mind game

Noun mind game has 2 senses

• mind game(n = noun.act) - any game designed to exercise the intellect;
is a kind of game

• mind game(n = noun.act) - deliberate actions of calculated psychological manipulation intended to intimidate or confuse (usually for competitive advantage); "football players try to play mind games with the opposition"; "the jeweler's mind game is to convince lovers that the size of a gemstone reflects the depth of their feelings"
is a kind of manipulation, use