The Potential of Gaming Activities in the Formation of Critical Thinking of the Individual

The article examines the role of gaming activities in the formation of critical thinking of an individ-ual. Game mechanics that influence logical analysis, argumentation, decision-making, and cognitive flexibility are analyzed. Particular attention is paid to strategic, role-playing, and educational games, their application in educa-tional practice and professional activities. The theoretical foundations of the connection between gaming processes and cognitive development are traced, as well as the influence of gaming techniques on the development of inde-pendent thinking and critical understanding of information. The game has a large cognitive and mental reserve of energy, to which participants connect by observing a number of rules and conventions that allow creating a favor-able atmosphere for gaming activity. Excursus from the past to the present allows us to assert that in the conditions of current social transformations the game becomes a powerful tool for the realization of human abilities, influencing the society up to the formation of public consciousness.