What games get your brain overworked?
High IQ?
Any recommendations for intense strategy, puzzle or action games on any platform.
What are some great games for smart people?
Comments
Human Resource Machine is a fantastic programming/logic game that can really bend your noodle. Also exists on mobile platforms.
The Witness is a very challenging classic puzzle game, and the first one that made me get out a pen and paper to solve puzzles since adventure games in the 80s.
Would also recommend stuff like Satisfactory, (modded) Minecraft, Cities Skylines, etc for some more chill optimisation style games.
Came here to recommend Human Resource Machine and its sequel - 7 Billion Humans.
The Talos Principle has some great puzzle elements and most if it doesn't require quick timing.
What percentage of video games are shoot 'em ups? My impression (old fogey who doesn't play video games) is that it's about 97%.
Depends what you mean by percentage.
If you mean unique games then indie games would be the largest but not too many are shooters because they’d be up against big names like Call of Duty, Battlefield making it too competitive
If you mean most popular, shooters are definitely a large share though definitely not 97%. Racing, sports, strategy, etc. still hold a large share tooThat's probably because the biggest marketing campaigns and more popular franchises are shooters in some form. Kinda like movies - you hear a lot about the latest Superhero/Star Wars etc more than the thousands of others of films released at any point.
Closest stats I found were from 2009 in the US - 20.9% games sold were Shooters, 26.9% were 'action' - then you've got adventure, strategy, rpg's, sport, racing, fighting and other genres taking up the rest. That is sold as well, not released.
portal
The Turing Test
Portal / Portal 2
The WitnessLearn Japanese to Survive (If they feel like learning a language)
7th Guest and 11th Hour (Very old school games but probably one of the most difficult puzzle games I've played)
Myst a great puzzle game back in the day. wonderful graphics as well
For some old adventure/puzzle games that have had recent HD remasters try the Monkey Island Series and Day of the Tentacle. Great games. As others have suggested the Portal games too.
Not for you I gather…. I would suggest getting your friend a Rubik's cube
Learn javascript. Fun for all ages.
The card game bridge. Challenging and satisfying, the learning curve is endless.
Texas hold 'em.
Magic: The Gathering
Hearthstone
Legends of Runeterra
Pokemon TCG
Hungry hippos
Hungry hungry hippos
That's for really, really smart people.
If you have ps1 emulator maybe try brigandine, or they have another port at switch, brigandine runersia. I was thinking of buying switch just for this 1 game
Minesweeper.
Chip's challenge
Are you saying you have a high IQ or are trying to increase your IQ?
Both.
brilliant.org
Try Go. Like chess, it requires plenty of smarts - but there is also a more intuitive sense to playing it as well. See this review on YouTube https://youtu.be/RRBjN8empIs
I just released a game which could be considered for people who want to use their brain called Random Words
Shameless promo aside, I agree with some others here on the suggestion of The Witness. Great puzzle game that really makes you think!5D Chess on Steam is a multiverse, time travelling version of chess and I don't even begin to understand how it works. Baba Is You also pretty mind bending.
- YMMV etc, it's quite possible these are fairly basic and I'm just bad at puzzle games because shooters done broke my brain.
Twilight Struggle
try brilliant.org .. its not really a game but rather good website with lot of courses run in a quiz type fashion and it also gives you daily challenges.
I'd recommend meditating to release yourself from your ego.
Perhaps you can try comprehend the story in Death Stranding
operation!
Hearts of Iron IV takes a lot of thinking and strategy… Start on "Easy" mode with germany or USSR. Move on to "Hard" mode by attempting world domination as, say, New Zealand.
**Note- i myself am terrible at this game
In terms of overworking and kickstarting the brain, any fighting game works for me. Mortal Kombat, Tekken or Street Fighter. Fast paced and anticipating your opponents moves.
Oxygen Not Included
The Simpsons Hit and Run
Chess has been already pointed out. There's also Bridge.
Not high IQ games per se, but try some paradox strategy games, e.g. Europa Universalis 4, Victoria 2, Hearts of Iron 4, Crusader Kings 2, Stellaris etc. You do have to keep track of a lot of things further into these games.
Paper, scissors, rock.
Super intelligent game.
http://notpron.org/notpron/ "the hardest riddle available on the Internet" played this like a decade ago, it's still going!
On PC
- Turn based world simulators (Civ 6, Anno 1800)
- Turn based tactics (XCom 2)
- Real time tactics (Desperados 3, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun)
- Real time strategy (Starcraft 2)
- Multiplayer online battle arena/MOBA (DoTA 2, League of Legends)I personally find any tactics games the most draining, but that might be different for others :)
FIFA 20
Kerbal Space Program - Career Mode
Day trading on the stock market.
To all those who say stock market, clearly you have no idea about the stock market.
You don’t need a high IQ for that, it might not even be favourable.
it might not even be favourable.
don't believe everything your broker tells you mate.
My broker doesn’t speak, that’s my advantage, luckily people like warren Buffett does, and I quote him.
Obviously hurts some people’s feelings though.
Played that dudes first game. Braid?
Worth.
