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.

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

    3d ago

    "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/

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

    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/

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

    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

    41 min
  4. Introducing the Community Lounge Guides for Community Managers (solo episode)

    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'

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

    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

    35 min
  6. "Players like to feel listened to" ft. Community Manager Joshua Mathews

    12/09/2025

    "Players like to feel listened to" ft. Community Manager Joshua Mathews

    Today’s guest is Joshua Mathews, Marketing and Social Media Manager at Doborog. Josh has spent years in community and marketing roles across the indie games scene, working on projects ranging from Calvino Noir to Clone Drone in the Danger Zone and its VR successor Clone Drone in the Hyperdome. Before joining the industry, Josh built a following as a YouTuber spotlighting under-the-radar indie games — a passion that still fuels his work today. 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. Games mentioned in this episode: Clone Drone in the Danger Zone Clone Drone in the Hyperdome Calvino Noir Still Wakes the Deep Battlefield 6 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Easy Delivery Co Find Joshua on: LinkedIn TikTok Instagram YouTube – Strange Adventures 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

    39 min
  7. “That's my name! I'm in a game!” ft. Community Manager Charis Reid

    11/25/2025

    “That's my name! I'm in a game!” ft. Community Manager Charis Reid

    Today’s guest is Charis Reid, founder of Cut Teeth, an ad-hoc community management agency. After unexpectedly being made redundant earlier this year, Charis turned a setback into an opportunity—launching her own business that lets her collaborate with multiple studios and projects at once. 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. She also tells a touching story about being honored in-game by a small indie team she supported, how an ambitious ARG campaign went hilariously off-script, and why knowing a community’s “deep lore” is the secret to succeeding as a new community manager. Games mentioned in this episode: Mechajammer Rainbow Six: Siege Pokémon Go League of Legends DEEEER Simulator Find Charis on: LinkedIn cutteeth.co.uk 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. Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction and Agency Overview(00:02:12) - Navigating Redundancy and Starting Fresh(00:03:22) - Challenges of Running an Agency(00:06:15) - The Journey to Community Management(00:09:07) - Changing Perceptions of Community Managers(00:12:12) - Memorable Moments in Community Management(00:14:15) - Recognition in the Gaming Community(00:16:44) - Challenges in Community Management(00:20:26) - Learning and Adapting as a Community Manager(00:24:33) - Understanding Community Dynamics(00:26:48) - Balancing Work and Personal Life

    31 min
  8. When players take it too far ft. Community Manager John Lloyd

    11/11/2025

    When players take it too far ft. Community Manager John Lloyd

    Today’s guest is John Lloyd, Community Lead at The Path, a UK-based games marketing agency. John’s journey into community management began long before his first professional role—he spent years building and nurturing player communities in games like Age of Empires II, RuneScape, and Guild Wars 2. His passion for fostering player connection eventually led him to a career at Ubisoft before joining The Path, where he now manages communities across multiple studios and titles. 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. We also talk about his involvement with Limit Break, a UK mentorship program helping underrepresented people find guidance and opportunity in the games industry, and his perspective on mentoring the next generation of community professionals. Finally, John explains what it’s like working at an agency versus a studio, and how he balances multiple clients while staying authentic and transparent. Games mentioned in this episode: Age of Empires II RuneScape Gwent Elder Scrolls: Legends (TCG) Guild Wars 2 Find John on: LinkedIn Limit Break Email: john@thepath.agency 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.  Chapters (00:00:00) - John Lloyd's Journey into Community Management(00:08:19) - Challenges Faced as a Community Manager(00:22:20) - Mentorship and Community Support(00:28:07) - Working at The Path: A Unique Perspective(00:35:04) - Gaming Interests and Community Connections

    40 min
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Steve McLeod
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Steve McLeod
  • Show Website
    The Community Lounge