So you asked this person out on a date and then proceeded to say something stupid that ruined everything. How can you avoid making a similar mistake next time? There might be help for you in a couple of instructional video games. Bloom Digital Media has a couple of games for folks who lack real life dating skills. The Toronto Star online discusses a couple of dating simulators.

This summer’s No. 1 indie game smash hit is Dream Daddy, a funny and charming dating simulator in which you are a single father seeking love and friendship within a community of handsome – and refreshingly diverse – single daddies.

“Dating sims are a great way to explore relationships in a safe, fictional space and they can also help you feel less lonely,” says Leighton Gray, the 20-year-old co-creator of Dream Daddy, which has been downloaded 180,000 times since its launch last month.

This kind of virtual social exploration is especially beneficial for those who lack real-life dating skills and experiences.

The other dating simulator that this company produced is called Long Story and is for younger players, specifically pre and early teens. In both cases the point is to introduce players to concepts like flirting about which they may or may not have a clue. The Long Story game has been downloaded a million times and the brand new Dream Daddy is catching up. Those who have tried these dating simulators say that although each has a target audience the lessons they teach are useful for anyone who needs to improve their dating skills.

Success in Dating

We have written about success on the first date.

Will you have success on the first date? This depends, to a degree, on what you are looking for. If you simply want to meet someone new and get to know them you will likely have success on the first date. If you are looking for sex on the first date, that is a different matter. Developing a meaningful, long term relationship is not going to happen on the first date. But, sometimes there is love at first sight and you know from day one that he or she is the person you will spend the rest of your life with.

All of this makes sense until you are out on your first date, tongue tied trying to think of something to say and realizing that you left your credit cards at home and have no way to pay for the meal you are eating. Success in dating like success in life improves with practice and that is the point of dating simulators. Dating advice is great but it helps if you can practice that advice without the risk of losing the person of your dreams as soon as you open your mouth. And the flip side, of course, is that there are dates you should walk away from as they are the entry point into an abusive relationship. Remember that practice makes perfect.