Did you know? In 2019, a survey from the Infocomm Media Development Authority showed that only 58 per cent of those above 60 years old used the internet! Numbers might have increased over the pandemic , especially with the wide range of community efforts to close the digital gap, but fact is the world is becoming increasingly digital—and if the elderly at home don’t practice their tech skills, it might be hard for them to keep up!

So why not keep them on their toes with some electronic games? These games can help combat cognitive decline, improve their reflexes and give them something to talk about to bond with their grandkids and friends! Here are some they can try:

Bejeweled Classic

The old but gold favourite involves players accumulating points by lining up three or more multi-coloured gems to score points. It’s simple and accessible, making it the perfect starting ground for seniors to begin their e-gaming journey. Choose from the normal mode, where the points needed to move on increases at each level, or add a bit of challenge with the timed version—where the progress bar retracts each time you stop making moves.

Bejeweled is available for Apple and Android users, and found online.

Candy Crush Saga

Consider Candy Crush the sweeter and far more addictive version of Bejeweled! It uses the same gameplay of matching three candies of the same colour to score—but be warned: The sweet, sweet sense of satisfaction you get from passing levels at the early stages is quickly erased as the difficulty ramps up exponentially! (Un)fortunately, there is a limit to the number of lives a player has—and in turn the amount of time you can spend on the game—so if grandma and grandpa want more tries, maybe they can try convincing the grandkids to send them some lives!

Candy Crush Saga is available for Apple , Android and Microsoft users.

Fruit Ninja

Fruit Ninja is a test of reflexes! To survive, players need to slice fruit that falls by swiping their fingers across the screen. Extra points for those who can slice multiple pieces in one keen swipe! This is a great way to get seniors familiar with the touch screen swiping mechanism, train their motor coordination—and of course, spend some time with the grandkids competing or playing together.

You can download Fruit Ninja for Apple and Android devices.

Wordle

Have you seen screenshots of red, amber and green tiles on social media? Chances are they are from Wordle! At first glance, the game seems simple enough: Each day a new word is released and players have just six attempts to get it right.

Wordle is available for Apple and Android users and can be played on browsers .

Pokémon GO

Get the family out and about with Pokémon GO, a game that uses your phone’s GPS to locate, capture, train and battle Pokemon around! The fam can bond over a little friendly competition about who has the rarest Pokemon, share tips about the best places to hunt , or even head down to popular Pokemon sighting spots to try their luck together.

Download Pokemon Go for Apple and for Android devices.