Game will be selected from among all eligible entries received based on the judging Criteria described herein.
• Except where prohibited by law, all Prize Winners will be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability and Publicity Release and provide any additional information that may be required by Sponsor. If required, Prize Winners must return all such required documents via fax (or as otherwise instructed) within forty-eight (48) hours following attempted notification or such potential Prize Winners will be deemed to have forfeited the prize and another potential Prize Winner may be selected based on the judging Criteria described herein.
• In the event the potential Prize Winner is a minor, their parent or legal guardian must sign the documents and return them as described herein. All notification requirements, as well as other requirements within these Rules, will be strictly enforced. Determinations of Judges are final and binding. All Prize Winners, including any parent representatives, agree to keep the Completed Game strictly confidential between time of submission and the Completed Game's final launch by Life Love Publishing.
• PRIZES : The entrant of the Winning Game will be eligible to receive a minimum of $3,000 (USD) prize money. An announcement about the Winning Game(s) will be displayed on Jennifer Ann's Group's game portal JAGga.me website and itch.io page for the remainder of 2023. All Non-Winning Finalists will be eligible to receive a minimum of $100 (USD) prize money upon submitting their completed game in accordance with these rules. Some Non-Winning Finalists may also have their games published on the JAGga.me website and/or itch.io page. A total of $10,000 (USD) in prize money will be distributed among all Winners and Finalists, subject to the minimum prize monies described above. Distribution of prize money will be announced when the Winning Games are announced. Additional Winning Games might be selected from among the Finalists. Further details regarding prize distribution will be provided to winners in the prize acceptance documents but will be approximately four (4) to six (6) weeks after Sponsor's receipt of prize acceptance documents from winners. All entrants receiving prize money are considered prize winners (" Prize Winners ") for purposes of these Rules.
• TAXES : Prize Winners are responsible for any federal, state, and local tax consequences and for compliance with all governmental reporting and payment requirements. Winning funds will be sent in U.S. Dollars via cashier's check through Postal Mail or via PayPal (at the option of the winners).
• GENERAL CONDITIONS : At the time of submitting a Completed Game all Round Two Finalists will also electronically provide to Life Love Publishing all source files and components necessary to re-create the Completed Game ("Source Files"). Life Love Publishing and/or Jennifer Ann's Group may use these Source Files to publish the Completed Game to marketplaces; provide language translations; update content; develop derivative works; and / or to localize such game for other countries at Life Love Publishing and/or Jennifer Ann's Group's sole discretion.
• INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS : All Prize Winners give Jennifer Ann's Group and Life Love Publishing the right to the Entrant's name, voice, picture, portrait, and likeness for advertising and promotion purposes without further compensation, where permitted by law. All Prize Winners also give their consent to Jennifer Ann's Group and Life Love Publishing and to those whom they may authorize, to photograph, film, videotape, and/or to use a photographic / digital reproduction of their entry with or without their name, to identify them by name, and/or to quote or record statements made by them, for any editorial, promotional, marketing, or other purpose broadly related to the mission of Jennifer Ann's Group ("violence prevention"). This consent does not extend to the purposes of endorsement of product or service advertising for any unrelated third parties. As a condition of receiving their prize, Prize Winners must grant Jennifer Ann's Group and Life Love Publishing the non-exclusive, royalty-free, licensable, assignable rights to all: completed, object, and source files; necessary media files; and associated intellectual property rights of their entry for purposes of publishing, promotion, marketing, research, creation of derivative works, and internal use.
