Video Games for Seniors and the Elderly

Video games are a fun hobby for folks of any age, but research shows that playing video games regularly can actually offer a number of health benefits, especially for seniors.

Surveys show that 14% of video gamers are over the age of 55, showing that many older adults already have a relationship to video games. But how can seniors who have never picked up a controller learn to enjoy playing video games and unlock these health benefits for themselves?

In this post, we’ll explore the benefits of playing video games for seniors, suggest senior-friendly video games, and offer tips for initiating new players without frustration.

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Benefits of Video Games for Seniors

A 2024 study from Osaka University found that playing video games significantly reduced stress, improved mental well-being, and increased overall life satisfaction “across a broad spectrum of individuals.” However, video games offer a number of unique benefits for the elderly, including:

Enhanced Cognitive Ability

A 2020 study published by the National Institute on Aging found that seniors who were already experiencing an age-related decline in memory were able to improve hippocampal-based memory after just two weeks of playing a video game for 30 to 45 minutes a day. Players were broken up into three groups which played the mobile puzzle game Angry Birds, a 3D Super Mario game, and digital solitaire. While all three groups showed improvement over the first two weeks, the study found that memory continued to improve after an additional two weeks for the Mario players and noted that these improvements persisted even after the daily gameplay had ended.

Another study found that adults in their 70s and 80s who played a video game for 30 minutes a day for two weeks before taking a memory test were able to improve their scores by approximately 12% — which also happens to be about the same percentage a typical score on the test decreases between the ages of 45 and 70.

“It basically reversed 20 years’ worth of cognitive decline,” according to Craig Stark, PhD, professor of neurobiology and behavior at the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory at the University of California, Irvine, who led the study.

Improved Balance, Coordination & Reflexes

Video games that require physical exertion, like Nintendo Switch Sports or the Virtual Reality hit Beat Saber, can help seniors improve balance, coordination, and reflexes. In fact, a 2024 study found that using virtual reality therapy was actually more effective than traditional balance training for improving balance and gait in seniors.

Reduced Risk of Alzheimer’s

A study from 2024 found that a high frequency of playing video games was associated with decreased risk of dementia, favorable cognitive function, and better brain structure. The same study found that people who played video games regularly had better performance in prospective memory, reaction time, fluid intelligence, numeric memory, and incorrect pairs matching. The researchers concluded that video games could be “a promising target for dementia prevention.”

Tips for Introducing Seniors to Video Games

Picking up a video game for the first time can be intimidating, even for seniors who are actively interested in the hobby. Seasoned gamers may fail to recognize that they have intuitive knowledge about how to do things like use a controller or navigate menus. If you don’t take the time to help your loved one learn the fundamental skills required to enjoy playing on their own, they will likely lose interest in the hobby due to frustration.

Here are a few tips if you’re trying to introduce an older adult to video games for the first time:

Adjust Accessibility Settings

Take your senior through the settings menu and teach them how to make any necessary adjustments to settings like font size, brightness, or changes to controls. Many modern games also offer a number of accessibility features for players who struggle with vision, hearing, or reduced motor function due to physical impairment.

For seniors with more serious physical limitations, special controllers for players with disabilities are also available from Xbox, Playstation, and third party manufacturers.

Start Simple

Start with games that are simple, intuitive, and don’t require quick reaction time so seniors can get comfortable using a controller or mouse and keyboard. Games like Unpacking or Donut County are both great choices for their simple premises, easy controls, and lack of combat or true fail states. These games make for an easy, low pressure environment to learn basics like reading prompts, navigating menus, and solving puzzles using game mechanics.

If your senior is interested in playing games that will require them to navigate a 3D space, consider games like Powerwash Simulator as a way to get comfortable with navigating in a first person perspective. For navigating in a third person perspective, games like Lego Star Wars or Lego Batman are a perfect choice and also serve as a gentle intro to real-time combat.

Make it an Opportunity for Socializing

If your senior is hesitant to try playing video games for the first time, asking them to play together or as part of a larger family activity is a great way to show them how much fun they could be having on their own. Playing together can also create opportunities for seniors to connect with their children and grandchildren over a shared interest.

Games with a social element like Mario Party or the Jackbox series can be an easy gateway for seniors to enjoy a video game for the first time.

Video Games for Seniors and the Elderly

Once you’ve gotten them comfortable with the fundamentals, guiding the elderly person in your life towards new games to play will require you to consider a few things: their physical ability, their mental ability, and their personal tastes.

Here are a few more suggestions for video games for seniors and the elderly

Active Games

For seniors who are looking for a fun way to get active, consider Nintendo’s suite of exercise and sports related games like Wii Sports, Nintendo Switch Sports, Wii Fit, and Ring Fit Adventure. If your senior prefers dance to exercise, Ubisoft’s annual Just Dance series or the VR rhythm game Beat Saber are another fun way to get up and move. For seniors who like to get outside and walk around, plan a day in the park to catch Pokemon in Pokemon Go.

Turn-Based Games

For seniors who struggle with quick reaction times, but still want to enjoy the strategy of combat, turn-based games may be the right fit. RPGs like Pokemon, Persona, or Baldur’s Gate 3 allow players to take on the role of an epic story’s protagonist while taking combat one turn at a time. Strategy games like the Civilization series and tactics games like the X-COM series allow players to take on the role of a nation’s leader or a military commander and play out conflicts as if they were taking turns in a board game.

Choose Your Own Adventure Games

For seniors who want to enjoy an interactive story, but don’t care for combat, consider story-driven games with a choose-your-own-adventure-style. Games like Telltale’s Walking Dead, Detroit: Become Human, and the Life is Strange seriesallow players to make choices and affect a story’s outcome without the need for combat. If your senior is a history buff, games like Pentiment and Valiant Hearts: The Great War are especially great choices.

Simulation Games

Seniors who prefer the idea of building, crafting, farming or otherwise living the virtual good life should consider trying games in the simulation genre. Life sim games like The Sims and Animal Crossing allow players to build fictional relationships, stretch their interior design muscles, and experiment with personal identity instead of focusing on combat or story-telling. Farming games like Stardew Valley or the Story of Seasons series allow players to experience what it might be like to run a farm while getting to know the people living in their small rural town. Simulation games like Flight Simulator or Truck Simulator allow players to imagine what it might be like to be a pilot or a long-haul trucker.

Playing video games can be an enriching way for seniors to help keep their minds sharp, connect with others, and improve their overall quality of life.

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