In this 2019 GDC talk, Stray Fawn Studio's Philomena Schwab explains how forums (and some useful plugins) can still be useful for indie developers looking to build stable online communities around their games.
Schwab's talk was an insightful and practical look at why the Stray Fawn team and other indie studios of different sizes have decided on the forum option, how to keep your forums alive, and why it makes sense to include other community hubs alongside them.
If you didn't get a chance to catch it live (or just want to go back and watch it again) you can now watch her talk completely free -- just head on over to the official GDC YouTube channel!
About the GDC Vault
In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.
Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC or VRDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page.