You’ve probably heard both terms used interchangeably. An app promises to “boost your brainpower” with a handful of colorful puzzles. Another claims to train your cognitive processing speed with brain training games. Both look similar on the surface—but they work very differently under the hood.
That difference matters, especially when choosing an app for brain training games. Millions of people use these tools hoping to sharpen focus, read faster, or stay mentally sharp as they age. Knowing what you’re actually getting can save you time, money, and misplaced expectations.
What Are Brain Games?
Brain games are cognitive puzzle-style activities designed primarily for entertainment. Think Sudoku, word searches, or memory card-matching apps. They’re engaging, they feel productive, and they do require mental effort.
The problem? They’re built around enjoyment, not a specific cognitive outcome. When you play a game repeatedly, you get better at it. Psychologists call this a practice effect—you’re learning the format, patterns, and mechanics of the task itself, not necessarily strengthening the underlying cognitive skill it appears to target.
A 2025 study put this to the test. Researchers found that participants who used a commercial brain game app significantly improved their in-app scores—but showed no transfer of those improvements to untrained cognitive tasks like processing speed, working memory, or language functioning. In other words, they got better at the game. Not necessarily at thinking.
What Is Brain Training?
Brain training (gamified or otherwise) is a more structured, intentional approach. Rather than offering a grab-bag of entertaining puzzles, effective brain training targets specific cognitive abilities—processing speed, visual attention, reading comprehension—through repeated, progressive exercises grounded in cognitive science.
The distinction is about transfer. Does getting better at these brain training games translate to getting better at something in real life? That’s the bar genuine brain training aims to clear.
Research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that structured cognitive training in reasoning and processing speed produced measurable benefits that persisted for 10 years after the training program ended. That’s the kind of durable, real-world impact that separates purposeful brain training from casual gaming.
The Biggest Difference: Entertainment vs. Skill Development
Here’s the simplest way to frame it: casual “brain” games are to brain training what casual walking is to physical therapy. Both involve movement. But one is structured around a therapeutic goal; the other isn’t.
Casual games optimize for engagement. The more fun and addictive the experience, the better the product performs commercially. Legitimate brain training games optimize for cognitive transfer—the ability to improve a skill that shows up outside the app—and they’re typically backed by science. The lesson: not all brain training games are created equal.
How to Tell the Difference When Choosing an App
When evaluating an app for brain training games, ask these four questions:
1. Does it target a specific cognitive skill, or is it just a collection of mini-games?
Apps that bundle unrelated puzzles together are typically optimized for variety and entertainment, not skill development. Look for apps built around a defined cognitive pillar—like reading speed, visual processing, or attentional control.
2. Is there published research behind the specific mechanism—not just the brand?
A company can cite scientific studies without those studies actually validating their app. Look for research on the mechanism being trained (e.g., processing speed training, vision therapy), not just the company name.
3. Does it measure a real-world outcome?
Meaningful brain training games track outcomes that exist outside the app—reading speed in words per minute, focus duration, or comprehension accuracy—rather than just an internal score that climbs as you get familiar with the game format.
4. Is difficulty adaptive and progressive?
Research consistently shows that adaptivity is a key ingredient in effective cognitive training. If an app repeats the same challenge at the same difficulty, it’s reinforcing practice effects, not building new cognitive capacity.
What a Science-Backed Brain Training App Actually Looks Like
Infinite Mind’s brain training app is a strong example of transfer-oriented design. Rather than offering a disconnected mix of games, Infinite Mind structures its exercises around three specific cognitive pillars: speed reading, vision training, and processing speed.
Each pillar is built on science-backed mechanisms, and progress is tracked against real-world performance metrics—not just in-app scores. Infinite Mind has partnered with universities including Brigham Young University, Weber State University, and the University of Utah to develop and validate its approach.
Choose Based on What You Actually Want
If you enjoy mental puzzles and want a way to stay cognitively stimulated, brain games are a perfectly fine way to spend 10 minutes. There’s nothing wrong with them.
But if you want to read faster, process information more efficiently, or build cognitive skills that hold up in daily life, you need something designed with that outcome in mind. That means choosing brain training games backed by real cognitive science—not just a fun interface and a leaderboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do brain games actually work?
That depends entirely on the specific brain training games. Casual gaming apps may not do much more than keep you engaged, but dedicated brain training apps can make a real difference in cognitive skills that translate to real life.
What’s the difference between brain training and brain games?
Brain games are primarily designed for engagement and enjoyment. Brain training is structured around improving specific cognitive skills with real-world functioning. The key differentiator is whether the app targets a defined skill and tracks a real-world outcome.
Is brain training only for kids?
No. Research shows that structured cognitive training benefits people across a wide age range and has measurable benefits for aging cognitive skills. Infinite Mind’s brain training app is specifically designed for students, professionals, and lifelong learners.
How often should you use a brain training app?
Most research suggests that consistent, daily sessions of 10–20 minutes produce the most reliable results, while apps like Infinite Mind recommend as little as 7 minutes per day to build a sustainable habit. Frequency and consistency matter more than session length.
Try Brain Training That’s Built to Transfer
If you’re looking for brain training games grounded in real cognitive science—not just entertaining puzzles—Infinite Mind is worth exploring. With exercises built around speed reading, vision training, and processing speed, and partnerships with leading universities, the app is designed to improve skills that actually show up in your daily life.
Download the Infinite Mind app and start training smarter today.
