The Community Lounge

Steve McLeod

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The Community Lounge is a place where community managers from video games studios and publishers tell their story of how they got into the role, talk about the challenges they face, and share tips to help other community managers.

6d ago

"We work with real people, with real emotions" ft. Community Manager Kristoph Zandecki

Today's guest is Kristoph Zandecki, a passionate community manager and marketer in gaming based in Poland. Kristoph was seconds away from becoming an English teacher before a Junior CM offer came in at the last moment. He's spent the majority of his career in the VR space, working with studios including Incuvo and VR indie publisher GameDust, and has also built up broad experience managing communities for everything from indie titles to big-brand IP, and from adult players to children. We talk about what makes VR communities so distinct — smaller but intensely dedicated, and quick to spot anyone who doesn't really know the space (never call the headsets "goggles"). Kristoph shares how he immersed himself in VR culture, learned the hard way about motion sickness, and watched the platform shift as Meta pulled back and left its community feeling abandoned. Kristoph also walks us through his approach to revitalising a dead Discord: what to keep, what to cut, why you should expect a wave of members to leave when you start making improvements, and why that exodus is actually a good sign. Games mentioned in this episode: - Green Hell VR: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1782330/Green_Hell_VR/ - Batman™: Arkham VR: https://store.steampowered.com/app/502820/Batman_Arkham_VR/ - SUPERHOT VR: https://store.steampowered.com/app/617830/SUPERHOT_VR/ - Half-Life: Alyx: https://store.steampowered.com/app/546560/HalfLife_Alyx/ - Kingdom Come: Deliverance II: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1771300/Kingdom_Come_Deliverance_II/ - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1903340/Clair_Obscur_Expedition_33/ Find Kristoph on: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krzysztof-zandecki-community/ The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise. Subscribe to the Community Lounge newsletter and get notified of new episodes and articles: https://featureupvote.com/thecommunitylounge/
Jul 10

"Get people engaged and get them curious" ft. Community Manager Orchid

Today's guest is Orchid, Community Manager at THOMIC, where she works on the cozy-but-brain-twisting rabbit breeding game Rare Rabbits. Orchid's path into games is one of the most unexpected on the show. She came from a family of journalists, worked in TV news in Ukraine, and only stumbled into the games industry after walking the catwalk at a local anime fashion show and striking up a friendship with a stranger from the Netherlands who happened to know some game developers. We chat about how TV journalism skills turned out to be surprisingly useful in community management, her Ukrainian daycare story that perfectly captures her philosophy for welcoming new community members, and how she built the OddSparks Discord from scratch without being allowed to show a single frame of the game. Orchid also shares her no-nonsense advice for aspiring community managers and why she believes that when it comes to content creator outreach, knowing someone's cat's name beats a copy-pasted email every time. Games mentioned in this episode: - Rare Rabbits: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3966790/Rare_Rabbits__Snuggle_Haven/ - Neopets: https://www.neopets.com/ - OddSparks: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1817800/Oddsparks_An_Automation_Adventure/ - Factorio: https://store.steampowered.com/app/427520/Factorio/ - Satisfactory: https://store.steampowered.com/app/526870/Satisfactory/ - Pikmin: https://pikmin.nintendo.com/ - Dark Souls: https://store.steampowered.com/app/570940/DARK_SOULS_REMASTERED/ - Tamagotchi Plaza: https://www.bandainamcoent.com/games/tamagotchi-plaza - No Man's Sky: https://store.steampowered.com/app/275850/No_Mans_Sky/ Find Orchid on: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orchidgoth/ - LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/orchidgoth The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise. Subscribe to the Community Lounge newsletter and get notified of new episodes and articles: https://featureupvote.com/thecommunitylounge/
Jul 3

