Photo and Travel Games: A Gentle Way to Exercise Memory and Feel a Sense of Travel

This page is about a simple pastime: games where you look at a picture and think about where in the world it was taken. It is written for people who are tired, stuck at home, or dealing with memory and focus changes during cancer care. It is not medical advice, and it has not been reviewed by a clinician.

In a picture-and-place game, you see a photo of a street, a beach, a mountain or a market. You guess the place. Then you learn where it really is. Our own game, Where in the World?, works this way. You can play it in a few minutes, and its Relaxed mode has no clock at all.

Some cancer treatments can make it harder to think, focus or remember. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) says chemotherapy, some radiation to the brain, and immunotherapy can do this. NCI also says mental exercises such as puzzles or games help some people.

That is a careful statement. It does not say games fix the problem. We did not find a federal health source that shows any game prevents or reverses memory loss. So we make no promise. Think of a photo game as one small, pleasant way to use your mind, along with rest, movement and help from your team.

MedlinePlus also lists playing games among many activities that can keep your mind active. It adds that doing things you enjoy may help you feel happier and think better. The word is "may."

Each photo teaches you a little. You might notice a language on a sign, a kind of tree, or the shape of a roof. Then you learn the answer. Many people like the "aha" feeling when they guess right. It is also fine to be wrong. Being wrong is how you learn the place.

Not everyone can travel during treatment. You may be too tired, or you may need to stay near your care team. Looking at faraway places can still feel like a small trip. We are not citing research for this. Many people simply find it enjoyable.

It can also help you stay connected:

• Talk about places you have been. A photo may bring back a trip.
• Plan a future trip, even a dream one, and write it down.
• Share the game with a friend or family member. CDC lists staying socially connected as part of healthy aging.

• Play in short sessions. Five to ten minutes is plenty.
• Choose a time when you feel most alert. NCI suggests doing demanding tasks then.
• Skip it on a bad day. Rest counts too.
• Play with a caregiver or grandchild and take turns guessing.
• Keep a list of places you would like to visit.
• Use it as a break, not a test of your memory. There is no score you need to reach.

• If screens give you headaches, nausea or eye strain, stop and try a printed photo book or an atlas instead.
• If the game makes you feel worried or sad about what you cannot do right now, take a break.
• If you feel frustrated about your memory, you do not need to keep playing. Talk to someone.
• If you need very large text or have trouble with a mouse or touch screen, ask a helper to sit with you.

NCI says to tell your health care team if you have trouble remembering things, thinking or concentrating. Do this during treatment or afterward. Your team can look for causes that can be treated and can refer you for help.

• Call 911 or go to an emergency department if confusion is sudden, or it is the first time someone has become confused for no clear reason. Do not drive yourself. MedlinePlus lists these as reasons to seek emergency care.
• Call your care team if memory or concentration problems are new, are getting worse, or are getting in the way of daily life, such as taking your medicines correctly.

A game cannot tell you whether something is wrong. Only your care team can do that. For more on memory and focus changes, see chemo brain and what helps and what to ask.

• NCI: Memory or Concentration Problems and Cancer Treatment
• NCI: Cognitive Impairment in Adults with Cancer (PDQ)
• MedlinePlus: Healthy Aging
• CDC: About Healthy Aging
• MedlinePlus: Confusion