If anyone questions the value of daily brain training as a digital trend, confidently offer them a newspaper with the crosswords page open as a playful retort.

The concept of brain training leaped into the digital age when the fictional Dr. Kawashima popularised it with a Nintendo DS. This marked the beginning of a new era when brain-training apps started to gain popularity on handheld devices, such as smartphones and tablets, making cognitive enhancement more accessible than ever.

Most brain-training apps follow a similar pattern: they offer a range of mini-games designed to challenge different cognitive skills, provide visual progress charts, and include optional subscriptions for additional games and features.

While the scientific validity of brain-training apps can be debated, they offer a more rewarding daily habit than playing Candy Crush Saga. These apps have the potential not just to entertain but also to improve cognitive skills and enhance mental agility, making them a valuable addition to your daily routine. Here are five apps that are worth exploring.

Here are five apps that are worth trying.

Peak - Brain Games & Training

Peak Brain Training offers a selection of over 30 games and exercises that cater to different mental abilities, ensuring that each daily session remains engaging and varied. The app allows users to track their exercise progress and provides games designed to enhance mental acuity, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve cognitive function.

By conducting an initial assessment, Peak assesses the user's psychological profile and designs a training plan specifically suited to their needs. This personalised strategy ensures that users concentrate on enhancing areas requiring improvement, thereby optimising the effectiveness of their brain training experience.

The app's free version provides plenty of activities, but a monthly subscription unlocks unlimited access to all games, personalises your daily "exercise," and offers more detailed statistics.

Lumosity

The oldest contender in the field, Lumosity has pioneered many of the features that are now standard among its competitors. Lumosity has a substantial library of over 40 brain games designed to enhance cognitive skills such as memory, processing speed, problem-solving, and flexibility.

A group of scientists collaborated to develop the app, and these brain games translate cognitive exercises into interactive puzzles and challenges. Lumosity offers many exercises to help users strengthen different intellectual capabilities, providing a comprehensive brain training regimen.

This brain game application monitors users' advancement over time, offering insights into their psychological trends and identifying their strengths and areas needing improvement. This feedback is crucial for personal growth, providing users with a comprehensive view of their cognitive progress.

Additionally, Lumosity includes a complimentary Fit Test to establish baseline scores, allowing users to benchmark their performance against peers in their age bracket. This competitive aspect fosters motivation and inspires continuous striving for enhancement.

It offers a curated selection of mini-games arranged into daily programs and detailed statistics to track your progress over time.

Like its competitors, Lumosity requires a monthly subscription to access additional games and features. While it's more expensive on mobile platforms, the ability to use its website from a computer also adds to its appeal.

Elevate

Elevate, created by Elevate Labs, is a top-tier brain-training app designed for Android devices. Its standout feature is its personalised learning approach, which adapts workouts to suit the user's strengths and weaknesses for optimal results. The app enhances speaking, memory, math, and vocabulary skills through engaging games emphasising language.

With a diverse selection of over 40 brain-training games, Elevate offers an enriching experience that improves focus, grammar, comprehension, and more. Each game targets specific cognitive abilities, enabling users to refine writing skills, expand vocabulary, solve math puzzles, and boost memory.

Elevate, recognised for its educational value and efficacy in enhancing mental acuity, was developed in collaboration with academic experts who integrate proven techniques to maximise learning outcomes. The app constantly monitors performance and tailors workouts to individual needs, ensuring a fully personalised experience. Its adaptive progression system dynamically adjusts difficulty levels based on user performance, guaranteeing an appropriate challenge and driving continuous improvement.

Fit Brains Trainer

Fit Brains Trainer provides an extensive selection of more than 35 brain-training games, carefully categorised into different workout sessions to ensure an engaging and diverse daily practice.

Whether you want to enhance your memory, concentration, language skills, or other cognitive abilities, these sessions keep the challenges fresh and mixed.

As you progress, sessions automatically adjust to provide increasingly tricky tasks, ensuring a consistently stimulating brain workout. Additionally, this device emphasizes Emotional Intelligence across four critical domains: Self-Control, Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, and Social Skills.

Users receive comprehensive performance reports that pinpoint areas for improvement, offering valuable insights into their cognitive development.

CogniFit

CogniFit goes beyond typical brain-training applications; it focuses on enhancing essential cognitive abilities like attention, memory, and reasoning, which are vital for effective studying.

This scientifically designed platform targets over 20 cognitive skills relevant to daily life. Using advanced technology, CogniFit continuously assesses user performance and automatically adjusts the level and variety of brain games to ensure optimal challenge and effectiveness.

Its standout feature is personalisation. The application conducts a thorough assessment of your cognitive strengths and weaknesses, enabling you to identify and target areas for improvement. This personalised approach ensures that your cognitive workouts are effective and enjoyable.

By delving into the science of cognitive enhancement, CogniFit provides valuable insights and precise tools for individuals looking to sharpen their mental faculties with meticulous accuracy.

Limitless possibilities

The variety of brain games opens a path to enhancing memory, problem-solving abilities, and overall cognitive skills. From Lumosity's scientifically designed games to Elevate's personalised approach and CogniFit's precise training methods, these apps reshape how individuals interact with their mental faculties. As we navigate this digital era of cognitive improvement, it's evident that there are limitless possibilities for cognitive growth. Age becomes just a number, as these brain games empower users of all ages to maintain mental agility and resilience, preparing them for the dynamic challenges of a constantly changing world.