Getting Dates IRL

Getting Dates IRL reimagines dating as a roguelike challenge. Born from social experiments that tried to approach strangers, this solo project turns the risk-reward of real-world interaction into a playful, bite-sized game. It isn’t a pickup simulator; it’s a gamified account of how real conversations unfold, encouraging players to push through social anxiety and learn that rejection is just the starting point for a new run. Each night out is a fresh loop where progress can be earned, lost, and carried forward in your own way.

Core Gameplay

• Social Extraction Gameplay: Collect phone numbers as loot from encounters, but you only keep them if you make it back home to your computer to “save” your progress. This creates tension and strategic pacing for how far you push conversations each night.
• Confidence is your HP: Your Confidence acts as health. Awkward moments drain it, and if it hits zero you faint from social exhaustion, ending your run. Manage energy, timing, and timing-out to stay in the game.
• Rogue-lite Progression: Numbers can be lost, but XP is permanent. Level up and become more efficient with every night out, unlocking smoother approaches and better odds on future runs.

Nightmare Mode: Survival

After completing the final date, the city’s face changes and a secret mode unlocks: a first-person survival challenge. In this Nightmare Mode, social anxiety twists into physical threats as swarms of zombies roam the streets. It’s the same city, but rules flip entirely—survive, adapt, and push your limits in a high-stakes, action-packed continuation of the experience.

Design goals

The game purposefully blends risk, learning, and progression. It aims to create a safe space to explore social dynamics, celebrate small victories, and demonstrate that each encounter—even with rejection—serves as a step toward becoming better at handling real-world interactions.