"It’s a full time job - and then some!" ft. Community Manager Ray Willmott

Today’s guest is Ray Willmott, Social Media and Community Lead at Curveball Games and founder of Ready Mix Consult. Ray’s path into games began after a decade working in local government before transitioning into games journalism and eventually community management through volunteer writing and moderation work. We chat about how skills from public sector work shaped Ray’s approach to community management, why Steam reviews have become increasingly important for a game’s visibility and success, and how community managers can turn negative reviews into positive outcomes through thoughtful engagement. Ray also shares advice for aspiring community managers on avoiding burnout, building experience through volunteer work, and navigating the challenges of today’s games industry. Games mentioned in this episode: - Hades II: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1145350/Hades_II/ - Blue Prince: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1569580/Blue_Prince/ - PRAGMATA: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3357650/PRAGMATA/ - The Secret of Monkey Island - Special Edition: https://store.steampowered.com/app/32360/The_Secret_of_Monkey_Island_Special_Edition/ - Tetris Effect - Connected: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1003590/Tetris_Effect_Connected/ - Sente: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1005180/Sente/ - Planted: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3448000/Planted/ Find Ray on: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-willmott-90871054 - Ready Mix Consult: https://www.readymixconsult.com/ - Ready Mix Gaming: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadyMixGaming - Curveball Games: https://x.com/Curveball_Games The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise. Subscribe to the Community Lounge newsletter and get notified of new episodes and articles: https://featureupvote.com/thecommunitylounge-newsletter
Jun 26

"We're all really creators in some way" ft. Community Manager Milissa Maxin

Today’s guest is Milissa Maxin, Senior Community Manager at Singularity 6, makers of Palia. Milissa’s path into games is anything but conventional. She began her career studying tuba performance at Berklee College of Music before discovering her passion for community building through online roleplay servers and virtual worlds. We chat about how growing up in early online communities like Toontown, Neopets, RuneScape, and Habbo Hotel shaped her instincts as a community leader, and how her experience organising roleplay servers in games like Grand Theft Auto V became an unexpected foundation for a career in community management. Milissa shares her journey from volunteer moderator to customer support at Linden Lab, and eventually into community leadership roles working on Second Life and Sansar. Games mentioned in this episode: - Palia: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2707930/Palia/ - Toontown Rewritten: https://www.toontownrewritten.com/ - Neopets: https://www.neopets.com/ - RuneScape: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1343400/RuneScape/ - Habbo Hotel: https://www.habbo.com/ - Minecraft: https://www.minecraft.net/ - Red Dead Redemption 2: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1174180/Red_Dead_Redemption_2/ - RedM (RDR2 Roleplay Mod): https://redm.gg/ - Grounded: https://store.steampowered.com/app/962130/Grounded/ - Parkitect: https://store.steampowered.com/app/453090/Parkitect/ - GoldenEye: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GoldenEye_007 Find Milissa on: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milissamaxin/ - Palia Discord: https://discord.com/invite/playpalia The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise. Subscribe to the Community Lounge newsletter and get notified of new episodes and articles: https://featureupvote.com/thecommunitylounge-newsletter/
Jun 19

"Community is a major part of everything we do" ft. Community Manager Joshua Callaghan

Today’s guest is Joshua Callaghan, ex-Community Manager, and now an Account Manager at Raptor PR. Joshua began his journey in the games industry as a teenage Reddit moderator, building hands-on experience in community management before transitioning into PR through a degree apprenticeship. His path highlights how non-traditional routes—like volunteering and community participation—can open doors into the industry We chat about how Joshua got started in community management at just 14, the lessons he learned from moderating large online communities, and how those skills translate into his current role in B2B PR. He shares practical advice on measuring community engagement, using data to guide decisions, and why understanding your audience is key. We also discuss the differences between B2C and B2B community building, the evolving role of content, and even how wearing a dinosaur costume to industry events can help humanise professional spaces! 🦖 Games mentioned in this episode: - Dreams: https://indreams.me/ - LittleBigPlanet: https://x.com/LittleBigPlanet - Tearaway: https://tearaway.me/ - High on Life 2: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2069250/High_On_Life_2/ - Hades II: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1145350/Hades_II/ Other Shoutouts: - Lost in Cult: https://www.lostincult.co.uk/ - Media Molecule: https://www.mediamolecule.com/ - Humble Bundle: https://www.humblebundle.com/ Find Joshua on: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-callaghan/ The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise. Subscribe to the Community Lounge newsletter and get notified of new episodes and articles: https://featureupvote.com/thecommunitylounge/
Jan 22

"We raised $50K for charity with a video game" ft. Community Manager Greg Cummings

