5 Reasons to Play Sudoku

Here are a few reasons to play Sudoku – which of these reasons resonate with you?

Sudoku brings a sense of calm and order.  No matter how busy your life is, Sudoku offers a relaxing way to take a break from the world around you.  Many people make Sudoku a part of their daily schedule because it refreshes them and allows them to meet the other commitments with renewed energy and vigor.  Playing Sudoku also helps people feel a sense of mastery – this is one reason why the game is so popular.

Sudoku might help your brain stay healthy. The American Alzheimer’s Association has endorsed Sudoku as a “brain game” that might help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and some researchers believe that playing mentally stimulating games and puzzle games like Sudoku might be a good way to reduce our risk of dementia as we get older. (Although the science is not definitive on this subject, it’s worth thinking about!)

Sudoku provides an escape. Sudoku is a fun puzzle game that can be played anytime, anywhere – making it easy to use these games as a quick, harmless bit of escapism from your daily routine. Many people say that Sudoku and other puzzle games are “addictive,” but it’s a much healthier addiction than smoking!

Sudoku is fun for all ages. Sudoku is fun for all ages. Sudoku can be played by adults and senior citizens alike. There are special Sudoku games (for example, Sudoku puzzles with only the numbers 1-4 instead of the usual 1-9) and the rules of the game and the various online Sudoku games and Sudoku mobile apps are simple enough for almost anyone to quickly get up to speed on the game, whether or not they consider themselves to be “tech savvy” or “good at math.” Sudoku can even be a fun game for parents to play with their children – you can both sit together and help your child learn how to fill in the spaces on the grid, teaching logical problem-solving skills and helping your child feel a sense of accomplishment with each puzzle solved.

Sudoku can help get rid of “earworms.” Have you ever had an “earworm?” Not a parasitic worm in your ear – a song that gets stuck in your head and won’t stop replaying. Scientists at Western Washington University found that playing Sudoku (while listening to a persistent “earworm” song) helped people get the songs out of their heads faster – but only if the Sudoku puzzles were not too difficult. This is an unexpected (but much-appreciated) benefit of playing Sudoku!