Game of the Month Clubs
One of things I really enjoy is a good game of the month club. These are small communities that form around playing and discussing games, typically older ones, for a month. After the month ends they move to another game.
These can be highly structured or not. They could include podcasts and dedicated forums or not. Most have a Discord server where people can post, but some are even less organized than that.
I've found I really like these types of clubs, even though I don't get to participate in them as often as I'd like. They're a great way to build an online community and learn about games I don't have much familiarity with. Below are three that I enjoy!
Yokoi Kids was the first monthly game club I joined. The GB is one of my favorite systems of all time, and it's very easy to emulate these days. The group is fun and does a lot of outreach as well, including publishing zines for charities. They encourage member submissions, whether written essays, fan games, comics, etc.
Virtual Moose's Adventure Game Club was the second I joined. I don't get to play many of the game, but what I really like about it is how flexible the themes are. December is salami month! The discord is a welcoming place and the community is growing.
DOS Game Club is the final one I check with regularity. This is also probably the largest one. It has a monthly podcast and dedicated forums for chats about the game. What I like about it is how active the community is. The podcasts feature very knowledgeable guests and I always learn so much. This month's podcast is about golf games, which is one of my favorite genres.
Check them out if you're interested in finding a close online community with similar interests, and let me know at @schledorn.bsky.social if there are others you like!