【Secretive Boarding House】

LONDON -- Move aside Monopoly. And charades for that matter. The Secretive Boarding Housegame everyone will be playing this party season is Tinder. Yes, Tinder.

Tinder just announced the launch of its app on Apple TV, which means you can now bring your swiping to an Apple TV screen and enjoy it with friends. It's the dating site's first move away from mobile devices in an effort to make the app a more collaborative experience. And by 'collaborative', we mean PARTY. Tinder on Apple TV is a stripped back version of the iOS app we've all grown so fond of -- and it focuses on the addictive and fun feature that's become synonymous with the app's name -- swiping. Tinder is dubbing the TV app's main focus the "party swipe" -- which it describes as a "fun activity with friends". And, let's face it, we've all crouched around at least one friend's phone and marvelled at the beauty of swiping. Swiping is pretty much ALL you'll be able to do on the big screen. A relief for those of us who've ever had their Tinder hijacked by friends on a night out. And, instead of swiping with your finger in the privacy of your own home, you'll use the Apple TV's remote to swipe either left or right. You and your fellow gamers won't have access to the app's functions like chatting or profile editing. So, all of the personal aspects to do with your account will remain off limits. Phew. What a relief!

In the past, letting people take over your Tinder account has been a complex experience. Sure, it's fun for the person who's swiping -- especially if they're new to Tinder, or in a relationship. But, the reality of handing over your precious iPhone to friends or colleagues while out for drinks is a nerve-wracking experience.

There's the worry that a message might appear on the screen that you wouldn't want your friends or colleagues to see. And, what if they start firing off messages, or -- even worse -- start reading messages you've already been sending?

The art of swiping

If you're really serious about finding a match, then this might not be for you. It's not easy watching your friends swipe left on someone you could see yourself with. But, this game could also maximise your chances of finding love by increasing the number of matches. Let your friends know if you want them to swipe right on someone you fancy.

This focus on the core swipe experience means that you don't have to worry about any of that. Which leaves the account holder free to think up new ways to make the art of swiping even more interesting. You could divvy up into teams and whichever team lands the most matches is the winner. Of course, you could also add alcohol to the equation? You could even devise more complicated rules to the game to challenge yourselves.

So, happy holidays one and all -- here's to a festive time spent swiping. Heck, this game might even match you with the future love of your life. Just make sure you swipe responsibly.

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