Because many board games rely on tactical decision making, they help people to think logically rather than instinctively. This can help players to improve the cognitive decision-making skills in other areas of life, too. In addition, they often rely on thinking strategically about what an opponent might do. This can help people to gain more empathy in their thoughts about others and how to use it to gain an advantage. Many games also rely on working out the likelihood of an event occurring, which will mean using mathematics practically, too.