With the rapid growth of social media platforms and their dedicated gaming groups, the popularity of forums suffered a direct hit in recent years. However, while many younger gamers seek help through websites or social network community pages, many dedicated veterans still consider forums as the go-to place to exchange ideas on their favorite titles, share screenshots and argue on the most intricate nuances. We made an attempt to list some of the most popular forums out there that are still very active. Have a look at the results below.
4. Publisher specific forums
EA, Ubisoft, Activision or Blizzard – they all have forums for the games available on their platforms and there are a number of advantages to this. Most importantly, regardless of whether you are having issues with a specific game or a launcher, one of the staff members is bound to see your post at some point. Sometimes receiving developer support is the only way of fixing things and official support forums will help you get things fixed faster. Large publisher forums can also be a friendlier place to search for guidelines or exchange ideas, as they are usually heavily moderated and large companies pay more attention to monitor the language and behavior on their sites. Some threads may also encourage forum users to post their ideas for improving or updating the game. Seeing your idea implemented in your favorite title is a wonderful experience.
3. Platform specific forums
Both Playstation and Xbox have forums dedicated to their respective platforms. Here you will find help related not only to the platform-specific version of your game, but also to the device, peripherals and account you use. Other than that, the advantages are similar to those for publisher specific forums.
2. Steam Community
Right now, Steam is the most developed game-oriented digital distribution service that serves as an example for others to follow. It has a lot of features that are still missing in other places, like the much younger Epic Games Store. For many people, Steam is also the go-to place to look for tips, guidelines and solutions to problems associated with specific games. If you go to Google to search for your issue, there is a high probability you will be directed to a thread on the Steam Community website. Steam also has its mobile application, so you can comfortably access the forums from any place if you have an Android or Apple phone. Another advantage is that Steam constantly increases the library of games, reaching out for series that used to be platform-specific before, like the Gears series or Assassin’s Creed. If you play any PC games at all, you probably already have your Steam account and access to its gaming community.
1. reddit
Probably the liveliest of all online gaming communities in general, reddit’s gaming section is possibly the biggest hub for all things related to games, regardless of platform, launcher or publisher. Not only will you find support related to your favorite games, but you will meet like-minded people with a shared passion. Some share photos of their cosplays of the most iconic characters, others present their game-inspired craft, songs, memes or funny screenshots. Reddit is your go-to place if you think the things you do are fun and believe there are other people that might enjoy them. You can find teammates for your favorite games, get an idea of what’s worth playing in the near future, find user opinions on the titles you are considering to purchase and much more. Many game developers also browse reddit forums to see the opinions on their games and look for player feedback.
Conclusion
Forums may not be as popular as they were over a decade ago, but there are still places to go to if you prefer this form of communication over groups on social media platforms. If you are looking for, e.g., some CS:GO tips, or if you have a specific problem with a game, you will often see that the issue has already been discussed in one of the threads. It might be fun to linger a bit more on a forum and get inspired by other people’s ideas.
