July 8th was Video Games Day. You may be wondering why we’re talking about video games on a blog about aging, but video games offer a lot of potential benefits to older adults. A study by the National Institute of Health found that older adults exposed to novel three-dimensional video games had improved recognition memory even after the study ended. Video games are popular with older adults too; according to the AARP, in 2023 there were 52 million gamers over age 50- an increase of 12 million gamers since 2016!
Want the benefits of playing games, but not a big video game fan? Good news! Board games have also been found to offer benefits to older adults. A study in the United Kingdom found that older adults that regularly played board games scored better on cognitive tests than their peers who didn’t play the games. A study in 2013 found that regularly playing board games can potentially reduce your risk of developing dementia. Finally, board games are a great way to connect with others and combat loneliness. Board games have come a long way from Monopoly and Scrabble; this article from NBC News offers a rundown of popular board games that are easy for newcomers.
Local arcades and video games
- Keystone Bar & Arcade offers a variety of pinball and arcade games. Note: The arcade is located in the basement of Bobcat Bonnie’s, and you will need to go down a small set of stairs.
- Pinball Pete’s offers a variety of arcade games.
- Revel & Roll offers old and newer arcade games.
Where to check out board games
- Ann Arbor District Library has a variety of board games available to check out or play at the library.
- Ypsilanti District Library has a variety of board games available to check out or play at the library.
- Blom Meadworks hosts a weekly board game night.
- Corner Brewery has board games available to play while you’re there.
- R U Game? Has a library of games you can check out and play in the store’s game room for a small fee.
- Golden Rhino Games offers board games and strategy games for purchase.
- Vault of Midnight has lots of different board games and strategy games for purchase.
