Top 10 Most Engaging Games For College Students

In this article, I have written extensively about the most engaging games for college students. If you have been in search of something like this, then you should consider taking your time to go through this post. 

I’m sure every student can relate to how hyped up college is during their prepping period with all the “I can’t wait to get into college” constantly on their mind. Some will even go as far as imagining all the free time and fun they will have once they get into college not knowing there is a whole life waiting for them. 

Yes, there are lots of new experiences, for those that will most likely live far away from home will get to encounter what I call the “ roommate experience” where you get to set new rules, learn to communicate better, learn to understand yourself, and most importantly learn to compromise because you will be living with a total stranger and of cause you both will have different perspectives, likes and dislikes. 

You will find out once you get into college that managing your academics alongside all the new experiences is pretty hard. You will also notice that time runs very fast and if you are not so careful, you will forget the reason why you were in school in the first place due to constant procrastination. It is advisable that as a college student, you do the following:

  • Organize yourself 
  • Create a good relationship with your lecturers 
  • Participate in school activities and meet new people. 
  • Make out time to exercise 
  • Buy a second-hand textbook to cut down on your spending. 
  • Make use of the amenities available in your college. 

You can also check out top scholarships for students around you to know which one you are eligible to apply for. 

There are some untold stories behind the life of a flourishing productive and active college student. A lot of students are doing so well in school. Over time they have learned how to balance life, you will get to see students who have made provisions of free courses online to aid their study and still make time for recreational activities, that is why to a large extent “ all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” is very true. 

That is why as a student, while you do your best to study hard, you should still make out time to know a variety of games for college students to engage in which I will discuss later in this article. 

Why College Students Should Be Encouraged To Play Games

Aside from the fact that recreational activities help to build a student’s intellect, games are also a trick that enhances students’ creative skills and critical thinking. 

Interesting games incorporated during learning hours are simple ways to motivate students. Below, is a well-detailed explanation of reasons why college students should be encouraged to play games. 

  • Games help to stimulate the brain and help them concentrate & focus:  that being said, as a student playing games help you get to learn about your weaknesses and strengths which in return will aid your academic performance in school. 
  • Games help you develop social skills:  introverted students who rarely interact with people tend to associate with their peers during offline games, some online games require you to chat with other students regardless of their location. 
  • Games also help students in developing their literacy and digital skills. 
  • It is a major tool that helps build college students’ retention and memorization skills. 
  • It has a way of teaching students how to learn from their mistakes by making room for them to figure out the reason for failing. 
  • Students who play games are good at solving problems faster.
games for college students
Games for college students

8 Most Engaging Games For College Students

Below is a list of engaging games for college students, go through them carefully to see which one you should try. 

  • Puzzle 
  • Mysterium 
  • Pictionary
  • Hangman
  • What’s Your Problem 
  • Clue
  • Banana grams
  • Chess

1. Puzzle

This particular one is known as a logical game, it comes in different puzzle genres such as; word search puzzles, crossword puzzles, number puzzles, relational, trivia games, and logic puzzles. 

To play puzzle games for college students, you can start by dividing the class into groups and sharing the puzzle across each group to put together. Puzzles can also be divided into clues to enable students to pick up at random. 

This game plays a huge impact on the lives of college students, it’s an activity that helps to give the student a sense of responsibility and builds their social skills by engaging them in groups, it also helps to develop students’ memory skills by placing them to become problem solvers. 

Aside from the fact that puzzle games develop students’ reasoning, it is one game that would automatically uplift every student’s mood once they engage in it. 

2. Mysterium

This is an ideal and interesting board game for about 2-7 students,  it places students in a critical reasoning mood, where they are to investigate a case, sometimes a murder case, etc. 

The game requires students to cooperate with each other, it is played in groups where each of the groups are being provided with clues, a rule book, and dream cards. It is easy to learn when you are taught by an expert, the mysterious game is filled with beautiful curated artwork 

Mysterium is also a game that helps better develop students’ reasoning, it teaches students how to get organized and also gives them an amazing learning experience, thereby encouraging them to be more cooperative. 

3. Pictionary 

This is a team game for college students, it is more of a sketching/guessing game. It is a fun way that helps students to envision their understanding in a team. It consists of about 3-16 players, college students sometimes play the game in small groups. 

In a pictionary game, each group is provided with a pad, pencil, reference card, and a pawn. A member of the team/ group is expected to sketch without using symbols or words from their card matching a color in a space where their pawn is for about a minute or less and if anyone in his team guesses right, they will roll their die to move around the board and it goes on like that until the first team to reach the finish square with an accurate guessed drawing is crown the winner. 

