The best free online games to play

Doing a lot of physical exercise is highly recommended for people of all ages as it is not only good for the body but is good for the brain too. This is just the beginning though, as people need to stimulate their brains, especially as they grow older.

People that stay indoors more such as those who suffer from mobility problems that need to use mobility aids such as straight stairlifts, or people that are being advised to stay indoors more during the current Coronavirus pandemic can still keep their brains healthy without doing boring, time-consuming or repetitive activities.

One of the best ways to keep your mind in great shape at any age is to play challenging games that test your brain and get you thinking.

Play iDev Games are home to a collection of web games online and they explain how these types of games can be a great social experience and therefore beneficial for older people to play.

“Online games have evolved over time just like console, desktop or mobile games but what makes web games great are that they are also easily accessible and available to everybody. Best of all there is something for everyone, no matter what you are looking for. Platforms like ours not only encourage creativity but have also created a community of gamers and developers to come together and share their passion for games.”

From simple one-player games to multiplayer options that are available to the whole family, this guide looks at some of the best free online games you can play.

Classic online games

Where to play it: Play iDev Games

There are a variety of retro classic games that you can play online and these can range from strategy games to games that challenge you to beat your best score.

Play iDev Games told us about some of the classic games that they think are the best for older adults to play when they are at home.

“We would recommend taking a look at Galactic Wars or Arcade Defender for fun modern takes on retro classic space games. Minimal Tower Defense is a great tower defence game. If you like a challenge try to get the best score on our 80s inspired Synth Hero or our classic Helicopter Game.”

Mahjong Solitaire

Where to play it: Free Online Mahjong Games

Mahjong Solitaire is another great game older adults can play online. It can help keep your brain sharp and supercharged as the aim of Mahjong Solitaire is to match tiles with the goal to get all 144 of your tiles into four sets and one pair.

The game originated from Asia, but its popularity has now seen it gone global with people from all over the world now playing the online games.

Mahjong Solitaire is different from Mahjong as it is a single-player matching game that uses a set of mahjong tiles rather than cards.

Online Scrabble

Where to play it: Word with Friends

Scrabble is still a hugely popular board game, but you can also play it online.

Even if you haven’t played it in years, you will soon pick it up again as players get a random assortment of tiles with letters on them and you try to create words from these letters. You look to build off your competitors’ creations on the board and using certain letters means you get more points than others.

Scrabble is a popular game for people of all ages as you not only need to think quickly but you need to think of a strategy.

Chess

Where to play it: Chess.com

Chess is believed to date back 1500 years to Northern India before it became a hugely popular game throughout Asia. Now the game is as popular as ever with tournaments set-up in countries throughout the world.

According to Brainscape, the game of chess can raise your IQ as well as help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and improve your memory.

On Chess.com you can choose from a variety of options to play online or join a tournament. You can even play chess via Facebook or on your mobile and you can pit your wits against the computer or friends and family.

Jigsaw Puzzles

Where to play it: TheJigsawPuzzles.com

If you love puzzles you don’t have to just stick to physical puzzles as you can try your hand at a range of puzzles online.

The Jigsaw Puzzles website has a variety of different puzzles for you to try and these range from 20-piece puzzles that will take a short period of time to complete to more time-consuming jigsaws that are made from 500 pieces.

There are lots of different styles and categories that you can choose from such as street view, animals, great sightings, flowers, people, castles, bridges and lots more.

Other online games

•Sudoku – This is a popular online game to play and it can also improve your memory and decision-making skills.

•Treasure Hunt – This pirate-themed game can help sharpen your memory. The aim of this game is to remember the items found in a pirate ship’s room as you continue the items change and you have to try and identify the ones missing.

These are some of the free games that you can play online when you are at home. If you have a tablet or mobile you can play them from the comfort of your sofa or stairlift.

To recap, the best free online games to play are:

•Classic online games

•Mahjong Solitaire

•Online Scrabble

•Chess

•Jigsaw Puzzles

•Sudoku

•Treasure Hunt

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