Two souls, one score. Here is how it is computed.

Twenty-seven questions, three acts

At sign-up, Shine asks twenty-seven questions in three acts. Matter: where your flame stands, your presence, your pace of life. Breath: how it moves, your spontaneity, your tempo. Light: what it burns for, your intent, your attachment. Every answer visibly changes the flame, and that is the only reason a question is allowed to exist in the flow. A flame needs at least five answers to light.

The score

The score compares the two answer vectors axis by axis, with weights: values and intent count the most, then rhythm, social energy, attachment, warmth, openness. Some axes reward similarity (what you look for, your values), others a light contrast (an introvert and an extrovert often complete each other). The result goes through an S-curve and lands between 0 and 100. It is symmetric: you see the same number as the other person. It is deterministic: the same answers always give the same score, on every phone.

Four tiers

There is no negative verdict. A flame never dies in Shine: an ember is a fire that needs kindling, not a rejection. On the calibration bench the mean is around 62, and about 7% of pairs reach Blaze.

The 90% rule

Above 90%, you can write directly, without waiting for a mutual like. The conversation opens by showing the score that allowed it, so the person on the other side knows why you could write. It is limited to a few direct messages a day: rarity is the point. Between 75 and 84 you can send a Spark and skip the line. Between 60 and 74, a Flash to be seen. Between 40 and 59, an icebreaker.

The child of the fusion

When two flames fuse, a third one is born: the child flame. It leans toward one parent or stays in the middle, decided by the pair, identical on both phones. Its colors are layered, never averaged into a dull mix. It becomes the avatar of your conversation.

Twenty-eight archetypes

At the end of the flow, Shine names your flame among twenty-eight archetypes. You find it in the Reliquary, and you collect the ones of the people you meet.

What the score does not do

It does not read your photos, your messages or your location. It does not change with your subscription. It never goes below zero and never says “no”. It does not replace meeting someone: it is a contact privilege, not a promise.

Frequently asked questions