I’m Kayla. I’m a support main in Overwatch. I’m also a cozy gamer who farms in Stardew at 1 a.m. I live in Austin, I’m bi, and yes, I bring my Switch to coffee shops. So, I tested a bunch of dating apps built for gamers. And a few regular apps that still work great for us, too.
You know what? It was messy, sweet, and sometimes a little weird. But it wasn’t boring.
My Setup (so you know my vibe)
- Platforms: PC and Switch
- Games I play a lot: Overwatch 2, Stardew Valley, Hades, FFXIV
- Time on these apps: about 4 months total
- What I wanted: dates that feel fun, kind, and low pressure. Co-op helps. Snark doesn’t.
Let me explain how each app felt, with real chats and dates that still stick in my head.
Kippo: Fun vibes, flashy profiles, real gamers
Kippo felt like a neon lounge. It’s all cards and cute little profile blocks. I built a deck with my mains, my comfort games, and an “Ask me about Hollow Knight” card. People did ask. A lot.
If you’re new to it, Kippo is a dating app designed specifically for gamers, offering a unique platform where users can connect over shared gaming interests.
- Week 1: I matched with Sam, a software tester who speedruns Celeste. We swapped Switch codes. We played Mario Kart while we FaceTimed and ate tacos. He wore a Zelda tee when we met at an arcade bar. He beat me at Time Crisis. I still liked him.
- Week 2: I matched with Liv, a nurse who loves Animal Crossing. We toured each other’s islands. Hers had paths. Mine had chaos. We met for boba. She laughed when I called turnips “anxiety vegetables.”
What I liked:
- Real gamer energy. People got my jokes about healers.
- The card system helped me show my flavor fast.
- It’s easy to move a chat to Discord for voice.
What bugged me:
- I ran into dead chats. Folks swiped, said “gg,” then poof.
- Some features sit behind a pay tier. I tried one month. It helped a bit, but not magic.
- Notifications sometimes lagged on my iPhone. Not a dealbreaker, just meh.
While Kippo offers innovative features tailored for the gaming community, some users have reported occasional glitches and a smaller user base compared to mainstream dating apps, so my hiccups weren’t unique.
Kippo gave me two real dates and many cozy game nights. Not bad.
LFGdating: Slower pace, longer talks, fewer people
LFGdating looks older. Like a forum from back when you still said “GG no re.” But don’t let the look fool you. People write full profiles here. Full paragraphs. With commas!
- I met Jess, a teacher who loves Stardew co-op and board games. We played a chill farm night and talked for three hours. Later, we met at a board game café and lost horribly at Wingspan. We still had fun.
- A lot of messages took a while to get replies. One sat for a week. Then he came back with a huge apology and a meme about a missed raid. Life happens.
What I liked:
- People were clear about what they wanted. Friends first, then maybe more.
- Less spam. More patience.
What bugged me:
- It felt quiet at times. Like a sleepy guild on a Tuesday.
- I paid for a month to send more messages and search better. It helped, but the pool is small.
If you like slower chats and long posts, this might be your spot. For something louder and newer, I peeked at the Riproar dating app for a weekend—picture Tinder, but every swipe comes with confetti.
OkCupid: Not gamer-only, but packed with nerds if you set it right
I flipped on tags like “video games,” “D&D,” and “anime.” I answered the geeky questions. Boom. Matches.
- Marco messaged me about my prompt: “The nerdiest thing about me? I cry when Pikmin die.” He set up a co-op night for It Takes Two. We played Act 1, then got tacos. He made me a tiny paper Pikmin on our second date. He still texts me when he sees blue ones.
- There’s more noise here. Some folks teased my play time. Not rude. Just not my people.
What I liked:
- So many filters and questions. It narrows things fast.
- You can show goals: short term, long term, IDK yet.
What bugged me:
- Lots of swipes to find gamer folks.
- A few “gaming is childish” comments. Hard pass.
Tip: Put a controller in one photo. It cuts small talk in half.
I even pulled a quick lighting tutorial from Woopid to nail that photo, and the difference in match quality was immediate.
If you’re more about playlists and voice notes, some friends swear by Duet. It’s on my backlog, but the hype is real.
Hinge and Bumble: Regular apps, gamer-friendly if you tweak
Hinge’s prompts helped a ton. I used, “A shower thought: Mercy deserves a raise.” It started real chats.
- Priya liked that line and asked, “Who’s your DPS?” We met for coffee, traded Switch codes, and did Super Mario Wonder co-op on my couch. We yelled. We laughed. We burned the garlic bread. Worth it.
Bumble has interest badges. I picked “Gaming,” “Dogs,” and “Coffee.” Short, simple, honest.
- One match opened with, “PC or console?” I said, “Both. Don’t make me choose.” We met at a retro arcade. He lost at Street Fighter and tried to blame the joystick. Uh-huh.
What I liked:
- Big user base.
- Easy first lines with prompts and badges.
What bugged me:
- Many non-gamers. You’ll see lots of gym mirror shots.
- Faster pace. Chats age like milk if you wait.
Discord servers: Not a dating app, but yes, people meet
This one’s tricky. It’s not built for dating. But I met people in game servers, local LAN groups, and FFXIV channels.
- I joined a Valorant Austin server. We did a little in-person tourney at a café. I met Eli, who mains Sage. We grabbed bubble tea after. We never dated, but he introduced me to his friend Kat. Kat and I watched AGDQ together and yelled at the screen. Good night.
If you try this, please keep it safe. Public meets. Mods matter. Voice chat first.
For people who’d rather stay semi-anonymous and hop into lightweight group chats before swapping full dating profiles, you can browse a huge, emoji-filled Kik friends directory where gamers trade room links, share lobby codes, and generally vibe without pressure—spend a few minutes there and you’ll walk away with fresh group chats for raid call-outs, turnip price alerts, or just late-night meme drops.
What actually worked for me
- Use a profile line that’s specific. “I heal badly but I bake well” beats “I like games.”
- Add one pic that shows your setup. A Switch in a tote bag. A desk with a tiny plant.
- Suggest a first hang that’s easy: Mario Kart, Jackbox, or a short Stardew day.
- Ask a simple, game-tied opener: “What’s your comfort game after a bad day?”
- When I was stuck on first messages, I stole a few ideas from apps like Rizz; they actually landed laughs.
- Move to voice before meeting. Ten minutes tells you a lot.
- Boundaries help. “I can’t stay up past midnight on work nights.” Say it early.
Red flags I ran into
- “Let’s switch to Snapchat now,” on message two. Nope.
- Trash talk about women in ranked. Extra nope.
- Rage stories. “I broke my controller.” Please no.
- Pressure to share real name, address, or full schedule. Hard no.
If your gut clenches, trust it. Log off. Go water your virtual parsnips. Then reset.
Little surprises that made me smile
- Someone sent me a perfect Stardew farm map with little hearts on the bee houses.
- A late-night turnip run in Animal Crossing saved my week. We made fake bell goals and then hit them.
- During Elden Ring DLC week, small talk was easy. “Dex or Strength?” leads to a whole date, somehow.
Who should try what
- Kippo: You want gamer humor and flashy profiles. You like a quick jump to Discord.
- LFGdating: You prefer slow burn chats and