5 Best iOS Games To Train Your Brain

This one isn't so much a game as it is a scientific experiment. The app is free and you get the sense right off the bat that what you're doing is actually contributing to some measure of worthwhile research. The point of BrainBaseline is to actually measure how well your brain works. And all while messing around with your iPad! With all that science stuff said, it's not like the game is nothing but homework. While it may be pretty bare bones in terms of presentation, there are plenty of games that are built into the app that will help to measure your memory, attention, and overall mental horsepower. You will be able to track your progress over time and also have the option to submit your results to help populate the overall project with valuable data.

This is one Brain Training app that seems to think it has the pedigree of a major shoe lable. According to its makers, Lumosity has accomplished all sorts of wonders for its users. Improved memory, better mood and an overall nimble brain are but a few of the results that the app touts as benefits of taking part in the program. Like all of these brain training apps, Lumosity includes different mini games, each one designed to enhance specific cognative abilities, such as attention, memory, processing speed, and problem solving. A word of warning though -- while the app may be free, you will eventually have to pay a subscription fee in order to continue to use the service. Think of it like a gym membership for your brain.

How can you not be interested in a brain training app that has a psychedelic Einstein logo? Careful with your fingers though, the free version of this app has ads that like to pop up right where you'd normally be tapping. And there's nothing like mistakenly flipping over to the app store to help kill your concentration. There is an option to disable the ads, though you will have to pay for it. Brain angry! Brain School is set up for you to achieve better and better results in five different categories of games that are divided into four different years, as though you were attending college. In order to test yourself with the later year puzzels and quizzes, you will have to "graduate" from the first year. It's a clever gimmick that helps motivate you to try and make your way through this games' challenging and addictive brain games. Like Brain Baseline, Brain School also offers a ton of variety, but in a slicker package. The cartoony, simple feel of the game makes it feel accessable for everyone. If you make it through all of the challenges, there are more available to purchase. Wanna train your brain? Opening your wallet is a good start.

Nothing goes together quite like Steampunk and brain training. The makers of Clockwork Brain have clearly realized this, as their app combines both in a fun game that is full of wonderful mind benders. Unilke a game like BrainBaseline, which is bare bones in terms of visual polish, Clockwork Brain offers beautifully realized visuals that take full advantage of its Steampunk aesthetic. But don't let the cartoony feel fool you, this game will definitely make you think as well. There is a free version with four games that are available to play. If you get hooked on those, you will also have the option to purchase three additional games packs, each increasing the difficulty and variety of Clockwork Brain.

Don't forget about the big boys on the block. Mensa is in the brain training game as well with their own app. With the Mensa Brain Test, you can see how your grey matter stacks up with all of the world class eggheads out there. When you boot up the app, you're greeted with two options - a training mode and the straight up test. In the training mode, you will be prompted with five questions that will help warm up your neurons to get ready for the real deal. Once you get deep into the full test, your brain will truly be put on the treadmill and given a real workout. For only a buck, you definitely get your money's worth. And like a real workout, you will have to be prepared for things to get grueling, since the full test requires you to answer 60 questions over 60 minutes. This is not something to kill time with on the subway. You will have to be fully invested in order to get the most out of the Mensa Brain Test, which is why it's the head of the class in our five best games to train your brain.