Actually, it’s more than that, OP. All these games are a complete lie, period. (Also, “Sudoku will not save you” is so fucking ominous.)
An article from a real neuroscientist:
www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-jan-13-2020-1.5424683/a-neuroscientist-s-tips-for-helping-the-brain-age-well-1.5425549
Sudoku will not save you
Brain games like Sudoku are part of a multi-billion-dollar industry pitched as a way to fight cognitive decline. Levitin said the science doesn't back it up.
"There's no evidence that these brain-training games actually make you smarter or improve your memory or stave off Alzheimer's," he said.
"If you do Sudoku puzzles or crosswords, all that you get better at is Sudoku puzzles and crosswords."
Try this memory exercise — and find out what it reveals about creativity and the brain
However, he said, those games do have mental merit for those who have never played them before, because they're doing something new and unfamiliar.
"That oils the neural circuits; it creates new synaptic connections, and that exercise of your brain getting out of your comfort zone is very important to successful aging," he said.
Pick up a new skill
On that note, Levitin recommended people learn a new skill, especially one that scares them.
Levitin is afraid of heights, so at the age of 60 he decided to take flying lessons and get his private pilot's license.
"I believe in science, and the science says, 'Push back. Rage against the machine,'" he said.