Two friends from Marlborough College, George Rolls (C3 2009–14) and Jack Bradby (SU 2009–14), who also studied together at Bristol, have launched gridlo, a social mini crossword app inspired by their own love of puzzles.
The idea came from a daily mini crossword they enjoyed solving with their friendship group. While they loved the way it brought everyone together each day, they felt there was an opportunity to make puzzle-solving even more social. That vision has shaped everything they’ve built, creating an app that combines the fun of mini crosswords with friendly competition, collaboration and new ways to play.
They’ve also expanded the format beyond traditional crosswords, introducing features such as themed puzzles created by users and language practice to help players improve—or revive—those hard-earned GCSE language skills.
Neither George nor Jack had a background in app design, so building gridlo from scratch—with just the two of them and a little help from AI—has been quite a journey. After months of hard work, they’re delighted to see the app now available on the App Store and Google Play.
gridlo features:
- A daily mini crossword
- One-to-one gameplay with friends
- User-created themed puzzles
- Daily language practice in a fun, engaging format
You can find gridlo on the App Store or Google Play
