CrushStations vs Berroku

CrushStations is a game designed to train working memory, a subskill of executive functions. Working memory involves holding information in mind and mentally working with it (Diamond, 2013). Players need to remember the color and type of creatures to free them and keep them out of reach of the hungry octopus. How does this support learning? Executive functions refer to a set of top-down, goal-oriented cognitive processes that enable people to control, monitor and plan behaviors and emotions. Miyake and Friedman’s model supports a unity-and-diversity view of EF in that it incorporates the three distinct but related components of EF: inhibitory control, task-switching and updating (Miyake et al., 2000). What is the research evidence? Our research suggests that CrushStations is an effective way to train working memory. The study supporting this claim will be published soon. Research has found that EF is related to performance in literacy and math along with long-term gains in school performance and academic readiness (Blair & Razza, 2007; Brock, Rimm-Kaufman, Nathanson, & Grimm, 2009; St Clair-Thompson & Gathercole, 2006; Welsh, Nix, Blair, Bierman, & Nelson, 2010) and that disparities in EF among preschool children from low-income versus high-income homes may contribute to the achievement gap (Blair & Razza, 2007; Noble, McCandliss, & Farah, 2007). This game is part of the Smart Suite, created by New York University’s CREATE lab in collaboration with the University of California, Santa Barbara, and The Graduate Center, CUNY. The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305A150417 to the University of California, Santa Barbara. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education.

A little logic. A handful of berries. No ads. Berroku is a free, ad-free logic puzzle game combining Sudoku-style placement rules with Minesweeper-style number clues. Place three berries in every row, column and outlined block of a 9×9 grid. Each number tells you how many neighbouring cells contain a berry, including diagonals. Simple rules, satisfying deductions. THREE DAILY PUZZLES Make room for a daily brain teaser with a fresh puzzle at each difficulty: Standard, Advanced and Expert. Build your streak and follow your progress with the Home Screen widget. FREE ENDLESS PLAY Finished today’s puzzles? Keep going in Endless mode. Explore a library of 6,000 puzzles across all three difficulties, free to play and without ads. No puzzle subscription or unlock required. Optional purchases are available for themes, Berry Revival and tips. A HELPING HAND Tap and drag to mark cells, undo a move or ask for a hint when you’re stuck. Optional auto-check helps you spot mistakes as you play. MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME Play on iPhone or iPad with dark mode, haptic feedback, sound effects and optional background music. Puzzles are stored on your device, so you can keep solving offline. A LOOK TO SUIT YOU Optional purchases include the newspaper-inspired Puzzle Press theme and the bright Raspberry theme. Already bought Pro Puzzles? Your Puzzle Press theme and matching app icon remain yours. KEEP YOUR STREAK GROWING Track your progress, earn Game Center achievements and compare hint-free solving times on the leaderboard. If you miss a day, optional Berry Revival restores a broken streak to seven days. Enjoying Berroku? Leave an optional tip in Settings to support its development.