Ask HN: A dating site where puzzle score decides outfits in your profile photos?

I’ve been toying with an idea for a dating platform that mixes game mechanics with profile presentation. The core twist is that users solve puzzles on the site, and their performance affects how their profile photo is styled.

Here is how it works:

Everyone uploads normal photos, but the platform uses AI to change only the clothing. Nothing about a person’s physical traits is edited. At the start, the system puts you in hilariously cheap or awkward outfits as a kind of lighthearted baseline. As you do well on the puzzles, your clothing in the photos automatically improves and becomes more stylish.

The entire system is transparent, so every user knows the outfits are game rewards rather than reflections of real wealth or fashion sense. The idea is to create a fun progression system that people can show off while also offering an easy conversation starter. Think of it like cosmetic upgrades in a game, but applied to dating photos in a way that stays respectful since it only changes clothing.

I’m curious how people feel about this kind of playful twist in a dating environment. Would it make the whole experience more engaging?

Comments

scblockDec 5, 2025, 8:37 PM
Earlier today you posted this terrible idea: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46162441

This is another stupid idea, though slightly less incredibly offensive. It's clear you think you can somehow set "intelligence" as an "objective" trait you can define and then us on a dating site, and that people want to filter for "intelligence" rather than compatible partners.

You're way out of touch.

kelseyfrogDec 5, 2025, 10:40 PM
This but EQ instead of IQ