Students who engage in Pictionary games tend to have improved logical thinking and visualization skills. It encourages students to be disciplined and create room for them to trust.  It is among the best games so far that has helped promote healthy communications among pairs and the fastest way to retain information stored in our imaginations. 

Pictionary games are a popular game that is well recognized in schools and used as a form of entertainment and I highly recommend it for colleges looking forward to building their students’ vocab, team networking skills, discipline, and communication skills. 

4. Hangman

Hangman game is a guessing board game that includes 2 or more players, where you can get students to guess a secret word before putting the pieces of the puzzled letters together. 

The game requires that students select someone to become their host or take turns in becoming hosts that will be able to choose words and draw the hangman, it is an easy and fun game. As a host in a hangman game, it is important that you know how to spell, and know how to be tricky with your words to make it a bit difficult and fun. To organize hangman games for students it is easier when you divide your class into two teams or more, select a host then allow students in each team to take turns in guessing a word. 

An advantage of a hangman game in the lives of college students helps them in practicing spelling, developing a good vocabulary, and enabling a fun learning process. 

5. What’s Your Problem

This is among the fun board games played in groups that help students in problem-solving, making room for them to share their views about an issue in a group activity. 

In “What’s Your Problem” games, students playing draw cards illustrate a difficult situation and the co-players try to figure out a possible solution by moving the number of spaces indicated in the card. College students are also divided into 2 groups then the opposite team engages the other team in a question regarding what is your problem and which in turn makes room for students to share their views, opinions, and solutions to the problem. 

As a college student developing strong problem-solving skills is of many advantages to both your education and life in general and that is what problem-solving games such as “What is your problem” does for you, firstly, well-developed problem-solving skills can help broaden your skills, there is always a visible growth in the lives of students who engage in this game, aside from it being an entertaining game it also helps in motivating it’s participants and instilling into them a feeling of achievement. 

6. Clue

This one is what I refer to as an investigator game, now this is what this game does, it slowly builds up tension among the students engaging in it. It is a board game where players move about, either from room to room or around a table trying to solve a mystery. In a clue game, students taking part in the game are provided with cards, one player will try to guess what cards other players are holding, that way he/she will be able to know what cards are in the secret file and then lay accusations, they can only be a crown winner if their accusations are not false. 

Clue game is an ideal game to engage college students in, due to how it has helped to teach students how to follow up instructions, it has also helped to encourage healthy competition among peers, students who engage in playing clue games have learned how to develop their patience skills and how to cope with failures.

7. Banana Grams. 

The Banana Grams is an interesting, fast, and convenient game made available in the form of words & letters The game requires that its player gets to arrange tiles into a grid connecting words that are faster than its opponent until there are no more tiles left, in a Banana grams game it is usually the winner who runs out of letters. 

This is one of the best games for college students to engage in because it is not only fun but helps them develop their vocabulary and also encourages those struggling with the English language to flourish and grow their love for it. 

8. Chess

The chess game is among the oldest and most popular games that are played on a checkerboard. The pieces in a chess board are beautifully designed and are mostly colored black & white. The game has sometimes been called a royal game due to the rules that evolve around it and the need for a player to capture their opponent’s king. 

As a student looking forward to doing well academically, chess is a rewarding game for you. Some schools have put chess as their students’ curriculum to ensure that they get actively involved in it. Chess games help to deepen focus for students who lack concentration in school, it also increases self-awareness, develops your perspective about things, builds your creativity skills, and many more. 

9. Freecell (Solitaire game)

Freecell is a popular and addictive solitaire game where players strive to strategically move cards and organize them into foundation piles. Its popularity stems from the perfect blend of skill and luck, offering players a challenging yet rewarding experience that allows for strategic planning while maintaining the “luck” factor. 

Solitaire and Freecell differ in terms of gameplay, Solitaire focuses on arranging cards into foundation piles by suit, while Freecell introduces open cells that allow for card movement, enhancing the opportunities for players to form a strategy.

10. Classic Minesweeper

Minesweeper is an excellent game for college students as it offers both entertainment and cognitive benefits. The classic computer game has remained the same in its objective: identify all the bombs on the grid without clicking on one. 

Minesweeper provides a quick and engaging mental break, making it a great way for college students to relax and refresh their minds during study breaks. The game is available in beginner, intermediate, and expert modes, making it ideal for players of all skill levels.

Conclusion  

The games I listed above are not just activities you do to while away time. No, they are very rewarding as they will help stimulate your brain, develop your social skills, boost your memorization skills, and many others. I urge you to go through them again carefully and select the ones you will learn, and start playing henceforth in your leisure time.

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