Some years ago, when a child was playing a game such as chess, there would be a great deal of praise. It was seen that such games were considered to be the equivalent of brain food. And this conversation about the use of games in affecting our abilities is still ongoing.  Today most children are playing video based games. So it goes without saying these are very different from the games of old. Whereas a game such as chess requires strategic thinking and forward planning, with many of today's online gaming offerings, there is less demand for strategic thinking, and more for the simple finger dexterity of being able to shoot faster than your opponent.

And that's why you often hear debates about how video games may affect a child's development. For grown-ups, we can substitute video games with escape room games.  Once again, there is a great deal of discussion about whether or not these games actually can, for example, improve employees skills. Nevertheless, it's clear that all forms of gaming will have an impact on the brain's health. Today there is a great deal of research into the focus of games and why they can affect players much more than other activities, such as studying or working. Essentially, there are three core topics which always come up during these discussions. Let's have a look at them in turn.

Learning and Reward Systems

On the whole, any discussion about comparing game-based learning over the studying of textbooks will eventually lead to a discussion of the way the mind operates. Especially when there are rewards for tasks being achieved. That's because, unlike working or studying in the traditional sense, playing games gives more immediate rewards. On a chemical level this comes in the form of dopamine. This affects the brain and creates a motivating rush. It's what gives a player the sense of extreme satisfaction when they are successful or simply win.

Yes, it's true that it could be argued that this dopamine aspect of instant gratification will create both addictive and obsessive behaviours. After all, dopamine is the chemical that is produced when taking drugs. But on the other side of the coin, there are negative effects when the brain is made to perform various tasks without the possibility of gratification. Or at least with delayed and unclear rewards. This can result in anxiety, stress, and to a large degree, demotivation. When the brain is left to work for too long, but without hope of any reward, then a form of depression sets in. In other words, all learning activities are better when there is hope of reward at some future fixed and visible point.

Executive Function

This is a term that describes all the skills that are involved in a properly functioning brain.  There are three main skills which are;  a working memory, self control/concentration and flexible planning. Now when you're playing a game, all of these factors will be exercised. For example, the working memory is used when you're piecing together clues you found during an escape Room game. Your concentration will be tested when you need to focus on performing a set number of objectives, but without losing your concentration. And finally, flexible planning comes to the fore when using strategy games or in activities that require multiple degrees of multitasking. So when dealing with brain health and gaming, we can see that the core skills necessary for a healthy mind, can apply to a huge range of disciplines, interests and jobs.

Neuroplasticity

The third part of the equation focuses on an important part of neuroscience. Namely brain plasticity. This revolves around the idea that the structure of the brain can be altered by different tasks. Hence the term plasticity. The research is still in its relative infancy with much left to be proven; some experiments and programs have shown consistent results.
And one important factor that runs through all of these results is the fact that those programs involved the heavy use of either game design or gamification

Even if the activities did not result in a significant increase in performance, it was still noticeable that some games do have an impact on the way the brain restructures itself.  More especially so when it comes to performing a certain task. Today it’s still too early to be able to assess the dramatic impact that games may have on brain development and activity. Yet we can say that there appears to be plenty of anecdotal evidence that gaming and brain activity together create positive outcomes. 

If you've had any experience playing in an escape room, then you may feel slightly more intelligent once the game has been completed. During the game playing you've had to utilise  mental faculties that may have been dormant for years, due to the fact that their use was never called for before. To that degree, as a player, you probably feel that new connections have been created within your brain. In some ways, you can thank a real life adventure, whereby you are mentally challenged, as being a catalyst for new ways of seeing the world and of thinking and reasoning. 

Although many of the puzzles and clues within an escape room game are completely new to the player, they are still able to figure out the answers. This is because the brain is being driven forward by the possible reward of completing the game within the set time limit. And in truth, it's very noticeable that when a team manages to beat the clock and escape the room, they experience a high, thanks to a large injection of dopamine. In other words, they are being rewarded for their efforts. It's this combination of work plus eventual reward that will make changes to the brain in order that it may gain even greater rewards at a later date. Or rather that's a theory!