The best dating sites for gamers

Love and video games are better with two players.
By Leah Stodart and Joseph Green  on 
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Overview

Best For Serious Relationships

eharmony

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Best For Professionals

EliteSingles

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PROMOTED
Best For Hooking Up

AdultFriendFinder

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Best For Rewards

GamerDating

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Best For Fast Results

Match

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This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.

You know what they say: Don't hate the player, hate the game.

Dating can be difficult, even at the best of times. Whether it's finding common interests and shared passions, or even something as simple as holding a meaningful conversation, it can take a lot of work to find that special someone. It doesn't matter if you're looking for a long-term relationship or more of a fleeting connection. Dating can be awkward, challenging, and even downright stressful.

It's not all bad though, and just because it can be difficult doesn't mean it can't be fun. And for gamers, fun is what really matters. The fun factor of dating apps is part of the reason we keep coming back to them. This is why apps like Tinder, what with its swipe-happy function, have become so popular. Thanks to the digital nature of the modern gaming market, gamers are able to connect with friends from all over the world in whatever they're playing. The right dating apps and sites can offer that same opportunity, allowing you to meet people who share your passions. 

Do you really need to use dating sites?

Meeting in bars, clubs, parks, and other romantic locations still happens on a regular basis, but you're shortening your odds of finding something special by subscribing to a dating site. Why not give yourself the best chance of success?

Dating sites and apps allow you to get your information out there to a massive network of like-minded individuals, and you can save a lot of time, energy, and cash by testing out a potential relationship on an app before meeting in real life. Using dating apps is also a whole lot less intimidating than meeting someone face to face.

Should you use free dating apps?

The likes of Tinder and Hinge are seriously popular dating apps with massive networks of users, and they are free. Most of the biggest and best dating sites also have free versions, so yes, you can easily enter the online dating game without spending anything. There are levels to this game though.

For the best experience with the greatest possibility of finding exactly what you're looking for, you are going to have to cough up some cash. You can still find love with a free app, but if you're looking for compatibility tests, chat rooms, videos, and a greater level of control, we recommend upgrading.

What do you need to know before using a dating app?

The first rule of online dating is to just be yourself. By being yourself and presenting yourself accurately and honestly, you open yourself up to the possibility of a great relationship with someone who likes you just the way you are. Also, don't be afraid to make the first move. Forget all those outdated rules that say a man is supposed to make the first move or that a woman can't pay on a first date. Instead, focus on finding an equal partner who helps support your goals, wants to see you succeed, and has dreams of their own.

Once you decide to meet up, stay open. We often come up with an idea for how someone will be after meeting them online, and it's rare that your expectations sync up with reality. Allow yourself to really get to know this person for who they are rather than who you thought they would be before you make up your mind.

If you really like them after finally meeting in person, set up your next date while you're still hanging out. If you really don't feel a connection, then do the right thing and tell them. Not only will they appreciate your direct approach, but it will alleviate that post-date awkwardness of wondering where you stand.

What is the best dating app for gamers?

Whether it's the tried and tested sites like Match and eharmony, or sites that offer a little more for the gamer in you like GamerDating, there is a site out there that can help you find the perfect player two for life.

We have lined up all the best dating sites for gamers, with something for everyone. All you need to do is check out these options and pick a favourite. Simple, right? Almost. You will then need to actually start dating, but we'll leave that to you.

These are the best dating sites for gamers in 2023.

eharmony logo

eharmony

Best For Serious Relationships

Maybe you're the sort of gamer who likes to take things at your own pace. You jump into games like Fallout 4 or Witcher III because they're the type of video games that give you freedom to tackle the game however you wish, with no pressure to reach the goal. Or maybe a game like World of Warcraft or Destiny 2 is more your thing because they are perpetual, online worlds where there is no real "end." In either case, you don't feel the need to rush through everything you're doing.

When it comes to dating sites, eharmony works in a similar way. After setting up your profile and getting linked with potential matches, there is the guided communications tool. With it, you can choose questions that you might ask other singles while also getting to specify desirable and undesirable traits. This then goes to open communication with a potential match to get to know each other. And the kicker is that all of this is done anonymously and can be taken at your own pace. But if you want, you can skip right to the normal messaging stage.

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Though it would be a dream to stream on Twitch for a living, many gamers have a separate professional life that's part of the equation, too. For those unwilling to budge when it comes to their partner's educational values and career goals, EliteSingles attempts to offer more specificity where eharmony and Match leave off.

EliteSingles loves to brag that 82% of their members are uni grads, and with most of its members between 33-50 years old, we can pretty surely say you won't have to worry about accidentally coming across a fresh graduate.

Getting started, you'll fill in your basic information and then take the new and improved personality questionnaire. EliteSingles attempts to match you through 29 algorithms and the Five Factor Personality Test, which looks at attachment style, selfishness, and more stuff that you should try to be honest about. 

Don't get too caught up on the wages and education questions — you'll still get to showcase the fun and quirky parts of yourself with different prompts that are displayed on your profile. This is where you can make mention of your favourite pastime — gaming. 

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Maybe you're the kind of gamer who likes to get rewarded for everything you do. You jump into Diablo III and Borderlands for that sweet loot grind, trying to get that perfect perk roll on a weapon or armor piece. If you don't or feel like you could find something better, you immediately go back to the grind until you get that one item that fits everything you're looking for.

If that's the case, GamerDating might be the way to go. GamerDating, as the name implies, focuses purely on the gaming community and offers a route to see how you match with fellow gamers while also rewarding you for using the site. One way it helps match up gamers is by allowing them to post their game history. This could be a general post of everything played to the currently library of games. This allows potential matches to see what kind of games they're into and is an instant invitation for conversation if there are shared interests.

The rewards come into play as a general bonus for subscribing to the premium version. Aside from the added features, like unlimited communication, users could score some new games to add to their collection as well. And the site doesn't skimp on the games, offering some of the newest releases and biggest games currently available, like Wolfenstein II or Rainbow Six: Siege.

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Match logo

Match

Best For Fast Results

Looking for a long-term relationship? The online dating site Match might be the right place for you. As with every game or activity, there is an end goal or final challenge. Whether that's defeating a final boss, solving an ultimate puzzle, or making a life-changing decision, there is something to provide a sense of success. In some cases it may take time, but like anything that's worth doing, it will be worth it in the end. When it comes to dating, the goal at the end is always to find love — and whatever level of commitment that might mean to the two of you.

Match is one of the most successful dating sites on the internet today, and that's for a reason. After setting up your profile, you can get started by defining the characteristics and traits that fit what you're looking for. While your preferences can be general to "cast a wide net," if you're more specific, you are more likely to find your perfect partner. From there, you can see who the site has matched you up with and begin messaging with them, hopefully leading to more potential success.

More than 50 percent of users on Match were born after the 1960s, when gaming was in its infancy. Given how mainstream geekdom and gaming is today, there's a good chance of finding the ideal partner who's going to love Super Mario World or Space Invaders just as much as you do.

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Topics Dating Gaming Sex

Leah Stodart
Leah Stodart
Senior Shopping Reporter

Leah Stodart is a Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable. She covers shopping trends, gift ideas, and products that make life easier, specializing in vacuums, TVs, and sustainable swaps. She graduated from Penn State University in 2016 and is watching horror movies or "The Office" when she’s not shopping online herself. You can follow her on Twitter at @notleah.

Photo of Joseph Green
Joseph Green
Shopping Editor

Joseph joined Mashable as the UK Shopping Editor in 2018. He worked for a number of print publications before making the switch to the glittery world of digital media, and now writes about everything from coffee machines to VPNs.


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