Attention Gamers: This SU Grad Student Created a Card Game That Makes Your Shittiest Date Seem Dateable

Nothing beats hearing a hilarious bad date story... except maybe telling one.

Most people can laugh about failed romances with their friends over a beer. Kyle Ott, an SU grad student, decided his shitty dates were worth more than that. From his dating disasters he created “50 Worst Dates,” a card game comparable to the infamous Cards Against Humanity.

It’s a card game with two decks: Dates and Traits. Players pick a combination of the two and then vote on the “worst date.” Potential dates include a “sweaty ice road trucker” or a “circus performer.” Possible traits include “saves used condoms” or “snores like an intoxicated moose.”

The options for bad dates in the game are literally endless. This is inspiring because it means your real-life bad date was not the absolute worst-case scenario. College is like the watering hole of thirsty young adults. Whether it’s FWBs, party hookups or dormcest, dating is complicated.

The relatable nature of the game makes it interesting for college students, according to Ott.

“This game appeals to not just Syracuse students, but to everyone,” Ott said. “Everyone I’ve met has been on some terrible, strange, or downright funny dates, and what I’ve found is that a lot of people are open to joke about it. There’s something cathartic about laughing at ourselves and our romantic misadventures, and I think our game gives people an opportunity to do that in a safe setting.”

Currently, Ott said the product is being finalized for release as a board game and eventually as a digital game. While Ott was interested in gaming and design as an undergraduate, he is now learning the business side of things. He created a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to create and ship units of the game.

“My background was in game design and the arts, rather than business, so every day I’m learning something new,” Ott said. “Most of the time, I joke that for a game designer I don’t spend a lot of time making games anymore – but that’s the nature of running a startup.”

Ott experienced his worst date ever back in high school.

“The girl I was seeing at the time brought me to her friend’s Quinceañera practice,” Ott said. “I don’t dance and I’m not fluent in Spanish. It was not pretty.”

The best part about 50 Worst Dates? After playing the game and creating some awful, cringe-worthy stories, at the end of the night you may feel slightly better about your own dating life.