How Gaming Can Inspire Creativity

By: Chris Marcin*

Taking some quiet time can be a good way to create new connections, improve your overall wellbeing, and spark creative thoughts. The same can be said of quiet time’s distant cousin: gaming.

In a nutshell, gaming is a form of leisure in which the mind stays active. But while most games are safe and highly productive spaces for abstract and creative thinking, these potential benefits depend heavily on the type of game you’re playing.

Sandbox games in particular are arguably the best games for developing creative thought processes. These are the games that give players a great deal of creative control over different ways of achieving goals – if such goals even exist. Mostly, sandbox games are like virtual Lego worlds that are focused on creative creation. In a university study, the popular sandbox game Minecraft was found to be more beneficial for spurring creative thoughts compared to watching television or playing a racing game. Researchers also found that instructing Minecraft players to be creative actually hampered their creativity. In fact, out of the study’s 352 participants, these were the players that were least creative in completing a drawing test. Meanwhile, the group that played Minecraft with zero instructions or expectations came up with the most innovative drawings.

"It's not just that Minecraft can help induce creativity. There seems to be something about choosing to do it that also matters," explains psychology professor Douglas Gentile who headed the study. "The research is starting to tell a more interesting, nuanced picture. Our results are similar to other gaming research in that you get better at what you practice, but how you practice might matter just as much."

The same can be said of many popular card and board games. These goal-oriented games give players a wide set of rules with which to exercise a large variety of creative moves and strategies. This is highly apparent in games like UNO, Chinatown, chess, Scrabble, Stratego, Chutes and Ladders, and even Dungeons & Dragons. In any of these games, figuring out the best board game strategy entails sharp analytical, problem-solving, and social skills. The keys to winning these games is to predict your opponents’ next moves and balance your own according to the playing field – skills that are rooted in creativity and cognitive ability.

 This can also be observed in the world’s most popular card game, poker. Playing a balanced range of moves is an integral strategy in order to win at poker. This means knowing how to mix up moves and the way you bet in order to keep your hands unpredictable and get the best payoffs from good hands. Similar to playing board games, winning at poker entails lots of creative and analytical thinking to keep opponents on their toes.

In many ways, winning competitive card and board games is like solving a puzzle, which in itself is a type of game with different mental benefits. There are in fact several scientific studies proving that puzzle games can benefit higher-order executive processing as well as visual processing activity in the brain.

In short, while not every game can improve your creative thinking, there’s definitely no shortage of games that can. The next time you run into a creative roadblock, consider sitting down for a game of poker or chess. Try spending some downtime playing Minecraft, Sims, and other sandbox games. Break out that old 500-piece puzzle and take your sweet time solving it during work breaks. If you’re in need of a creative boost, a little game time could go a long way.

*Chris Marcin

Chris Marcin is a freelance writer with a passion for gaming. Since he first got the humble Game Boy he has dedicated himself to gaming, and hopes to convey his passion through his articles. When he isn’t playing video games he likes to play online chess.