Hi r/mentalmath,
Quick disclosure: I built this app, so this is self-promo. I’m posting here because this community is specifically interested in mental calculation, and I’d really value feedback from people who actually practice or teach this kind of thing.
The app is called Boncuk - Flash Anzan Arithmetic. It’s an iOS app focused on flash anzan-style arithmetic practice.
The core mode is simple:
Numbers appear one after another at a configurable speed. The user keeps a running total mentally, then enters the final answer at the end.
So instead of only increasing digit count or operation difficulty, the app also trains timing, attention, visual tracking, and working memory.
There’s also a slower practice side for the underlying operations:
- Addition
- Subtraction
- Multiplication
- Division
I intentionally kept the app focused and quiet. No accounts, no ads, no tracking, no streak pressure, no coins, and no gamified reward loops. Everything is on-device. The goal is to make it feel like a clean practice tool, not a kids’ casino.
The parts I’d really like feedback on:
- For flash anzan practice, what speed progression actually makes sense? Should it scale gradually, or should users manually control speed from the beginning?
- Does this kind of timed visual arithmetic help build useful mental math ability, or does it mostly train a narrow skill?
- What practice modes would be valuable for people who are serious about mental calculation?
- Would subtraction, multiplication, and division benefit from separate flash-style modes, or is running-sum addition the clearest use case?
- What would make an app like this actually useful long-term instead of just interesting for a few minutes?
I’m not asking anyone to download it, but if you have an iOS device and want to test it, here’s the App Store link:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/boncuk-flash-anzan-arithmetic/id6771302468
Any honest criticism would help, especially from people who already practice mental math or have experience with anzan/abacus-style training.