Best Brain and Puzzle Apps for Seniors in Australia
A good puzzle is one of the nicest reasons to pick up a tablet. The crossword you always did in the paper, a game of patience, a jigsaw on a wet afternoon, all of it sits in your hand now, with no pencil to sharpen and no pieces to lose down the side of the couch. Better still, most of the good ones are free.
This guide gathers the puzzle and brain apps older Australians enjoy most, grouped by the kind of puzzle you like. They work on iPad and iPhone, and nearly all on Android too. We will be honest about which ones are free, which try to sell you a subscription, and what these games can and cannot do for you. For the wider view, our guide to the best tablets for seniors in Australia compares the main options.
Quick answer
For word lovers, Wordle and the New York Times Crossword app are hard to beat, and Words With Friends lets you play against family. For numbers, Sudoku.com is free and gentle. For something relaxing, try a jigsaw app or Microsoft Solitaire. If you want a daily brain workout, Lumosity or Elevate give you a few games free each day. And your Australian library card gets you the newspaper crosswords for free through PressReader. Get them all from the official App Store or Play Store.
A quick guide to the best app for each puzzle
| What you enjoy | App to try |
|---|---|
| A daily word puzzle | Wordle (NYT Games) |
| Crosswords | NYT Crossword, your newspaper app, PressReader |
| Number puzzles | Sudoku.com |
| Card games | Microsoft Solitaire Collection |
| Jigsaws | Jigsaw Puzzles, Magic Jigsaw |
| A daily brain workout | Lumosity, Elevate, Peak |
Word puzzles
Wordle is the one everyone talks about, and for good reason. One short word puzzle a day, free, no adverts, the same puzzle for the whole country so you can compare with the grandchildren. It lives inside the free NYT Games app, which also has a small daily crossword. If you want a full cryptic or quick crossword, the NYT Crossword app is excellent, and your own newspaper, the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age or your local paper, has puzzles in its app too. Words With Friends is a lovely way to play a Scrabble-style game against a daughter overseas or a friend down the road, a turn whenever each of you has a moment.
Number and logic puzzles
If sudoku is your thing, Sudoku.com is the pick. It is free, the numbers are large and clear, you choose how hard each puzzle is, and there is no clock ticking at you unless you want one. It also works without internet, handy on a flight or away on holiday. For something a little different, Kakuro and Nonograms apps scratch the same logical itch. The trick is to find one with a clean screen and no flashing adverts, and stick with it.
Card games and jigsaws
For a quiet game on your own, the Microsoft Solitaire Collection is free and holds the old favourites: Klondike, Spider, FreeCell. Jigsaw apps such as Jigsaw Puzzles or Magic Jigsaw Puzzles let you do a thousand-piece picture on a rainy day with nothing to tidy up, and you can make the pieces as large as you need. These are the apps people open to unwind rather than to test themselves, and there is nothing wrong with that. Enjoyment is the point.
Free newspaper puzzles through your Australian library
Here is one many people miss. If you have a library card from any Australian public library, you very likely have free access to PressReader, and that includes the crosswords and puzzle pages from the newspapers. PressReader carries thousands of papers and magazines, Australian and overseas, and it has a free app for iPad, iPhone and Android. You sign in once with your library card number, and the daily crossword you used to buy the paper for is there at no cost.
Most state and council libraries offer it, from the State Library of Western Australia to Libraries Tasmania and many city councils. If you are not sure, ring your local branch or look on its website for “PressReader” or “eNewspapers”. It is a quiet little perk of a card you may already have in your wallet, and a lovely way to keep the newspaper-puzzle habit going for nothing.
Brain training apps
Lumosity, Elevate and Peak are the best-known brain training apps. They give you a short set of games each day across memory, attention and words, with a friendly score to chase. The free version usually offers a few games a day, with the rest behind a paid subscription, so try the free part first and only pay if you truly enjoy it. One honest word, though. These apps make you better at their own games, and they are good fun, but there is no solid proof they keep your memory sharp in daily life or hold off dementia. Enjoy them as the entertainment they are, alongside a walk, a chat and a real crossword.
Watching the costs
Puzzle apps make their money in two ways: adverts, or a subscription. Many are free with ads you can usually ignore. Others, the brain training ones especially, push a yearly subscription quite hard. There is no need to pay. Wordle, Sudoku.com, Solitaire and your library’s PressReader crosswords will keep you going for years for nothing. If a paid app does take you in and you change your mind, remember subscriptions in Australia are covered by the Australian Consumer Law, and you can cancel an auto-renewing one from your account settings. If an app will not let you play at all without a card number, back out and find a freer one. There are always plenty.
A few to start with
- Wordle, in the free NYT Games app, for a daily word puzzle.
- Sudoku.com, free, for numbers at your own pace.
- PressReader through your library, for free newspaper crosswords.
- Microsoft Solitaire Collection, for a quiet game of patience.
- Words With Friends, to play against family near and far.
Before you finish
Download the free Family Tech Safety Checklist to help check phone safety, passwords, scam messages, emergency contacts and medical alarm details.
Making the puzzles easier to see
If the numbers or letters are small, you do not have to squint. On any iPad or iPhone you can make the whole screen larger in the settings, and most puzzle apps have their own size and high-contrast options too. A bigger, clearer board makes the game more relaxing and easier on tired eyes. Our guide on making an iPad easier to use shows how.
Our recommendation
Start with Wordle and Sudoku.com, both free, both gentle, both perfect for a cup of tea in the morning. Add a jigsaw or Solitaire to unwind, your library’s PressReader for the newspaper crosswords, and Words With Friends to stay in touch with family through a game. Enjoy the brain training apps if they appeal, but treat them as fun rather than medicine, and there is no need to pay for any of it.
Next steps
Need to get the apps onto your device? Our guide on downloading an app safely shows the way. For more ideas, see the best apps for seniors guide. All of our tablet advice lives on the tablets and iPads hub.
FAQ: brain and puzzle apps
Do brain training apps really keep your mind sharp?
They make you better at their own games and they are enjoyable, but there is no firm proof they protect your memory in everyday life or hold off dementia. Enjoy them as fun, alongside walks, company and other interests.
Which puzzle apps are completely free?
Wordle, Sudoku.com and Microsoft Solitaire are free, and your library card gets you the newspaper crosswords free through PressReader. Brain training apps like Lumosity give a few free games a day and charge for the rest.
Can I play against my family?
Yes. Words With Friends lets you play a Scrabble-style game with anyone, anywhere, a turn each whenever it suits. It is a warm way to stay in touch as well as a good game.
The letters are too small. Can I make them bigger?
Yes. Make the whole screen larger in your device settings, and look in the app’s own settings for a size or high-contrast option. A bigger board is easier on the eyes.
Will these apps try to charge me?
Some do, with a subscription. You never have to pay. If an app blocks you until you enter a card number, back out and choose a free one instead. There are plenty.
