Tylz is a magnetic board game that comes with a heavy-duty magnetic board, 80 L-shaped tiles, four tile holders, and some small magnetic circles that help players keep their own score along the sides of the board. This game is for 1 to 4 players ages 5 and up.

You start by turning all the tiles face down. Then each player draws 3 tiles and places them in their rack. It is suggested that the youngest player always goes first, proceeding clockwise. When it is your turn, you place a tile on the board. The tiles have 3 colored squares that make up the L shape. The object is to place your tile with as many sides touching the same color as possible. You score 1 point for each edge that your tile matches the color of the neighboring square. The long side of a tile counts as 2 edges, so each tile has 8 edges.

There are 12 stars spread out over the board. If you place a tile over a star, you score double for that play. If you place a tile so that 3 or more edges match, you get an extra turn. You keep score by using a little magnetic circle to cover a number 0-9 and another one to count from 10 to 100 by tens. There are advanced rules to the game as well so that your children can grow with the game. There are ways to play the game with players of different ages and skills. There is also a way to play solitaire.

When I got the game, I decided to try it out with my 5-year-old first. The game was interesting and challenging for him but not over his head. We had a really good time playing this game. I liked it because I felt it had several different skills for him to work on at the same time. He had to be aware of the whole board as it expanded so that he could place his tiles where they would score the best. He had to recognize the best color combinations and make sure he was not covering someone else's tile. He was always looking to see if he could cover a star so he could double his score. Also, he needed to be able to count first by ones to keep his own score, and then as he got up over 10 he had to have a score marker on a ten as well as on the ones, and so on. I thought it kept him very engaged and learning to do multiple tasks. He already knew how to count and recognize colors, so that did make it easy for him to catch on.

There are some advanced rules that help to make the game interesting for older kids as well. I did play this game with some of my older children and they caught on very quickly and also enjoyed the game. Every time you play it, it is different. There seem to be endless possibilities and strategies. I must admit that I got bored with the game before they did.

I think the game is great for kids and even adults that especially like these types of puzzle games. I tend to like more word and letter games, so I gave up playing it after awhile. The game is very well made for the price of $24.50. I believe I would buy this game again for the fun and opportunity to play with a multiple of different age groups. The limiting factor in my opinion is the ability to play with only four players.

Product review by Kerri Schnetz, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, September 2008