Simulator — Lab

Interactive model of the dating market — virtual agents, swappable algorithms, observable in real time.

How does this lab work?

This simulation is a learning tool, not a game. You shape the architecture of a virtual dating market and watch what effect your changes have on a population of synthetic agents.

In three steps:

1. Pick an algorithmic engine on the left. It determines who is shown to whom, how often.
2. Adjust the parameters below: how selective men and women swipe, population size, gender ratio.
3. Press Run. Watch SMR, Gini, burnout, and funnel on the right. Toggle dark patterns to test monetization effects.

What the symbols mean:

Gini = inequality measure. 0 = everyone gets equal attention, 1 = one person gets all.
SMR = swipe-to-match ratio. Share of sent likes that turn into a match.
Burnout = aggregate frustration of the population. Rises through unmatched likes, ghosting, dark patterns.
Dark patterns = design choices that steer users against their interest. Explicitly named and toggleable in this sim.

Full mechanics: methodology page →

Settings

Engine

Parameters

Selectivity (male) 46 %

Default: 46 % · empirisch 33–53 %

Selectivity (female) 5.5 %

Default: 5.5 % · empirisch 4.5–6.0 %

Share male 67 %

Default: 67 %

Population size 2000

Default: 2000

Seed 42

Default: 42

Dark patterns

Dark Pattern Surveillance pricing Vary premium prices based on behavioral / demographic signals. Dark Pattern Artificial match scarcity Hide highly-compatible pairs behind a paywall. Dark Pattern Trait bias Devalue an abstract profile trait algorithmically. Models documented discrimination effects. Dark Pattern Shadow-ban Aggressive mass-swipers disappear from candidate pools. Dark Pattern Streak fakery Daily streak bonuses mask short-term frustration. Dark Pattern Fake near-match push Re-engages churning users with fictional almost-matches. Dark Pattern Gender pricing Men pay, women free.

Results

Initializing population… You can already change settings — they apply once the first computation completes.

Building population
Warming engine
Computing first metrics

Initializing population…

Observation log

No events yet.