Dating : I met my amazing girlfriend and it’s all because of a video game

Dating : I met my amazing girlfriend and it’s all because of a video game

Six years ago I met this girl on a game called League of Legends. We were both impressed with each other’s gameplay and added each other afterwards. I assumed she was a guy and didn’t think much of it. Over the next months, we would invite each other to games and eventually hopped on Skype calls where I discovered first that she was a girl, and secondly that she lived in Canada.

We would stay up til 5 AM playing random games and talking about whatever was on our minds. We would talk about movies, shows, what we wanted to become, what our families were like, sad memories, happy moments. I knew I had a huge crush on her when I was out at dinner and my friends noticed I kept looking at my phone and smiling a lot. They teased me wanting to know who I was ignoring them for, to which I responded: you’ll meet her someday.

One day, we played Portal 2, a game where two people work together to solve puzzles. We got stuck on a level for an hour and after a bit of laughter and mayhem I told her I liked her and she said she liked me too. However there was a catch. I was living in San Francisco and she was in Canada. At the time I didn’t think long distance would work and I let her know.

But you know the cliche « when you find the one, you’ll know »? Well, it’s true. I knew if I passed this moment up, I would regret it for the rest of my life. I told her everything about what was on my mind and how I felt and she flew down to visit.

Fast forward to today. We’re building a life and living together in Los Angeles. We did long distance for 5 years, 1300 miles apart, 0 mutual friends and it’s all because of a video game. The internet changed the game, literally and metaphorically in a sense of who you can connect with. We met organically doing what we both loved.

I want the world to have a better dating experience. It really doesn’t matter what game you play, that’s the beauty of it. We all play games to escape life for a bit and in that moment you might just meet the person that fits with you. Games break down barriers and are a way to interact with others in a fun, low pressure environment.

That’s why we made Kippo. Sure there are other dating and social media apps out there, but there is something about connecting through games that’s special. We wanted to create a platform where you can actually get to know someone through interactions instead of just swiping on a face and having to drop pickup lines like throwing darts at a board. This is a mission I believe in because that’s how I met Yvonne. Not only that, but most of my real life friends are people that I met through video games first as well. I hope I can help other people make new friends, and even find love through this app.

TLDR: I met my girlfriend of 6 years through a video game and now I helped create an app for people to meet through games.