The Issue of Cognitive Impairments in Board Games

We look at the accessibility of a lot of games here on Meeple Like us, and one of the things we look at is cognitive impairment. Each game that we review gets an alphabetic grade for its suitability for people with fluid intelligence and memory impairments, although the teardowns that we publish for each game are critical in getting a full appreciation of why we recommend, or not, a particular board game for impacted gamers. If you’re looking for recommendations for games you can play if you or someone else at the table has a cognitive impairment though you’ve come to the right place! If not, you should still hang around because we talk a lot about all kinds of accessibility and you might find some of our posts interesting.

On Meeple Like Us we look at the issue of cognitive impairment from two perspectives. One is fluid intelligence which represents a person’s ability to think logically and laterally, identify patterns, and function within novel circumstances. It’s the complement to crystallized intelligence which we reference on the site simply as ‘memory’. Crystallized intelligence represents accumulated knowledge, vocabulary, literacy and declarative recall. The two are very tightly interrelated and it’s not always easy to tease out the factors that would impact on any individual category. As a result we discuss both together in the site although we do offer an individual grade for each.

Cognitive impairments in the context of this blog occupy a very wide spectrum. They would include dyslexia and dyscalculia, Down Syndrome, dementia, attention deficit disorder, various types of autism, alzheimers and many more. However, the presence of one of these conditions is not a pre-requisite for the applicability of this category. The aging process itself brings changes in cognitive profile – decline in fluid intelligence tends to begin round about the age of twenty-five, although increased capacity in crystallized often acts as a counter-agent. On a more situational basis, factors that impact on cognitive accessibility include tiredness, stress, distraction and more. The need for cognitive accessibility support is not necessarily linked to any identified disability. We all benefit from things being clear and easy to understand.

Games that stress memory and recall are often problematic here, as are games with complex rules and flexible game order. Games which emphasise the ability to multitask on a strategic or tactical level are often poor performers in this category. Similarly games that stress complex synergies and combinatory effects of game rules are rarely good candidates for cognitive accessibility.

Board Games – Recommendations for Fluid Intelligence Impairments

The following games are recommended at a B or higher grade for people with fluid intelligence impairments. Individual grades are not necessarily fully representative of the complexities associated with total blindness and visual impairment. For more specific and complex circumstances, please check out our recommender.

Board Games – Recommendations for Memory Impairments

The following games are recommended at a B or higher grade for people with memory impairments. Individual rades are not necessarily fully representative of the complexities associated with total blindness and visual impairment. For more specific and complex circumstances, please check out our recommender.