Learning games

Learning games put a lesson inside a game loop, so the practice happens while you chase a score or clear a level. About 80 live in this category, in three roughly equal strands: maths games, educational games aimed at younger children, and trivia. The maths titles lean on quick calculation, the children's games on letters, words and everyday knowledge, and the trivia games on flags, general knowledge and sharp observation.

Math Fight Club turns sums into a contest in the ring, where solving equations quickly helps you beat each opponent. My First 100 Words shows young children emojis and plays the matching words aloud, in more than one language. Save The Planet teaches waste sorting by having you drag items into the right recycling bin. The Kobadoo games cover arithmetic, flags, shapes and emojis, and each asks you to memorise a growing sequence.

For the youngest players, start with the alphabet and first-word games, ideally with an adult nearby. Older children can move on to arithmetic and the flag quizzes, and adults may prefer the trivia and memory sequences. Most rounds are short, so one or two fit easily before homework or after dinner. No app store is involved; each game is free and opens in the browser of whatever computer is at hand.