Gaming is an overlooked aspect of blockchain development.
Nobody tells you this when you first start coding: thinking like a developer has almost nothing to do with memorizing syntax.
It is about problem solving. Seeing patterns. Debugging by instinct because your brain knows when something feels wrong.
And the quickest way to improve mental agility? It is not working through another LeetCode issue. It’s not even about studying anymore.
It’s gaming.
Not all games, of course. Not the mindless kind, where you simply press buttons. The best games—the ones that teach your brain to think like a high-level blockchain developer—are those that require you to solve, adapt, and anticipate. For example, engaging with crossword puzzles can sharpen your problem-solving skills, essential for coding.
I understand that it sounds counterintuitive. But stay with me. You might reconsider what “productive training” really entails.
How I Accidentally Trained My Brain for Blockchain
I used to spend hours doing puzzles as a kid. Not because I was a genius, but because I enjoyed the process of figuring things out.
Sudoku. Chess. The old Windows game Minesweeper.
I didn’t think it meant much. I simply enjoyed the way my brain felt when a solution clicked into place.
Years later, when I began writing smart contracts, I discovered something strange. The way I solved Solidity bugs felt like solving a difficult puzzle. I wasn’t just coding; I was mentally scanning for patterns, eliminating possibilities, and testing various solutions before touching the keyboard.
It hit me then: I’d been training for this my entire life and hadn’t realized it.
That’s when I began looking into the science. It turns out that there is real research to explain why the world’s best problem solvers—whether engineers, doctors, or military strategists—train with puzzles and games.
What if Bootcamps Focus on the Wrong Thing?
Here’s a controversial fact: most coding bootcamps and tech courses focus on the wrong skills.
They teach you what to write. The rules. The syntax. The step-by-step process for building a project.
But they do not teach you how to think.
And if you can’t think quickly, can’t anticipate problems before they occur, can’t zoom out and see the big picture, then no amount of syntax will help you.
That is why so many junior developers struggle when they work on real-world projects. Why are we out here? Nobody hands you a checklist of what to do.
The best developers aren’t the ones who memorize everything. They are the ones who can look at a problem and see beyond it.
And games—the right kind of games—train that skill more effectively than any classroom could.
The Science: Why Games Make You a Better Coder
Memory & Retention
Blockchain developers deal with massive amounts of data—protocols, encryption standards, and attack vectors. If you can’t remember it, you’re wasting your time constantly reviewing documentation.
Puzzles improve recall. Lumosity’s cognitive games aim to improve working memory. Tetris improves spatial reasoning, which helps to structure complex systems.
Pattern Recognition
A good security researcher does not wait for vulnerabilities to become obvious. They see them before they occur.
Which games are best for this? Chess. Go. Nonograms. They force you to recognize patterns quickly, which translates directly into identifying flaws in code.
Multitasking Without Losing Focus
You understand the feeling of juggling Solidity, Web3 frameworks, contract security, and gas optimizations all at once.
If you struggle with task switching, try games like StarCraft II or Factorio. They demand real-time decision-making across multiple systems, which is precisely what blockchain development necessitates.
Creative Debugging
Have you ever spent hours debugging only to realize that the solution was conceptual rather than technical?
That’s where Portal and Baba Is You step in. These games teach you to completely rethink the problem—to step back, rewrite the rules, and try new approaches.
And that? That is what differentiates average developers from great ones.
So, How Do You Actually Use This?
I get it. You don’t have hours to spend playing games every day. But you don’t have to.
Here’s how to incorporate gaming into your workflow while maintaining productivity:
- Use Games as a Warm-Up – Before you start coding, try a short logic puzzle. Think of it as stretching before a workout.
- Gamify Debugging: Make bug-fixing a challenge. Can you solve it with fewer steps? Faster than the last time?
- Take Effective Brain Breaks – Instead of scrolling through Twitter between tasks, try a quick round of Tetris or a crossword puzzle. It rejuvenates your brain without overstimulating it.
- Join competitive coding platforms like CodeWars, LeetCode, and Advent of Code, which turn programming into a puzzle-solving game. And they work.
It is not intended to replace work with games. It is about using games to help your brain perform better at work.
Final Thoughts: You Are Training Whether You Realize It or Not
Every day, your brain practices something. The question is, what?
Mindless scrolling? Or problem-solving?
The best blockchain developers do not simply write clean code. They think differently. They see solutions before they occur. They adapt faster than others.
What if you could train all of that while having fun?
Why shouldn’t you?
