Working memory is very short-term memory that holds information in your mind just long enough to use it.

Games that train working memory may actually make you smarter. Research indicates that when you train your working memory, it can translate into an improvement in what’s called “fluid intelligence” — the capacity to think logically and solve problems.

Other research shows that some computer games can improve multitasking skills.

Neuroscientists at the University of California, San Francisco, studied the game NeuroRacer, which involves steering an animated race car along a winding road while informative and distracting street signs pop up.

The researchers found that older adults who played the game for four weeks improved their multitasking skills to the point where they performed at the same level as untrained 20-year-olds.