Games are fun, building a positive attitude toward math. They give students a refreshing break from textbook work and make kids willing to practice their math. Games make math practice enjoyable, something children want to do. We can happily work through many more calculations during a game than anyone would ever want to do on a homework page.
Benefits of Math Games
But more important than the fun, math games push children to think about what numbers mean and how they work. The numbers in a math game are not just meaningless abstractions, but tools that players can use to gain an advantage over their opponent.
A good math game reinforces the idea that math is about reasoning, using the things you know to figure out what you need. Math is not just about getting the right answer. It’s about what goes on in your head on the way to that answer. The answer itself is merely a side-effect. of what really matters, your thinking.
A good math game helps students develop flexibility, the ability to adapt, applying what they have learned to new situations, finding a way to work out the things they haven’t mastered yet. All these add up to a more robust type of mathematical fluency than what many people imagine possible.
Denise Gaskins' Let's Play Math 