Here’s an idea that mixes dating, creativity, and playtesting in a self-sustaining way.
People would sign up and choose one of three roles that best fits their personality type:
* Creative people – imaginative types who love brainstorming and inventing things.
* Analytical people – logical types who like rules, structure, and evaluation.
* Hybrid people – somewhere in between; they like improving and refining ideas.
The event would run in repeating cycles:
1. Creatives are randomly grouped (say, 8 per group) and asked to invent a brand-new board game together. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just original and playable.
2. Analytical groups then play those prototypes on a later day. They give detailed feedback on what worked, what was confusing, and what could be improved.
3. Hybrid groups receive that feedback and refine the most promising games — tightening the rules, balancing mechanics, improving presentation.
4. Finally, another set of Analytical groups plays these improved versions and rates them again.
The dating part
At the end of each session, everyone privately fills out a short dating questionnaire indicating if they’d like to go on a date with anyone they met in their group. (Matches are handled privately, of course.)
Why it’s interesting
* It’s not just another “speed dating” or “paint night.” People build something creative together, which naturally shows personality and chemistry.
* Each event produces real, evolving board games so the system literally generates new games as it helps people meet.
* The three-role setup (Creative, Analytical, Hybrid) keeps things dynamic and makes the social ecosystem self-renewing: games and participants both evolve.
* It balances chaos and structure — Creatives spark ideas, Analytics test them, Hybrids translate between the two.
Essentially it’s a dating ecosystem that also functions as a board-game innovation loop. Every cycle produces new games and new relationships.
What do you think of this idea?
1) Speed dating doesn't rely on invented game mechanics that might ostracize, anger or disappoint participants. The arbitrary competitiveness automatically makes it less-attractive than traditional dating options.
2) It sounds like your only "dating" element here is just the questionnaire at the end. You could offer the same thing at the end of a train ride, after checking out at the grocery store or after a local parent/teacher conference. The reason people don't do this is because it's creepy and weird. Socially healthy individuals don't need to corner people in awkward situations to get closer to them.
It's not bad! Some thoughts:
- I think that this sounds like the perfect thing for the subset/union of folks who are both looking to date and are into games.
- However, if I'm in a relationship but interested in gaming... it would be weird/suspicious if I went to a thing that's dating-related. My partner would probably (reasonably) wonder if I'm looking for another partner
- Dating is hard! but I think that dating/meeting people informally is actually quite possible at a social event that doesn't have to be about dating. Think of any salsa dancing class - most of these classes won't say that they are "good for dating", but they are, in fact, a great place to meet people and potentially, if there's mutual interest, maybe start dating someone you met there.
- I actually think the idea of "brainstorm new games/feedback" nights is good in itself! I'm not thhhaaat much into board games myself actually - but I'd be tempted to go to an experimental board game night and/or talk to a creator, and maybe even try my own hand at presenting/brainstorming something that I would find fun... and maybe meet other people ((not romantically)) that enjoy what I enjoy!
Cheers - I think you're onto something. I would just generally maybe suggest tempering the "dating" angle..? But I'm just one opinion :-)