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I don't think it is going to be particularly useful to push cognitive boundaries though.
There are lots that are essentially optimization exercises but that quickly becomes a diminishing returns situation.
City builders like Anno and skyline are also worth a look. I personally enjoy Anno 2205 a fair bit
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned factorio. Easily my favourite game and right up HN’s alley.
And its (currently) combat-free sibling Dyson Sphere Program ( https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366540/Dyson_Sphere_Prog... ) which is still "early access" but I couldn't tell you the last time I experienced any kind of bug while playing it For me, the lack of enemies makes the game purely about scale and overcoming "bad luck" with resource allocations on the starting planet and local star system, without having t…
Chess - it's a solved problem, and the rest is pattern recognition that won't help. It's still a fun game, but no better than Candy Crush.
Strategy MMOs - they'll teach you leadership and training, but mostly taking responsibility. You'll learn to stay up at 3 AM putting your tribe above all else. You'll be pitted mostly against people who thought they could pay to win when things got bad enough.
That one game that positively pushes my boundaries is the Cities Skylines; many factors come into play, especially when you're managing an entire city. It will exercise your cognitive skills.
I thought it would get me into rigid patterns like SimCity did, but it was actually very organic.
"Tactical" squad based competitive games such as Counter Strike: Global Offensive. Played at the high levels, are all about setting up an action plan, executing it the most efficient way possible, quickly reacting to a deadly yet highly rational opponent, and changing the plan as the situation evolves to prevail. In fact, most competitive games in the professional scene are played on a strategical level, such as MOBA…
I loved planning things out in incredible detail. I actually researched what military did, so we split it into several squads. There'd be a main assault squad with a mix of short and long range weapons, depending on the map. Then a few support teams. Some might be suppression teams with heavy damage but slow and vulnerable. You can also have a couple of sniper nests with a long range assault rifle supporting them.
And then the fun happens when you watch your plans fall apart and do a post mortem.
Chess and specifically learning chess strategy changed the way I look at programming problems and problems in general dramatically.
How did You learn about chess strategy?
If you're talking about strategy (long term) and not just tactics (correct next moves), a simple beginner trick is to try to control the middle 4 squares, then castle the king so it's not vulnerable, then start attacking.
Past the early game it's mostly pattern recognition and geometry. Your moves try to threaten two pieces at a time. e.g. a bishop might threaten two pieces in a row. Or it may force a protecting piece away from a critical tile you need to win.
I'm not sure what this has to do with programming though.
Starcraft 2 is definately that. Getting good at it pushes you to actively manage your attention span so you can multitask most effectively while making reads and predictions on the opponent.
You also end up watching the pros and seeing the strategies they develop. If you find it difficult, the single player, and group modes (2vs2, 3vs3 etc) are an easier way into laddering
I play a lot of EVE Online these days. I do solo and small gang in frigates and there is some strategy in building a ship fitting and engaging and enemy but not in the same way as an RTS. I just prefer the slower pace compared to Starcraft
Its a real time strategy game set in WW2 and there are lots of different ways to tackle games and different factions as well.