45 Best Gaming Independent Communities (Updated Jun 2026)

45 Gaming communities on Independent Platforms

Updated 6/20/2026

All

191

#1
VRChat
VRChat is a social and world-building application compatible with all major VR headsets. You can customize your avatar and explore hundreds of VR worlds designed by the app’s community members. Inside these spaces, you can meet people, chat, draw, collaborate, and attend events.
7.8M members
Chat
Pairing
Events
Newsletter
Paid
10 views / month
#2
MLB 9 Innings Rivals Official Forum
This is the official forum for officially licensed MLB mobile game with the latest rosters and schedules! Enjoy an MLB mobile game with improved graphics! Discuss the game with other players!
Forum
Events
Newsletter
6 views / month
#3
XLink Kai
XLink Kai is a global gaming network - bringing together Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Playstation Portable, PS Vita, GameCube, Wii, Wii U and Nintendo Switch users, in one integrated community. It is software running on your PC, Macintosh or Linux that allows you to play system-link enabled games online for free. Kai is the only service that is not console specific, and boasts one of the friendliest communities available.
2.3M members
Forum
Chat
Events
6 views / month
#4
Z League
Competitive platform for skill-based tournaments and finding balanced teammates for Battle Royale titles.
Forum
Pairing
Events
6 views / month
#5
Gamer.Express
Gamer.Express is a gaming forum and community devoted to passionate discussions about video game genres and platforms. Designed for sharing insights and connecting with fellow gamers who share enthusiasm for Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, and PC gaming, Gamer.Express offers engaging conversations and includes updates on the latest game industry news. Our goal is to revive the good old days when forums were a place to meet and discuss—or, at the very least, to preserve their legacy.
1K members
Forum
Events
3 views / month
#6
VGR Forum
Chat in forums, participate in contests, and buy, sell, trade in our marketplace.
13K members
Forum
4 views / month
#7
Rustafied Forums
Independent forums for the Rustafied community, used for deep discussions, suggestions, and feedback.
1K members
Forum
3 views / month
#8
FUZE: Gaming Community
Where gaming Memories, Stories and Community unite!
10K members
Forum
Chat
Events
Newsletter
#9
Fantrax
Experience the most customizable, easy-to-use and feature-rich Fantasy Football commissioner platform in the industry! Create or join a simple redraft league, or go deep with the ultimate in Keeper and Dynasty leagues. Fantrax also offers a forum for communication between registered users.
Forum
Newsletter
Paid
18 views / month
#10
Legionfarm
Pair up and play Call of Duty Warzone and ApexLegends with gaming pros! The place to get playing tips and have a fun game.
Pairing
Paid
MMO Video Game News
MMORPG news, reviews, and discussions.
Forum
Newsletter
3 views / month
Giant Bomb
Gaming videos, podcasts, and threads!
Forum
Chat
ResetEra
Talk with other gamers on ResetEra forums!
54K members
Forum
Perks
16 views / month
EasyGamePrices
Welcome to EasyGamePrices discussions forum, the place where we discuss about video games, game deals, game stores and everything gaming related.
150 members
Forum
Events
3 views / month
Animeleague
Animeleague exists to bring anime fans, gaming fans, cosplayers and general geeks together. We do this through online forums, social media, real-life meetups and conventions to help build one big family and community of friends together. We run over fifty events a year ranging from small free community meetups to free minicons to full-scale conventions.
30K members
Forum
Events
13 views / month
VLR.gg
VLR.gg is the go-to forum and stats tracker for Valorant esports. VCT matches, team rankings, predictions, and discussion.
Forum
Events
4 views / month
HLTV.org
HLTV is the home of Counter-Strike esports. News, stats, rankings, teams, and forums. The world's leading CS2 community covering professional play since 2000.
Forum
Events
7 views / month
Smashboards
Welcome to Smashboards, the world's largest Super Smash Brothers community! Over 250,000 Smash Bros. fans from around the world have come to discuss these great games in over 19 million posts!
250K members
Forum
Events
2 views / month
start.gg
The world's leading platform for esports and gaming tournaments. Brackets, registration, and event management.
Forum
Events
3 views / month
FACEIT
FACEIT is the leading competitive gaming platform. Ranked matchmaking, tournaments, leagues, and a global community.
Chat
Events
2 views / month
Team Liquid Forums
Team Liquid is one of the most iconic brands in esports. The Team Liquid forums are a hub for fans and followers of professional teams across StarCraft, CS2, LoL, Dota 2, and more.
Forum
Events
Battlefy
Find and organize esports tournaments on Battlefy, the premier tournament management platform for grassroots and professional events.
Forum
Events
AbleGamers
AbleGamers is the world's largest charity for gamers with disabilities. They work to combat social isolation through play and create inclusive gaming communities for people with disabilities.
Forum
Events
2 views / month
Teams.gg Valorant
Intelligent matchmaking for Valorant players. Matches you with teammates based on ambition and playstyle.
Forum
Pairing
3 views / month
Gamers Outreach
A volunteer initiative pairing gamers with opportunities to give back in hospitals. Distribute games and play with patients.
Pairing
9 views / month
IGN Boards
Lobbies for Nintendo, Playstation, and XBox games.
1.4M members
Forum
8 views / month
Gaming Latest
A video game forum for the latest gaming news and discussion! Chat with other gamers to make more friends and learn more about the gaming world!
4K members
Forum
2 views / month
NACE (National Association of Collegiate Esports)
The trade association for collegiate esports programs across North America, connecting student athletes, coaches, and athletic directors.
Forum
Liquipedia
The community-run esports wiki and hub tracking rosters, match results, and tournaments across CS2, Dota 2, LoL, Valorant, and more.
Forum
4 views / month
Dot Esports Community
Community surrounding one of the most-read esports publications, with guides, pro news, and reader discussion on competitive gaming.
Forum
2 views / month
ggCircuit
Platform connecting esports venues, players, and tournament organizers - focused on the LAN center and community gaming ecosystem.
Forum
2 views / month
Unity Discussions
Unity Discussions is a space to discuss all things Unity, from technical questions to game development best practices and community news.
Forum
4 views / month
Steam Community
The Steam Community provides official and community-driven content, hubs, and discussion spaces for all games and software on the Steam platform.
Forum
2 views / month
Steam Community - Windows Mixed Reality
General discussions and support for Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR users.
Forum
6 views / month
Tracker.gg LFG
Stat-integrated LFG for Fortnite, Valorant, and Apex Legends. Find teammates based on real performance data.
Chat
5 views / month

