Board Games to Think Through

Every board game here is turn-based: play solo or take on the computer. The board waits for your move, which means you can set the phone down halfway through and come back later. Three habits show up again and again — planning several moves ahead, noticing patterns, and sacrificing a piece when it buys you something stronger.

Sudoku suits number lovers. Put 1 to 9 once in each row, column and box of the 9x9 grid. Patience counts for more than speed here. Solitaire brings the same calm in card form: shift cards between piles, turn over the face-down ones, and aim to empty the board. Master Chess and Master Checkers work for two players or versus the computer, and both make you pay fast for a sloppy move.

Choose one, step away for a while, and find out how far you get before the bell rings.