• WARRANTY AND INDEMNITY : Entrants warrant that their entries are their own original work and, as such, they are the sole and exclusive owner and rights holder of the submitted Game Narrative / Completed Game and that they have the right to submit the Game Narrative / Completed Game to the Contest and to grant all required licenses. Each Entrant agrees not to submit any Game Narrative / Completed Game that: (a) infringes any third party proprietary rights, intellectual property rights, industrial property rights, personal or moral rights or any other rights, including without limitation, copyright, trademark, trade names, industrial designs, patent, trade secret, privacy, publicity or confidentiality obligations; or (b) otherwise violates applicable international, state, federal, or local law. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Entrant indemnifies and agrees to keep indemnified Sponsor and its agents and subsidiaries at all times from and against any liability, claims, demands, losses, damages, costs, and expenses resulting from any act, default, or omission of the Entrant and/or a breach of any warranty set forth herein. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Entrant agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Sponsor and its agents and subsidiaries from and against any and all claims, actions, suits, or proceedings, as well as any and all losses, liabilities, damages, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees) arising out of or accruing from: (i) any Game Narrative / Completed Game or other material uploaded or otherwise provided by Entrant that infringes any copyright, trademark, trade secret, trade dress, patent, or other intellectual property right of any person or defames any person or violates their rights of publicity or privacy; (ii) any misrepresentation made by Entrant in connection with the Contest; (iii) any non-compliance by Entrant with these Rules; (iv) claims brought by persons or entities other than the parties to these Rules arising from or related to Entrant's involvement with the Contest; (v) acceptance, possession, misuse, or use of any prize or participation in any Contest-related activity or participation in the Contest; (vi) any malfunction or other problem with the Contest Site in relation to the entry and participation in the Contest by Entrant; (vii) any error in the collection, processing, or retention of entry or voting information in relation to the entry and participation in the Contest by Entrant and in the voting process; or (viii) any typographical or other error in the printing, offering, or announcement of any prize or winners in relation to the entry and participation in the Contest by Entrant.
• ELIMINATION : Any false information provided within the context of the Contest by Entrant concerning identity, mailing address, email address, ownership of right, or non-compliance with these Rules or the like may result in the immediate elimination of the entrant from the Contest.
• INTERNET AND DISCLAIMER : Jennifer Ann's Group and Life Love Publishing are not responsible for any malfunction of the entire Contest Site or any late, lost, damaged, misdirected, incomplete, illegible, undeliverable, or destroyed entries due to system errors, failed, incomplete or garbled computer or other telecommunication transmission malfunctions, hardware or software failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, typographical, or system/human errors and failures, technical malfunction(s) of any telephone network or lines, cable connections, satellite transmissions, servers or providers, or computer equipment, traffic congestion on the Internet or at the Contest Site, or any combination thereof, including other telecommunication, cable, digital, or satellite malfunctions which may limit Entrant's ability to participate. Jennifer Ann's Group is not responsible for the policies, actions, or inactions of others which might prevent Entrant from entering, participating, and/or claiming a prize in this Contest. Sponsor's failure to enforce any term of these Rules will not constitute a waiver of that or any other provision. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify Entrants who violate the rules or interfere with this Contest in any manner. If an Entrant is disqualified, Sponsor reserves the right to terminate that Entrant's eligibility to participate in the Contest.
• RIGHT TO CANCEL, MODIFY, OR DISQUALIFY : If for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the Contest, Jennifer Ann's Group reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contest. Jennifer Ann's Group further reserves the right to disqualify any Entrant who tampers with the submission process or any other part of the Contest or Contest Site. Any attempt by an Entrant to deliberately damage any web site, including the Contest Site, or undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Jennifer Ann's Group and Life Love Publishing reserve the right to seek damages from any such Entrant to the fullest extent of the applicable law.

