What is Gamified Dating?

Oof. Show me someone who loves online dating and I’ll show you someone who’s in it for the games. No, not those kinds of games (although watch out for those as well), the kinds of games that are now being incorporated into online dating apps. 

Online dating (okay, all dating) can be awkward, but more and more dating apps are trying to combat social anxieties and the pressure of finding a match by adding games and challenges to help users break the ice and enjoy the experience.

Intrigued? Here are a few examples of fun and gamified ways to engage in online dating plus how to stay safe while you’re on the hunt for love online. 

Gamified Dating Intentionally Or Unintentionally

For better or for worse online dating has become gamified by the very nature of how we use and engage with the apps, which present potential matches as an endless pool of options.

People—complex and complete humans—are simplified and reduced to a photo and a bio and then presented as an option on a menu. Just like in a game of Kwazy Cupcakes all users need to do is swipe through to “win” the game and get their “prize.”

Additionally, some apps have intentionally incorporated games to increase user engagement (and hopefully increase their chances of success) and time spent on the app (whether searching for love or just addicted to the game, it remains to be seen).

Tinder has an interactive choose-your-own-adventure game called “Swipe Night” in which users make decisions about moral dilemmas and practical choices. Then Tinder pairs players with matches based on their choices. 

Similarly, Bumble’s approach to gamifying dating is to incorporate features like question prompts to spark conversation. With easy, low-stakes, and silly questions about travel, lifestyle or funny scenarios, users can provide quirky or earnest answers that will serve as natural conversation starters. 

Have Fun and Stay Safe

While these gamifications of dating apps are making the experience more fun, you still need to remember to protect yourself and stay safe online. 

You can sign up for dating apps (and maybe even share with a match for a date) with a secondary Hushed online number, all while keeping your private number private.

This sense of security can actually help you to relax and enjoy the dating game (or games, as the case may be), allowing you to let your guard down a little and just be yourself without worrying about anyone finding your personal contact details.

Get Hushed for Online Dating:

1. Head to the Hushed website or to the App Store and download the Hushed app. It’s available on both iOS and Android and can be installed in a snap.

2. Decide on your temporary number for gamified dating and pick a number from any region (locally or far away) so that you have both flexibility and privacy. 

3. Start playing the dating game with confidence in your online security. Just use your Hushed online number to chat with matches, send texts, photos, and make plans to meet up in person—all while keeping your real number private.

4. Disconnect and end the date at any time your heart desires. If things don’t work out with your match or you start to feel uncomfortable for any reason, you can easily deactivate the number, cutting off contact without worrying about breaking a contract.