Today's guest is Greg Cummings, Community and Content Manager at Far From Home, a Polish indie studio behind the survival game Forever Skies. Greg's journey into community management began while working full-time in retail and being a dad; he built experience through unpaid work as a content creator, streamer, and unofficial community moderator for PlayStation Access before landing his first industry role in 2021. 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. Shoutouts: Untold TalesEnigmatic PlayPlaystation AccessWDC Whale and Dolphin ConservationWar Child Charity Find Greg On: LinkedinBluesky The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise. Subscribe to the Community Lounge newsletter and get notified of new episodes and guides. Chapters(00:00:00) - Greg's History as a Community Manager(00:03:06) - Working for Far From Home(00:08:03) - Remote Work with a Global Team(00:13:19) - Charity Initiatives and Social Responsibility(00:17:17) - Handling Feedback and Reviews(00:21:58) - Balancing Work and Personal Life(00:23:58) - Why Good Moderators are Essential(00:28:51) - Building Trust with Your Community(00:35:53) - What Greg is Playing and Final Thoughts
Jan 6

Introducing the Community Lounge Guides for Community Managers (solo episode)

Welcome to a solo episode of the Community Lounge Podcast! 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" This guide explores the diverse paths people take into community management, organised into four categories: Volunteering, Transferable Skills, Study, and Community Creators. It features stories from real-life Community Managers who were guests on the show, like Jarvs Tasker, Christian Jürgensen, Lyn Dang, and Erik Jakobsson. Mentioned in the show: Nicolas Mérouze The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote – Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise. Subscribe to the Community Lounge newsletter and get notified of new episodes and guides. Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction to Community Lounge Guides(00:02:42) - The Importance of Community Management Guides(00:04:42) - Sneak Peak at the First Guide: 'Becoming a Community Manager'
12/23/2025

"The industry is smaller than you think" ft. Community Manager Vicki Fieldhouse

Today's guest is Vicki Fieldhouse, Senior Community Manager at Secret Mode. Vicki took an unconventional path into games, entering community management in her mid-30s after years of trying to break into the industry. Her journey involved customer service from running her own business, social media management, and streaming RPGs during COVID—all of which became the perfect foundation for her community management career. 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. Games mentioned in this episode: - Fighting Fantasy (Gamebooks): https://www.fightingfantasy.com/ - Kingdom Two Crowns: https://store.steampowered.com/app/701160/Kingdom_Two_Crowns/ - A Little to the Left: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1629520/A_Little_to_the_Left/ - Loddlenaut: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1644940/Loddlenaut/ - Winter Burrow: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3008740/Winter_Burrow/ - Sqeuakross: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2871440/Squeakross_Home_Squeak_Home/ - Everything is Crab: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3526710/Everything_is_Crab_The_Animal_Evolution_Roguelite/ - Spore: https://store.steampowered.com/app/17390/SPORE/ - Split Fiction: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2001120/Split_Fiction/ - Jurassic World Evolution 3: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2958130/Jurassic_World_Evolution_3/ Find Vicki on: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriasteele/ The Community Lounge is brought to you by Feature Upvote—Painlessly collect feedback from your players. More insights, less noise. Subscribe to the Community Lounge newsletter and get notified of new episodes and articles: https://featureupvote.com/thecommunitylounge-newsletter Chapters (00:00:00) - Vicki's Journey into Community Management(00:07:09) - First Steps in the Gaming Industry(00:10:40) - Transitioning Roles and Responsibilities(00:13:03) - Understanding Community Management Roles(00:16:18) - Tips for New Community Managers(00:17:54) - Memorable Moments in Community Management(00:21:54) - Challenges Faced as a Community Manager(00:27:38) - Navigating Community Issues and Player Expectations(00:29:35) - What Vicki is Playing and Personal Favourites

Trailer

Season 1 Trailer

The trailer for season 1 of The Community Lounge. The Community Lounge is a podcast where community managers from video games studios and publishers tell their story of how they got into the role, talk about the challenges they face, and share tips to help other community managers.

The Community Lounge is a place where community managers from video games studios and publishers tell their story of how they got into the role, talk about the challenges they face, and share tips to help other community managers.

Creator

Steve McLeod
Years Active

2024 - 2026
Episodes

34
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 Steve McLeod
Show Website

The Community Lounge