Critical Thinking Game Design Challenge: Submit Your Pitch

Register to be notified when we announce our next game design challenge., subscribe to our mailing list.

• Schools & departments

Critical thinking

Advice and resources to help you develop your critical voice.

Developing critical thinking skills is essential to your success at University and beyond.  We all need to be critical thinkers to help us navigate our way through an information-rich world. 

Whatever your discipline, you will engage with a wide variety of sources of information and evidence.  You will develop the skills to make judgements about this evidence to form your own views and to present your views clearly.

One of the most common types of feedback received by students is that their work is ‘too descriptive’.  This usually means that they have just stated what others have said and have not reflected critically on the material.  They have not evaluated the evidence and constructed an argument.

What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking is the art of making clear, reasoned judgements based on interpreting, understanding, applying and synthesising evidence gathered from observation, reading and experimentation. Burns, T., & Sinfield, S. (2016)  Essential Study Skills: The Complete Guide to Success at University (4th ed.) London: SAGE, p94.

Being critical does not just mean finding fault.  It means assessing evidence from a variety of sources and making reasoned conclusions.  As a result of your analysis you may decide that a particular piece of evidence is not robust, or that you disagree with the conclusion, but you should be able to state why you have come to this view and incorporate this into a bigger picture of the literature.

Being critical goes beyond describing what you have heard in lectures or what you have read.  It involves synthesising, analysing and evaluating what you have learned to develop your own argument or position.

Critical thinking is important in all subjects and disciplines – in science and engineering, as well as the arts and humanities.  The types of evidence used to develop arguments may be very different but the processes and techniques are similar.  Critical thinking is required for both undergraduate and postgraduate levels of study.

What, where, when, who, why, how?

Purposeful reading can help with critical thinking because it encourages you to read actively rather than passively.  When you read, ask yourself questions about what you are reading and make notes to record your views.  Ask questions like:

• What is the main point of this paper/ article/ paragraph/ report/ blog?
• Who wrote it?
• Why was it written?
• When was it written?
• Has the context changed since it was written?
• Is the evidence presented robust?
• How did the authors come to their conclusions?
• Do you agree with the conclusions?
• What does this add to our knowledge?
• Why is it useful?

Our web page covering Reading at university includes a handout to help you develop your own critical reading form and a suggested reading notes record sheet.  These resources will help you record your thoughts after you read, which will help you to construct your argument. 

Reading at university

Developing an argument

Being a university student is about learning how to think, not what to think.  Critical thinking shapes your own values and attitudes through a process of deliberating, debating and persuasion.   Through developing your critical thinking you can move on from simply disagreeing to constructively assessing alternatives by building on doubts.

There are several key stages involved in developing your ideas and constructing an argument.  You might like to use a form to help you think about the features of critical thinking and to break down the stages of developing your argument.

Features of critical thinking (pdf)

Features of critical thinking (Word rtf)

Our webpage on Academic writing includes a useful handout ‘Building an argument as you go’.

Academic writing

You should also consider the language you will use to introduce a range of viewpoints and to evaluate the various sources of evidence.  This will help your reader to follow your argument.  To get you started, the University of Manchester's Academic Phrasebank has a useful section on Being Critical. 

Academic Phrasebank

Developing your critical thinking

Set yourself some tasks to help develop your critical thinking skills.  Discuss material presented in lectures or from resource lists with your peers.  Set up a critical reading group or use an online discussion forum.  Think about a point you would like to make during discussions in tutorials and be prepared to back up your argument with evidence.

For more suggestions:

Developing your critical thinking - ideas (pdf)

Developing your critical thinking - ideas (Word rtf)

Published guides

For further advice and more detailed resources please see the Critical Thinking section of our list of published Study skills guides.

Study skills guides  

Critical thinking definition

Critical thinking, as described by Oxford Languages, is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement.

Active and skillful approach, evaluation, assessment, synthesis, and/or evaluation of information obtained from, or made by, observation, knowledge, reflection, acumen or conversation, as a guide to belief and action, requires the critical thinking process, which is why it's often used in education and academics.

Some even may view it as a backbone of modern thought.

However, it's a skill, and skills must be trained and encouraged to be used at its full potential.

People turn up to various approaches in improving their critical thinking, like:

• Developing technical and problem-solving skills
• Engaging in more active listening
• Actively questioning their assumptions and beliefs
• Seeking out more diversity of thought
• Opening up their curiosity in an intellectual way etc.

Is critical thinking useful in writing?

