The Game Game, built with OpenAI, lets you practice your pick-up lines on an AI before taking them to the apps—cringe very much encouraged.
Image: Illustration: blueheadlad/Adobe Stock
Think you’ve got game? Time to put it to the test with Tinder’s latest launch in collaboration with OpenAI.
On Tuesday, Tinder rolled out The Game Game—a new experience designed to help users practice their flirting skills by chatting with an AI voice, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4o model. Players are dealt a stack of virtual cards, each introducing a different AI persona and a hilariously exaggerated rom-com scenario (think: a luggage mix-up at the airport or accidentally crushing someone’s sunglasses on the beach). Your challenge? Charm your way through it.
The bot makes the first move, and users respond in real time—earning feedback on their game as they go. Nail the convo, land a “date,” and you win. But don’t get too cozy with your digital crush: Each session is capped at three minutes, and users are limited to five plays per day—just in case you forget Tinder is still about connecting with real people.
While The Game Game’s April 1 launch date might raise eyebrows, it’s no prank—it’s just not that serious. Using speech-to-speech AI, the game delivers absurdly funny scenarios designed to make you laugh more than sweat.
“Our Future of Dating report found that 64% of young singles are totally fine with a little cringe if it leads to a real connection,” Hillary Paine, Tinder’s VP of product, growth, and revenue, tells Fast Company. “We didn’t want it to feel overly polished or intense. Instead, we leaned into humor, awkwardness, and low-pressure moments to help users practice flirting in a fun, playful, and judgment-free way.”
Tinder has built in safeguards to ensure that conversations stay appropriate and follow community guidelines. And no, they’re not trying to create an AI companion (this isn’t Her). The goal is to blur the line between the digital and the real world—something Tinder has been exploring with events like the Single Summer Series, Chaotic Singles Party, and Swipe Off.
According to a Forbes Health survey, 79% of Gen Z reported feeling dating-app burnout in 2023. Tinder is betting that a little fun might just reignite the spark. “Our mission has always been to spark real connections by making dating feel less like a chore and more like something to look forward to,” Paine says.
At a launch event hosted at OpenAI’s New York City office, I got to try The Game Game myself. Let’s just say my gym meet-cute didn’t exactly end in a rom-com-style kiss in the rain. Humbling, to say the least.
The Game Game is now live for U.S. Tinder users on iOS for a limited time.
