Gwakkamole

Gwakkamole trains inhibitory control—a critical cognitive skill that helps you manage attention, resist impulses, and make better decisions under pressure. This research-backed game sharpens executive function, the mental toolkit that powers learning, focus, and self-regulation.

The gameplay is straightforward: smash avocados with no hat or ones that tip their hat, but avoid the spiky-hatted and electric-hatted varieties. This simple rule set forces rapid decision-making, teaching your brain to pause, evaluate, and act appropriately rather than react automatically. Each round strengthens your ability to override strong impulses and stay on task.

Why does this matter? Executive function—which includes inhibitory control, task-switching, and working memory—directly supports academic performance in reading and math. Research shows children with stronger executive skills achieve better grades, higher standardized test scores, and greater long-term academic success. Gaps in these skills between higher and lower-income students correlate with achievement disparities, making targeted training valuable for learners at any age.

Gwakkamole is grounded in peer-reviewed research conducted by New York University's CREATE lab. A published study in Mind, Brain, and Education demonstrates the game's effectiveness at building inhibitory control while accounting for the real-world tradeoff between speed and accuracy in adolescent learning. The work was supported by the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences, ensuring rigorous methodology and credible results.

This app is part of the Smart Suite, a collection of evidence-based games developed collaboratively by NYU, University of California Santa Barbara, and The Graduate Center, CUNY. Each game targets a different aspect of executive function to create a comprehensive training experience.

Download Gwakkamole to engage your brain in a quick, focused session—whether you're looking to sharpen your decision-making, build mental discipline, or support academic readiness. Train your inhibitory control one avocado at a time.