Critical thinking can help in planning your paper and making it more concise, but it's not obvious at first. We carefully pinpointed some the questions you should ask yourself when boosting critical thinking in writing:

• What information should be included?
• Which information resources should the author look to?
• What degree of technical knowledge should the report assume its audience has?
• What is the most effective way to show information?
• How should the report be organized?
• How should it be designed?
• What tone and level of language difficulty should the document have?

Usage of critical thinking comes down not only to the outline of your paper, it also begs the question: How can we use critical thinking solving problems in our writing's topic?

Let's say, you have a Powerpoint on how critical thinking can reduce poverty in the United States. You'll primarily have to define critical thinking for the viewers, as well as use a lot of critical thinking questions and synonyms to get them to be familiar with your methods and start the thinking process behind it.

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• How to apply critical thinking in learning

Sometimes your university classes might feel like a maze of information. Consider critical thinking skills like a map that can lead the way.

Why do we need critical thinking?  

Critical thinking is a type of thinking that requires continuous questioning, exploring answers, and making judgments. Critical thinking can help you: 

• analyze information to comprehend more thoroughly
• approach problems systematically, identify root causes, and explore potential solutions 
• make informed decisions by weighing various perspectives 
• promote intellectual curiosity and self-reflection, leading to continuous learning, innovation, and personal development 

What is the process of critical thinking? 

1. understand  .

Critical thinking starts with understanding the content that you are learning.

This step involves clarifying the logic and interrelations of the content by actively engaging with the materials (e.g., text, articles, and research papers). You can take notes, highlight key points, and make connections with prior knowledge to help you engage.

Ask yourself these questions to help you build your understanding:  

• What is the structure?
• What is the main idea of the content?  
• What is the evidence that supports any arguments?
• What is the conclusion?

2. Analyze  

You need to assess the credibility, validity, and relevance of the information presented in the content. Consider the authors’ biases and potential limitations in the evidence. 

Ask yourself questions in terms of why and how:

• What is the supporting evidence?  
• Why do they use it as evidence?   
• How does the data present support the conclusions?  
• What method was used? Was it appropriate?  

 3.  Evaluate   

After analyzing the data and evidence you collected, make your evaluation of the evidence, results, and conclusions made in the content.

Consider the weaknesses and strengths of the ideas presented in the content to make informed decisions or suggest alternative solutions:

• What is the gap between the evidence and the conclusion?  
• What is my position on the subject?  
• What other approaches can I use?  

When do you apply critical thinking and how can you improve these skills?   

1. reading academic texts, articles, and research papers.

• analyze arguments
• assess the credibility and validity of evidence
• consider potential biases presented
• question the assumptions, methodologies, and the way they generate conclusions

2. Writing essays and theses

• demonstrate your understanding of the information, logic of evidence, and position on the topic
• include evidence or examples to support your ideas
• make your standing points clear by presenting information and providing reasons to support your arguments
• address potential counterarguments or opposing viewpoints
• explain why your perspective is more compelling than the opposing viewpoints

3. Attending lectures

• understand the content by previewing, active listening , and taking notes
• analyze your lecturer’s viewpoints by seeking whether sufficient data and resources are provided
• think about whether the ideas presented by the lecturer align with your values and beliefs
• talk about other perspectives with peers in discussions

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Harvard-trained neuroscientist with 20+ years experience: 7 tricks I use to keep my memory sharp

It's happened to just about everyone: You try to remember what happened last week, your Netflix password, your grocery list, where you parked your car or the name of that guy you see at the coffee shop — and just draw a blank.

Memories can be tougher to access with time and age. It's perfectly normal and not necessarily indicative of disease or illness, but it can still be unsettling. However, there are things you can do right now to make yourself more resistant to forgetting.

As a Harvard-trained neuroscientist with more than 20 years of experience, when people ask how they can enhance their ability to remember, I like to share these strategies with them. Here are my most commonly used memory tricks. 

When you create a mental image of what you're trying to remember, you add more neural connections to it. You're deepening the associations, making the formation of that memory more robust, so you'll better remember later. 

