Overview

Almost everyone, young or old, has tried a dating app at some point. While talking to my bro about his struggles on Bumble, he mentioned having no real way to actually engage with people because his messages felt lost in the sea of "others". As a designer, he looked to me for the finesse and truthfully, I had no clue. But quick thinking kicked in—he wanted engagement and what’s better for engagement than games? Interactive games could be the ice breaker, making connections more natural and vibey. After all, iMessage already offers games but you need someone’s number first to do that. So why not bring that same playful energy into dating apps?

Solution

Integrating interactive mini-games into dating apps to help users break the ice, encourage natural conversation and make connections more engaging.

• Mini-Games as Icebreakers: Simple word games, trivia or questions that allow matches to

interact in a fun way before jumping into conversation. (Harvard Social Connection Report, 2023)

• Low-Pressure Interaction: Studies show that shared activities make first impressions 60% more memorable, reducing rejection anxiety. (Journal of Human Interaction, 2022)

Logic

Boosts engagement = more subscriptions. Dating apps with interactive features see 30-40% higher paid subscription rates. (App Annie Mobile Trends, 2023)

Increases session time = more matches. Games increase user session time by up to 50%, making matches more likely to happen. (TechCrunch, 2023)

Sets the app apart from competitors. Most dating apps still rely on traditional messaging—this creates a unique selling point. (Mobile App Strategy Report, 2023)