App Review: Tally Board Is a Stellar Math Puzzle Game for iOS

Tally Board is a challenging and fun math game. Anyone who is a fan of number games like Sudoku and 2048 will likely enjoy playing it. Though it’s frustrating at times, it’s a relaxing puzzle game that’ll help you sharpen your math skills.

Initially I thought I was going to despise Tally Board, mainly because math was never my strongest subject. After the first game, though, I started to get the hang of it and found it to be a bit easier to play.

Tally Board requires players to connect strings of numbers that either add up or multiply to equal the last number in the string. For example, you’d connect 4 and 6 to equal 10 or 24, depending on the layout of the board. Every time you make a move, more numbers are added to the board. The game ends if the board becomes full or if you surrender.

The learning curve isn’t so steep that it’s impossible, though, which is great news for those who like to work at figuring something out. It’ll take time, but Tally Board is definitely a game that’s worth the effort, especially if numbers and puzzles are your thing.

I really like the layout of the game, especially the classic and barebones chalkboard look. You won’t find any eye candy or fancy graphics, but it’s nice because the game isn’t about that sort of stuff. The minimalist approach really works out well here, which isn’t always something that iOS games can pull off easily.

Tally Board includes a few features, as well, such as “superpowers” like hints, free moves, and shuffles. These superpowers come with a price, though, as you’re limited with how many you can use. You can either restore your superpower credits by playing Tally Board or buy purchasing packs via in-app purchase.

If you’re a Game Center guru, Tally Board features complete integration with the service, which is perfect for anyone who wants to challenge friends for bragging rights.

As far as negative things about Tally Board, I really couldn’t find anything I didn’t like about the game. Everything works really well once you get the hang of the game.

Overall, I think Tally Board is a fresh idea that has manifested into a unique and challenging game to play. Your brain will definitely break a sweat, but that’s essentially the point of a good puzzle game.

Tally Board is available to download from the App Store for free and is universally compatible with iPhone and iPad. Requires iOS 7.1 or later.