Crosswords and scanwords by the author

Our second Sloword application is now live. Access it directly from the first screen by clicking the scanword image, or find it in Settings under Other Applications. Experience a fresh, modern take on traditional crosswords.

Russian scanwords are truly a global phenomenon. No other language features such a wealth of literary references, witty humor, and questions reflecting current world events. All this is embedded in everyday crosswords, which may seem surprising. The Russian people cherish words—they honor them, preserve them, and treat language as something precious.

Our app offers a variety of scanwords: ranging from easy to challenging, some with photos, classic clues, or associative hints like “one word” or Elder Fur-style clues. Each issue includes an English-Russian scanword and a “holey” puzzle—you'll quickly see why it has that name. Plus, every page introduces a fun character from our cheerful world. Come join the fun!

All scanwords are completely free for readers. This annual collection includes 52–53 issues with 20 scanwords each. A full year’s worth takes up only about 50 MB—images are small, and text is just text. We care about your phone’s storage.

No internet connection is needed once the puzzles are downloaded. A new issue is released every Friday. If you enable notifications, you’ll receive a reminder every Friday at 12:00 local time. New issues download automatically when you open the app and won’t repeat once completed. You can also manually download or delete individual issues, or use “Settings” to download all issues at once.

All main features—including full access to scanwords—are free. Advertising supports the experience, with one narrow banner per page and one interstitial ad before opening each puzzle. Our advertiser never interrupts solving and generously rewards you with free hints for watching short videos.

Every reader has the choice to: a) disable ads permanently, b) subscribe to remove ads and get unlimited hints, or c) collect hints in bulk. All options are available in the Shop.

Privacy Policy:

1) We use the standard Android advertising ID solely for ad placement and performance analysis. This ID is only linked to personal data or device identifiers like SSAID, MAC address, or IMEI with your explicit consent;