How Do Block Puzzle Games Help Players?

There were plenty of simple nostalgia-driven strategy games in the 1980s and 90s in all their 8-bit glory. Even though their graphics and gameplay were a far cry from what is on offer today and appear primitive in comparison to today’s games, they did have one thing going for them – their unpretentious gameplay.

There was the brick game where you had to control a paddle to destroy the bricks, or Tetris, where you had to perfectly align falling bricks to clear them and keep the game going. These games popularized the puzzle gaming genre, and a wider audience got to enjoy these delightful games.

For those who fondly recall these arcade games, they have the option to play block puzzle online.  Those games offered more than entertainment value. Plenty of benefits can be gleaned that will have a marked impact on everyday life, such as stress relief, attention to detail, coping well under pressure, etc.

As a matter of fact, the Harvard Business Review makes a compelling case for how lessons learned when gaming could make you a better strategist.

Read on to know more about the numerous benefits block puzzle games bestow on their players.

Decision Making:

Puzzle games require the implementation of real-time strategy and can be challenging.  A little slip-up could mean game over! The wrong placement of the puzzle piece would be an error that would complicate any attempts to recover. The longer you play, the quicker the pace of the game.  As practice makes perfect, indulging in games like these will help slowly improve your decision-making skills even under pressure.

Self-Analysis:

When you start playing games that require you to strategize the next move,  you may realize they are more complex than they seem. You will turn to seek help in the form of how-to guides or watch self-help videos online. Similarly, when in life you stumble across a tricky situation, you won’t mind reaching out for help.

Analyzing the situation and deciding the next course of action is a valuable skill that can be transferred from the gaming world to the real one.

Resource Management:

Space on the screen is a limited resource when playing block puzzle games. To avoid running out of it, you must work to clear the lines already formed to keep the game moving.  Stacking up these blocks high means you are also running out of time.

Deft management of these precious resources will help you be up to speed when you encounter challenges of a similar nature in real life.  Better time and space management will help you be more productive by clearing the clutter from your desk and work schedule.

Improves Your Mood:

Games that guarantee a puzzling time also help improve our moods. Completing a puzzle successfully is a natural way of boosting dopamine levels in the body. When this happens, we get a sense of accomplishment and happiness. In addition to inducing delight, it even helps us to keep our worries at bay.

Puzzles Exert Both Sides of The Brain:

The brain has two hemispheres, which are in charge of varied functions.  The right side of the brain handles your creativity, while the left is at the helm of the brain’s analytic and logical thinking.  When working on block puzzles, both sides of the brain are actively engaged and receive a real mental workout.

Block Puzzles Lower Stress Levels:

Puzzles tend to be relaxing and invigorating at the same time. While marshaling our thoughts on a single task, we enter a meditative state. As block puzzles demand all of our awareness, yielding to them means we are better equipped to cope with stress.

Develop Attention to Detail:

Playing block puzzle games requires you to pay close attention to the finer details, such as the color and shape of the block. If you slot the right shape but the wrong color, the line won’t clear. Likewise, the right color but the wrong shape will also be a roadblock to your progress in the game.

Block puzzles are even known to enhance visual and spatial reasoning by helping you figure out which exact space will be wide enough to accommodate the income block. This ability to trace even the tiniest details will help in every aspect of life, be it personal or official.

Helps Contemplate Mistakes:

A sudden lapse in concentration, even for a moment, may deter you from continuing the game, and you may choose to quit and restart the game. Doing so would help to realize the misstep made and head in with a plan to avoid it the next time.

Similarly, when making an error in real life, take in the bigger picture and conduct an in-depth analysis of what went wrong. Not only will this prevent a repeat of the inconvenient situation, but you also won’t have to start over.  After all, a do-over in a game is easier than in the real world.

Always Maintain Focus:

Games that rely on quick-witted thinking and spur-of-the-moment measures will bolster the attention span of gamers. It goes without saying that strategy games require the individual’s undivided attention.  Being vigilant will foil inconvenient situations and help complete tasks with minimal complications.

It should come as no surprise that the rate of puzzle game adoption forms a big chunk of the video games being played. Puzzle games are also widely popular on mobile phones, as they can be played on the move. And developers are only too willing to cater to a market with a forever burgeoning demand.