Podcast episodes
Conversations with Community Managers from the video game industry. Learn from their wins, mistakes, and everything in between.
We raised $50K for charity with a video game
with Greg Cummins
We chat about managing communities across time zones with a team of moderators, how Far From Home turned negative reviews into a comeback story by listening to their players, and their inspiring charity work that's raised over $50,000 for Whale and Dolphin Conservation. Greg shares practical advice on building trust with your community, managing your time effectively, and why negative reviews from engaged players are actually valuable feedback.
Introducing the Community Lounge Guides for Community Managers (solo episode)
with Steve McLeod
I'm launching the brand new Community Lounge Guides: A series of practical resources designed specifically for Community Managers: The first one is now available: "Becoming a Community Manager: Real Life Stories"
The industry is smaller than you think
with Vicki Fieldhouse
We chat about how Vicki landed her first games job by streaming Fighting Fantasy books on YouTube, why being genuinely passionate about the games you work on matters, and the challenges of taking a lead management role that led her back to hands-on community work. Vicki also shares insights about the differences between working for developers versus publishers, the importance of honesty when you can't fix a bug, and her work on Cozy Quest: Secret Mode's annual celebration of cozy games featuring nearly 300 developers.
Players like to feel listened to
with Joshua Mathews
We chat about how his early experiences making trailers and talking with developers shaped his approach to community management, why empathy and gut instinct can be just as important as analytics, and how players often find unexpected meanings in games. Josh also shares insights on managing diverse communities across Discord, what to watch out for when your loudest fans don’t always represent the majority, and how he balances professional marketing work with his personal creative projects — from Warhammer storytelling to Vampire: The Masquerade cosplay.
That’s my name! I’m in a game!
with Charis Reid
We chat about how redundancy pushed her to build something new, the challenges of setting boundaries when running your own agency, and the lessons she’s learned from juggling clients across the industry. Charis shares her unconventional path into games—from studying game art and dreaming of building environments to discovering her passion for connecting players and developers.
When players take it too far
with John Lloyd
We chat about how early online experiences shaped his community philosophy, the emotional toll of working in highly visible roles, and how he’s learned to protect his mental well-being after facing severe community backlash—including receiving death threats over in-game balance changes. John shares how he handles these difficult situations, the importance of empathy in community work, and why open communication between players and studios is vital.
This job changed my life
with Dale Stiffell and Kallum Hoy
Their journeys into the industry couldn’t be more different. Dale’s path began as a teenager running one of the internet’s biggest Habbo Hotel fan sites—an experience that taught him resilience and the foundations of modern community management. Kallum’s story started in the world of pensions and finance before a chance opportunity as a volunteer moderator opened the door to game communities like RuneScape and BattleBit Remastered.
Turning Player Anger into Advocacy
with Jarvs Tasker
Her journey into the industry was anything but typical—she began her career as a drama teacher before disability forced her to step away. That experience, along with her training in behavior management, shaped her empathetic and people-first approach to community building.
It’s all about just being really curious
with Victoria Tran
In this episode, Victoria shares how she “accidentally” became a community manager—and ended up one of the most respected voices in the field. From moderating Discord servers to playing Among Us with politicians like AOC, her journey is packed with surprising moments and hard-earned wisdom.
Why I started this podcast (solo episode)
with Steve McLeod
In this special solo episode, I share why I created The Community Lounge podcast and how it connects to my product, Feature Upvote.
“Finding your voice is a trial and error process” with Sofia Pettersson
with Sofia Pettersson
We chat about her non-linear path to the games industry, what it’s like building community for a game still in development, and how her hobbies as an artist—painting, sewing, and more—give her a creative edge at work.
Is this going to be my life for the next 30 years?
with Henri Bazire
We talk about what it takes to enter the games industry from a non-gaming background, and the emotional, strategic challenges of working on games that tackle heavy subjects—like Wednesdays, a narrative game about recovery after sexual abuse. Henri shares how he handled potential backlash, navigated platform-specific audience reactions (X vs. Bluesky), and why authenticity matters when discussing taboo topics through games.
Artist, CEO, and first-time Community Manager
with Nora Mattsson
In this episode, Nora discusses her multifaceted role within the studio, highlighting the challenges and rewards of community management within an indie environment. She shares insights into building early communities around game prototypes, the strategic use of platforms like itch.io and Discord, and leveraging smaller content creators for impactful outreach.
Career Switches, Showcase Pitches, and Finding Your Voice with Dennis Abe
with Dennis Abe
We chat about the value of setting boundaries as a community manager, how to separate personal and professional identities, and why internal communication within game studios is just as critical as player engagement. Dennis shares actionable tips for newcomers to the industry and highlights what makes communities like Supercell’s and Landfall’s so impactful.
A Veteran’s Take on Being a Community Manager
with Nicolas Nottin
We chat about the distinction between community development and management, how to build a player base before a product launches, and the crucial role of empathy in community work. Nico shares how his background in UX informs his approach to community strategy, and reflects on the evolving skill set needed for today’s community professionals.
Jack of All Trades: Life as a Community Marketing Manager
with Hichem Taleb
In this episode, we define the role of a Community Marketing Manager, a blend of community management, marketing, and diverse responsibilities common in indie studios. Hichem shares insights into his professional growth, from his start in customer support at Ubisoft to deeper community engagement roles.
Building a Community From Scratch
with Thomas Schramm
We talk about what it’s like to build a community from scratch when your game hasn’t even launched yet, the strategic (and very human) work that goes into early-stage community development, and the unique challenges of community-building in a startup environment.
From Passion to Profession
with Erik Jakobsson
We chat about growing and moderating large online communities, the challenges of keeping a Discord server healthy, and how community managers can positively impact player engagement and sentiment.
You cannot teach this in a college class
with Kayla Goullaud
We chat about the complexities of game community management, the challenges of player moderation, and the importance of context in enforcement decisions. Kayla shares insights on breaking into the industry, the evolving role of community managers, and why people remain the most valuable data point in gaming communities.
This job is way more important than it’s often given credit for
with Carolin Wendt
We chat about why and how Carolin wrote her book on community management. And Carolin gives some great tips for people wanting to break into community management.
Shielding our colleagues from unnecessary toxicity
with Florian Rohde
We talk about how as a community manager, you can support your colleagues to do their job in the best way possible while shielding them from all the unnecessary noise.
Realising that you make a difference in someone’s life
with Ellinor Bergman
Ellinor tells us her journey into community management – and how a crisis situation at her previous job led her – somewhat unexpectedly – into her current role as CEO.
We want players to love our games and play for years to come
with Christian Jürgensen
Christian's story into community management is unique. Christian was working as a film producer in LA, he moved to Brazil, and then he was brave enough to jump at an opportunity that let him start a new career in community management.
“Always keep them engaged” with Lyn Dang
with Lyn Dang
In today's chat, Lyn Dang and I talk about the danger of burnout for community managers, about streaming with authenticity, and about appearing at physical events. And Lyn tells us her 3 rules for community management.
If a community doesn’t exist and I want it to exist, I will make it
with Gabriel Sanchewski
Gabriel and I talk about how he even before he was officially a community manager, he would just roll up his sleeves and create the community resources he noticed were missing.
I’m doing this because I love doing it
with Jeremy Fielding
Jeremy and I chat about how community management took him from Florida to a small city in Sweden, how you learn to be a community manager, and what the upward career path for community managers can look like.
You’re young – can you do The Facebook?
with James Croucher
James talks about running a community where everyone is a subject matter expert, what he looks for when hiring a community manager, and why he prefers serving the community on games that he actually plays.