I've been using the n-back protocol for over a year and it's definitely improved my cognitive abilities. I don't know if my IQ has increased, but on days where I use this protocol(20-25 minutes) I see a marked improvement in the clarity and vibrancy of my thoughts- put another way this protocol's biggest benefit is it's effectiveness in clearing the mental fog in my head. I've tried experimenting with other protocols(solving crossword/chess puzzles, meditation,etc..)but they were not nearly as effective as n-back.
I've actually built my own variation of n-back(triple n-back), where you're tested on the colour of the stimulus in addition to the sound and position-so it's much more cognitively demanding. If you're interested, you can check it out here: https://mind-workout.pages.dev
How are you sure that the perceived improvement is due to the n-back and not that you only do n-back on days with abnormally good cognition? Like if you slept very little you obviously wouldn't not perform well nor do the n-back.
https://spicychess.com: A real-time chess playing app where you can taunt your opponent and smack them during the game! If you smack them enough times to completely drain their health, you can steal their turn and make their move. There is also has a progression system where leveling unlocks increasingly fun abilities designed to torment and troll your opponent.
https://wordazzle.com: Inspired by the quote 'the limits of my language are the limits of my world,' it's a daily game delivering 7 carefully chosen, sublime words designed to genuinely elevate your verbal prowess. You can also save the words you love as flashcards to review them later!
I can attest to the benefits of n-back. I've been doing it for a couple of years now, five days a week for 20-25 minutes. I've noticed a tangible positive difference in both my verbal fluency and my processing speed on days where I engage this protocol.
Since the link shared here is for Triple N-Back method/app, for those looking for a standard Dual N-Back, there are many web apps, one such app I found in search results is https://dual-n-back.io/
I've actually built my own variation of n-back(triple n-back), where you're tested on the colour of the stimulus in addition to the sound and position-so it's much more cognitively demanding. If you're interested, you can check it out here: https://mind-workout.pages.dev