The Catch dating app lets women pick men based on personality

There’s more to dating than just looks. Indeed, personality matters.

So say the experts at The Catch, the newest social dating app for women. The Catch lets women pick men based on their personalities, as revealed by their answers to questions posed by the woman themselves. Unlike apps such as Bumble, Tinder, and Hinge, The Catch has figured out a way to make people look more deeply into who might be a good match. And it gamifies the dating, uh, game.

The Catch is available today on the iTunes App Store for San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles residents. Users will be able to sign up soon to be on the wait list for the Android version on the Google Play Store.

Early access was given to several colleges within California, where The Catch already has established ambassadors. Along with other female-focused dating apps, like Bumble, The Catch gives the main control to the female user, but it sets itself apart from other apps on the market by offering a multiplayer “game” that lets women ask men questions they care about.

“I grew tired of downloading all these dating apps that basically provided the same function – swipe if he’s hot,” said Shannon Ong, founder of The Catch, in a statement. “I needed more than looks. I wanted personality. So I created a cross between ‘The Dating Game’ and ‘The Bachelorette,’ where ladies can meet gents.”

The selection process is narrowed down to four men who, based on their profiles, might be a good match. The next stage allows personality to become as important as appearance and credentials. The woman chooses three questions to ask the men. She then chooses the winner based on their answers, and he is added to a chat with the woman. (The male contestants are able to avoid open rejection, as their answers are anonymous).

“Dating is much more than just a swipe right or left based on looks. People are made to feel special and important in the act of getting to know each other, which is why The Bachelor is so successful. Both bring back the essence of dating, chivalry, flirtation, and capture first date jitters through their gaming concept ending with a process of elimination,” says Chris Bukowski, famed alumnus of the reality TV show The Bachelor, and a supporter of The Catch, in a statement. “I’m looking forward to working with The Catch team to disrupt the dating industry by providing gaming instead of swiping.”

The Catch has raised a seed round from investors including Charles Hudson Partner at SoftTech and Precursor Ventures; Blake Commagere, founder of MediaSpike; Kyle Wild, cofounder and CEO of Keen IO; Chris D’Cruz, founder of Paktor; and Sand Hill East Ventures. Advisors include Yu Kai, a gamification expert, and Sepi Nasiri, serial entrepreneur and former vice president of Women 2.0.

“The Catch is a truly innovative combination of proven game mechanics and a deep understanding of the nature of what makes for successful dating matches,” said Hudson in a statement.

The app will be expanded to include more cities in 2016. The Catch currently has a wait list of 20,000 users, and it has been tested by more than 1,000 people.