Mobile gaming – the perfect diversion when you’re up all night

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Not so long ago, being a busy mom trying to fit all the daily – and nightly – commitments that the role entails into a mere 24 hour window meant that the idea of “gaming” was something from the dim and distant past. It might have been something the kids were into, but for the rest of us, it was a childhood memory.

The fact that there are now as many adult gamers as kids, and that a whole new leisure sector has sprung up around them shows just how much the activity – and the technology – has evolved over the past decade.

Spin and win? Games for grown-ups online

Mention “adult gaming” and your mind turns to one type of place: the casinos that are the stomping ground of playboys, wannabees and those with too much time and money on their hands.  Yet the mobile gaming age means that anyone can enjoy a little bit of Vegas when they want a few minutes downtime. And better still, you can bet casino games online with apps like secret slots and actually stand a better chance of winning than you would on a night out in Vegas or Atlantic City.

That might sound counter-intuitive. Many people assume that a “traditional” casino is the place to actually win money, they literally think that they will get paid to play, and online games are simply a bit of fun. The point is, however, that the online market is so competitive that sites like Energy Casino will be offering all manner of bonuses, free spins, and other incentives. The net result? Your money lasts longer and your chances of winning therefore improve.

Social gaming

One of the downsides often cited with any type of gaming is that it is a solitary activity. This partially harks back to the outdated image of kids in darkened rooms hunched over consoles.

Today’s mobile games take the social aspect very seriously for the simple reason that it is what people want. Look at it this way, what’s more fun, playing a game against a friend, or playing by yourself against a computer? Game developers know that the game itself is only part of the fun when there is a social aspect involved.

Live casino games are one example of this, but think more broadly. Farmville became one of the most popular games ever, not because the gameplay itself was inherently superior to anything else but because of the social aspects. Complete strangers became firm friends through the game, and lost connections among old school friends were re-forged through the medium of virtual carrots.

Flexing your mental muscles

Bearing the above in mind, it seems strange that some might dismiss gaming as an “antisocial” pastime, while thinking nothing of sitting in front of a television set for two hours. It just shows how those old preconceptions can sometimes be hard to shift.

Yet the benefits go beyond the social aspects. Mobile gaming can also be the perfect way to keep your mind sharp – whatever the time of day or night. As long ago as the early 1990s, researchers were finding compelling evidence that video games help us improve our coordination and spatial awareness.

As the games have developed, so have the benefits. Whether you are card-counting at blackjack, challenging a friend at online chess or even practicing your virtual swing with a golf game, you will be honing and improving cognitive skills, perception and attention.

What better way to spend half an hour?

Mobile gaming can provide a relaxing diversion when you have a few minutes to spare. At the same time, it gives you a chance to socialize with some old friends, and to give your brain a little work out. Now surely, that has to be better than switching on the TV!