Brain Runner turns dual n-back into a platformer. As you run, a mini-grid and letter appear every few seconds (the n-back stimulus).
Position matches n-back ago → JUMP to clear a gap or grab coins above.
Letter matches n-back ago → ATTACK to smash through a block or enemy.
Both match → SUPER MOVE (automatic combo, big points).
No match → just run. Pressing a button when there's no match = stumble and lose speed.
Your n-back level IS your world. Master World 1 (2-back) → unlock World 2 (3-back) → onward to Pentamind Champion.
Targeted exercises that bridge working memory to each Mind Sports Olympiad game.
100+ competitions. The Pentamind Championship crowns the best all-round player. Top 5 scores across different games.
Master 2 premier events (1.08x) + 1-2 card games + 1-2 accessible games. Need 5 different games, max 3 from one category, at least 2 long events.
XP: 0 | Next: 100
Each bar = score from one run
What's solid: Near transfer to WM capacity. Adaptive difficulty is crucial. Dose-response: more training = more gains. Effects across age groups including ADHD.
What's debated: Far transfer to fluid intelligence: ~50% of studies positive, ~50% null. Effect sizes modest (d ≈ 0.2-0.4). Active controls reduce the effect.
The biggest problem with n-back training isn't the training — it's that people quit. Adherence to boring protocols is terrible. By embedding n-back into genuinely engaging gameplay, we solve the #1 failure mode: dropout.
The n-back task is identical — same dual-channel stimuli, same adaptive difficulty, same match/no-match decisions. But the consequence of your decision is a character jumping, attacking, collecting coins, and progressing through worlds. Your dopamine system engages with the game while your prefrontal cortex trains on the n-back.
This isn't just gamification (points and badges). The n-back IS the game mechanic. You can't play without doing the cognitive work.
Working memory is the shared bottleneck: Chess (calculation depth), Go (whole-board evaluation), Poker (multi-tracking odds/ranges/reads), Backgammon (pip counting under pressure).
20-25 min/day, 5 days/week, 8+ weeks. Combine with actual game practice. Sleep consolidates gains.
Won't add 20 IQ points. Won't replace deliberate practice. Transfer effects are modest. But it raises your cognitive ceiling and — critically — you'll actually stick with it because it's a game.