That one is also great!
I just do some advanced calculus when I'm bored, it's a bit too easy for me but it's a decent way to wind down after a long day of biomedical and chemical engineering (which I also do for fun).
I am currently replaying Prey, it's making me think a bit, particularly with the DLC Mooncrash. I must qualify this by confessing I am somewhat of a dum dum
Baba Is You
https://store.steampowered.com/app/736260/Baba_Is_You/A puzzle game that on the surface it looks simple.. but it quickly becomes extremely challenging, to the point of mental breakdown.
It's the most unique puzzle game I have ever seen and it requires some really big mental leaps or hurdles to work out the puzzles.
Computer games
If you want to trigger their OCD, Satisfactory or factorio (similar production building games)
Lyne and Circuits as casual mind teasers
SpaceChem if you like finding the tricky solutions to a simple puzzle. For that matter even Cogs (sliding tile puzzle) Or World of goo (structure design)Or take a break and read a book - let the brain cells decompress that way :)
The Legend of Zelda : Breath Of The Wild
Othello/ Reversi
Weird flex bro
But OK
Haha reddit
Nice
The Witness
Talos Principle
Baba Is YouAll unique, challenging and very fun games that are fair and feel extremely rewarding to solve
Star Craft 2… Without a doubt.
Marriage
Try GETTING MARRIED dude.
Doesn't sound like something a smart man does.
smart man need love too
If you have an high IQ you would not be wasting your time playing games to overwork your brain. You would be overworking your brain by learning something new like programming.
15c coles bags work.
Sorry mate I don't use a rubber prophelactic, I just use my personality.
Toon blast
Among Us - available free on iOS and Android, or for under $10 on steam
Work out from the 10 people on a ship who the imposter killing people off is, and convince the others who to vote for.
Working it out is easy, convincing internet randoms is where it takes skill.
I hate to say 'learn to code', but if you are smart and want to give your brain a workout while learning something new, then programming can be great fun.
Nonogram
What's that question? Are you some self entitled pot? Play any game and make it smart. 3d chess as in big bang theory. Play angry birds blindfolded with one arm up your ass
Hehe. Yes indeed the old self-fist. The game of kings.
Hahaha we all need some self help
For a challenge, I try dealing with my partner's temper tantrums in a way which helps her understand she is being unreasonable, would think that behaviour was unreasonable if it were displayed by others, portrays the issue as her problem not my problem, and yet somehow still results in us having sex in the short term future.
No more difficult game than that will ever be invented.
What are the rules?
The divinity : original sin series will challenge you mentally. Great storyline with multiple arcs. Difficult combat sequences that require forward planning.
Otherwise, Dark Souls. There's nothing like failing repeatedly in a controlled and fair environment for stress relief and relaxation.
I'd say Sekiro trumps dark souls and bloodborne, in gameplay and difficulty.
Having tried and tried to get into DS3 I finally gave up somewhere after the bridge with the 4 knights and the first blue knight (before the fat lightening boss). Inconsistent party, janky everything, I just can't do it. Bloodborne was a bit better, but having played sekiro through to completion and being halfway through a nocharm demon bell run, I just can't go back to the earlier games.
Tldr just play Sekiro. But not on PS4 because framerate issues. Pro or PC only.
Sekiro is prob my fav game of all time. It's wonderful.
I'm hoping and praying that Elden ring or the demon souls remake can make use of the improvements in sekiro, more reliable parry, smoother everything. I really want to keep going.
Between sekiro and cuphead I have rediscovered my love(love/hate) relationship with difficult games.
That feeling of triumph followed by immediately hitting another brick wall. It is the kind of resilience to apparently overwhelming challenge which is necessary for success in so many stem fields.
Have you tried 5D chess? My head exploded by the 3rd move due to concentration
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1349230/5D_Chess_With_Mul…
'Super Ego 64' might suit you
If there is any neurosis here it is more likely a product of the ego or Id, than the superego. Just sayin'.
Agreed, and superluminal.
I agree. I've bought this as a Christmas present for someone who enjoys cryptic puzzles.
Just had a quick look through my steam games and this is what I came up with. Should be pretty obvious where intelligence is necessary for each of these.
Braid.
World of goo.
Magicka and helldivers.
Supreme commander forged alliance on FAF.
Crypt of the necrodancer
Divinity 2
Cuphead
Kerbal space program
Prey
Warhammer total war
Frostpunk
Hitman 1 and 2
Antichamber
Superluminal
Beginner's guide
Into the breach
Stanley parable
The witnessIf you're into shooters at all, rainbow 6 siege.
I aim like a bot, move like a bot, and rest easy knowing when I kill someone I outplayed and outsmarted them. So satisfying. Punishing first 100 hours or so though.
Hearthstone, definitely mind twisting strategic trading card game. it's free to play online/offline, and for beginner it might takes days to learn to play all the cards deck strategy and abbilities..
Dota
Games by Zachtronics are usually pretty geeky. Programming, engineering, chemistry, etc.
snakes and ladders
Portal series, Superliminal, Trine series, Death Squared.
Supreme commander
Age of Empires