Brain Games for Dementia: What the Research Says and Practical Ideas to Try

"Should we be doing brain games?"

It's one of the most common questions families ask after a loved one starts living with dementia. And like most things in dementia care, the answer is more nuanced than the headlines suggest.

The short version: yes, keeping the mind engaged is beneficial. No, brain games won't reverse dementia or stop it progressing. But regular cognitive stimulation — done in the right way — is one of the most consistently recommended non-pharmacological approaches for supporting wellbeing in people living with dementia.

Here's what we actually know, and more importantly, what you can do with that knowledge.

What the research actually says

The most significant body of evidence comes from research on Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST), which involves structured group activities designed to engage different mental abilities — memory, language, attention, problem-solving, and creative thinking.

CST was developed by Professor Aimee Spector and colleagues at University College London, and it's been studied extensively over the past two decades. The key findings:

• Participants in CST groups showed improvements in quality of life and general wellbeing
• Benefits were comparable to some drug interventions in terms of quality of life outcomes
• CST is now recommended by NICE (the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) as a routine offering for people with mild to moderate dementia
• It's also endorsed by Alzheimer Europe, the World Health Organization, and dementia organisations across multiple countries

What's crucial to understand is that CST isn't about "training the brain" to get better at specific tasks. It's about keeping the mind active, maintaining social connection, and providing enjoyable, meaningful stimulation. The benefit isn't in the score — it's in the engagement.

What about "brain training" apps?

Here's where it gets complicated. Commercial brain training apps (the ones marketed to the general population) have a mixed evidence base. A large 2016 review signed by over 70 scientists concluded that the claims made by many brain training companies exceeded the evidence.

However, there's an important distinction: those criticisms were largely about claims that brain training in healthy people prevents future cognitive decline. For people already living with dementia, the evidence for cognitive stimulation — which is different from computerised brain training — is much stronger.

The difference matters:

• Brain training (the commercial kind): Repetitive tasks designed to improve specific cognitive metrics in healthy people. Mixed evidence.
• Cognitive stimulation: Varied, enjoyable activities across multiple domains, designed to engage and stimulate in people living with dementia. Strong evidence.

The best brain games for people with dementia look more like the second category than the first.

The seven cognitive domains (and why variety matters)

Research suggests that stimulating different areas of cognition — rather than repeating the same type of activity — provides the broadest benefit. Here are the main domains, with examples of activities for each:

1. Language and words

Language activities engage vocabulary, verbal fluency, and the pleasure of playing with words. These draw on well-established language networks in the brain, which are often relatively preserved in early and moderate stages.

Activities to try:

• Word association — say a word, ask what it makes them think of
• Proverbs and sayings — start a well-known proverb and let them finish it
• Word search puzzles (large print, familiar words)
• Rhyming games — find words that rhyme with "cat," "day," "love"
• Describing a picture — what do you see? What's happening?

2. Memory and attention

These activities gently exercise recall and focus. The key word is "gently" — the goal is engagement, not testing.

Activities to try:

• Photo pairs — simple matching card games with pictures
• "What changed?" — show an arrangement of objects, change one, see if they notice
• Looking through photo albums and sharing memories
• Recalling song lyrics from favourite songs
• Discussing a familiar recipe step by step

3. Logic and reasoning

Activities that involve patterns, sequences, and simple problem-solving. These should be calibrated carefully — if someone is getting frustrated, it's too hard.

Activities to try:

• What comes next? — simple visual or number patterns
• Sorting objects by colour, size, or type
• Odd one out — which item doesn't belong?
• Simple card games (Snap, Go Fish)
• Arranging steps of a familiar task in order (making tea, getting dressed)

4. Visual and spatial

Activities involving visual processing, recognition, and spatial awareness.

Activities to try:

• Spot the difference puzzles (with large, clear images)
• Jigsaw puzzles (start with very few pieces — 12-25)
• Identifying objects in pictures
• Matching shapes or colours
• "Quick spot" games — find the red item, find the circle

5. Knowledge and general awareness

These activities draw on long-term knowledge, which is often well preserved. They feel less like games and more like conversation — which is part of their appeal.

