Knowledge
Language
Reasoning
Numbers
Memory
FocusQuestions and answers
Straight answers about brain games.
The questions people ask about brain training apps and games, each answered in a few lines first, then in full, with sources. Written by the Wits team, who make Wits.
Choosing an app
What to look for, and how the main brain training apps differ.
- Roundup5 min
What are the best brain training apps?
There isn’t one best brain training app for everyone. Elevate, Lumosity, Peak, Impulse and Wits suit different people: Elevate leans toward reading, writing, speaking and math; Lumosity and Peak cover memory, attention and problem-solving; Impulse adds IQ-style and personality tests; Wits mixes general knowledge and language with logic, numbers, memory and focus.Read the answer - Question3 min
What makes a good brain training app?
A good brain training app has games you enjoy across several skills, difficulty that adjusts as you improve, short sessions that fit your day, clear prices with a usable free tier, and a readable privacy policy.Read the answer - Question3 min
What is Wits, the brain games app?
Wits is a daily brain-games app. In the iPhone app, each day brings Dot Path, quick games across six skills and one-minute lessons.Read the answer
Alternatives and comparisons
Side-by-side facts from each app’s own pages, dated and sourced.
- Alternatives4 min
What are the best Elevate alternatives?
Good Elevate alternatives depend on what you want instead. Lumosity and Peak cover memory, attention and problem-solving; Peak adds an Apple Watch app.Read the answer - Alternatives4 min
What are the best Lumosity alternatives?
The right Lumosity alternative depends on what you want to change. Elevate leans toward reading, writing, speaking and math.Read the answer - Head to head3 min
Lumosity vs Elevate: which brain training app is right for you?
Lumosity suits people who want speed, memory, attention and problem-solving games, with a personalized program and detailed insights in Premium.Read the answer
Games to play
The kinds of brain games worth playing, and where to play them free.
- Question3 min
What are the best brain training games?
The best brain training games are the ones you enjoy enough to play regularly, across a mix of skills.Read the answer - Question2 min
What are good brain training games for adults?
Good brain training games for adults are short, genuinely challenging and varied: logic puzzles, word games, mental math, memory and attention games, and trivia.Read the answer - Question3 min
Where can you play free brain games online?
Many brain-game apps have a free tier, though many are phone apps. Wits plays in your web browser with a free account: Dot Path, a daily logic puzzle, plus Color Clash and Word Code.Read the answer
Habits and research
How much to play, and what studies have actually measured.
- Question3 min
How many minutes a day should you play brain games?
There’s no research-backed ideal, so choose an amount you can keep up every day. A good starting point is 5 to 15 minutes: enough for a puzzle and a few short games, short enough for a busy day.Read the answer - Explainer
Are brain training games effective?
People reliably get better at the games they practice. Reviews of the research find much weaker evidence that this carries over to everyday thinking.Read the explainer