If you're writing down something that you want to remember, write it in all caps, highlight it in pink marker or circle it. Add a chart or doodle a picture. Make what you're trying to remember something you can easily see in your mind's eye

2. Use your imagination

People with the best memories have the best imaginations. To help make a memory unforgettable, use creative imagery. Go beyond the obvious and attach bizarre, surprising, vivid, funny, physically impossible and interactive elements to what you're trying to remember, and it will stick. 

For example, if I need to remember to pick up chocolate milk at the grocery store, for example, I might imagine Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson milking a chocolate brown cow in my living room. 

3. Make it about you

I rarely endorse self-centeredness, but I make an exception when it comes to enhancing your memory. You are more likely to remember a detail about yourself or something that you did, than you are to retain a detail about someone else or something someone else did.

So make what you're learning unique to you. Associate it with your personal history and opinions, and you'll strengthen your memory.

People with the best memories have the best imaginations. Lisa Genova Author of "Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting"

4. Look for the drama

Experiences drenched in emotion or surprise tend to be remembered: successes, humiliations, failures, weddings, births, divorces, deaths.

Emotion and surprise activate your amygdala, which then sends a loud and clear message to your hippocampus: "Hey! What is going on right now is extremely important. Remember this!" 

5. Practice makes perfect 

Repetition and rehearsal strengthen memories. Quizzing yourself enhances your memory for the material far better than simply rereading it.

Muscle memories become stronger and are more efficiently retrieved the more you rehearse a skill. Because these memories tell the body what to do, your body gets better at doing these physical tasks with practice.

6. Use plenty of retrieval cues 

Cues are crucial for retrieving memories. The right cue can trigger the memory of something you haven't thought of in decades. Cues can be anything associated with what you're trying to remember — the time of day, a pillbox, concert tickets by the front door, a Taylor Swift song, the smell of Tide detergent. 

Smells are especially powerful memory cues because your olfactory bulb, where smells are perceived (you smell in your brain, not your nose), sends strong neural inputs to the amygdala and the hippocampus, the parts of your brain that consolidate memories.

7. Externalize your memory 

People with the best memories for what they intend to do later use aids like lists, pillboxes, calendars, sticky notes, and other reminders.

You might be worried that this is somehow cheating or that you'll worsen your memory's capabilities if you rely too much on these external "crutches" instead of using your brain. Our brains aren't designed to remember to do things later. Write them down.

Here are a few other helpful reminders:

• Context matters.  Memory retrieval is far easier and faster when the internal and external conditions match whatever they were when that memory was formed. Your learning circumstances matter, too. For example, if you like to drink a mocha Frappuccino while studying for a test, have another one when you take the exam to get your brain back into that mindset.
• It helps to chill out.  Chronic stress is nothing but bad news for our ability to remember. In addition to making you more vulnerable to a whole host of diseases, it impairs memory and shrinks your hippocampus. While we can't necessarily free ourselves from the stress in our lives, we can change how we react to it. Through yoga, meditation, exercise, and practices in mindfulness, gratitude and compassion, we can train our brains to become less reactive, put the brakes on the runaway stress response, and stay healthy in the face of chronic, toxic stress.
• And to get enough sleep. You need seven to nine hours of sleep to optimally consolidate the new memories you created today. If you don't get enough sleep, you'll go through the next day experiencing a form of amnesia. Some of your memories from yesterday might be fuzzy, inaccurate or even missing.  Getting enough sleep is critical for locking whatever you have learned and experienced in your long-term memory, and it reduces your risk of developing Alzheimer's.

Lisa Genova is a neuroscientist New York Times bestselling author of " Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting ." Lisa graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in biopsychology and holds a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University. She travels worldwide speaking about brain health, memory and neurological diseases and has appeared on PBS, NBC, CNN and NPR. Her first TED talk, " What You Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer's " has been viewed over eight million times.

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This is an adapted excerpt from "Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting," by Lisa Genova, published by Harmony. Copyright © 2021 by Lisa Genova.