Activities to try:

• Gentle quizzes on familiar topics (geography they know well, history they lived through, sports they followed)
• "This day in history" — what happened on today's date?
• True or false questions about everyday knowledge
• Discussing current events (keeping it light)
• Coin recognition and counting (practical and cognitively engaging)

6. Opinion and personal expression

Sometimes overlooked, but incredibly valuable. These activities don't have right or wrong answers — they invite the person to express preferences and make choices, which preserves agency and selfhood.

Activities to try:

• "What would you choose?" — tea or coffee? Beach or mountains? Morning or evening?
• Discussing favourite things — best holiday, favourite meal, funniest memory
• Rating things — is this a nice picture? Do you like this song?
• Looking at magazine images and discussing what appeals

7. Reminiscence

Reminiscence activities draw on long-term autobiographical memory, which is often the last to decline. They're deeply personal and often emotionally rich.

Activities to try:

• Life story prompts — "Tell me about your first job"
• Music from their era — play songs from when they were 15-25
• Handling objects from their past (old tools, photos, fabrics, books)
• Discussing historical events they lived through
• Cooking a recipe from their childhood

Making it work in daily life

The biggest mistake families make with brain games is treating them as a separate, scheduled "therapy session." This creates pressure and often resistance.

Instead, weave cognitive activities naturally into the day:

Morning: A proverb over breakfast. "A stitch in time..." (pause, let them finish).

Mid-morning: Looking through a newspaper together, discussing a photo or headline.

After lunch: A simple matching game or word search, 10-15 minutes. Stop before they tire.

Afternoon: Music from their era. Talking about the songs and what they remember.

Evening: A gentle quiz while having a cup of tea. Five easy questions about things they know.

Short bursts are better than long sessions. Ten minutes of engaged activity three times a day is more beneficial — and more sustainable — than an hour-long session that ends in frustration.

What about digital brain games?

Digital games have some genuine advantages for people living with dementia:

• Adaptive difficulty — Good apps can automatically adjust how challenging an activity is, something that's hard to do with paper-based puzzles
• Variety without preparation — You don't need to hunt for new word searches every week
• Immediate encouragement — Sounds, animations, and positive feedback feel rewarding
• Independence — In early stages, someone might enjoy doing activities on a tablet without needing a companion

OurTurn includes a library of brain wellness activities across several categories — from CST-inspired word games, reminiscence, and conversation prompts to gentle visual and emoji-based activities that work in all 31 supported languages. They're designed for people living with dementia: large text, simple interactions, warm encouragement, and no scoring, no timers, and no right or wrong answers. They're there to be enjoyed — ideally together — not to test anyone or measure performance.

But digital isn't always better. Some people don't enjoy screens, struggle with touchscreen interactions, or simply prefer doing things with their hands. A pack of cards, a jigsaw puzzle, or a walk in the garden can be just as cognitively stimulating as any app.

The best approach is usually a mix: some digital activities (when they work), some hands-on, some social, some independent. Variety is the point.

(Read more: Activities That Work at Every Stage)

Common mistakes to avoid

Turning activities into tests. The moment you start checking whether they got the answer "right," you've changed the dynamic from play to examination. Many people with dementia will withdraw immediately.

Not adjusting the difficulty. What worked last month may be too hard now. And what's too easy on a good day might be perfect on a tired afternoon. Stay flexible.

Overdoing it. Three 10-minute sessions are better than one 30-minute session. Watch for signs of fatigue, frustration, or loss of interest — and stop before you get there.

Only doing one type of activity. If you only do word games, you're only stimulating one domain. Mix it up across the week.

Expecting visible improvement. The goal isn't to get better at brain games. The goal is to have enjoyable, engaging moments together. If your loved one smiled, participated, and didn't seem stressed — that's a successful session, regardless of outcomes.

A note on what matters most

All the research, all the evidence, all the carefully designed activities — they point to the same fundamental truth: what helps most is human connection. Playing a word game together, laughing at a silly answer, sharing a memory triggered by a song.

The game is just the vehicle. The connection is the destination.

Your loved one may not remember what game you played. But the feeling of being engaged, included, and enjoyed? That lingers longer than any score ever could.

---

OurTurn is a family care coordination tool — not a medical device. Brain wellness activities are designed for enjoyment and general wellbeing. They are not a clinical intervention. For medical advice about your loved one's care, always consult their healthcare team.