Unhand the crossword: it’s not your golden ticket to a lifetime of quick wit and perfect recall

Games sure seem like a good way to work your brain out, but don’t put your stock in Sudoku. “They target very specific cognitive abilities, but they don’t transfer to clarity of thinking, problem solving, planning—all the complex skills that really matter,” explains Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman, chief director of the Center for Brain Health at the University of Texas at Dallas and author of Make Your Brain Smarter.