More communities (10)

Logo	Community	Members
	RSC Community A premier community league system for Rocket League players of all ranks. Features a structured draft system and seasonal play.	10K
	Liquipedia Rocket League The most comprehensive wiki and community hub for Rocket League esports, providing live updates on tournaments and player stats.	50K
	RPGnet Forums One of the oldest and most established independent forums for tabletop roleplaying games, featuring deep discussions on systems and settings.	118K
	uMod Rust Community The primary forum for Rust server owners and developers using the uMod (formerly Oxide) framework.	10K
	RustEZ Forums Forums for the RustEZ PvE community, focusing on cooperative survival and player economy.	1K
	Rust Steam Community Hub The official Steam Community Hub for Rust, featuring discussions, guides, and artwork from the entire player base.	1.3M
	RustAcademy Steam Group Official Steam group for the RustAcademy community, providing server news and updates to over 140k members.	145K
	Rustafied Steam Group Official Steam group for Rustafied, serving as an additional announcement channel for their popular servers.	16K
	Bestrust Servers Steam Group Large Steam group focusing on providing wipe notifications and news for its network of Rust servers.	226K
	Icefuse Networks Steam Group Steam community for Icefuse Networks, hosting massive Rust servers with a focus on high population and team play.	342K

All Gaming communities

Gaming
198 communities for Gamers
3K / mo
Gaming, 198 communities, 3K views per month including community pages

FAQ

: One of the largest topic areas on the site, spanning PC gaming, consoles, mobile, and tabletop. Discord is the dominant platform with massive servers for individual games and general gaming culture, while Reddit hosts some of the most active game-specific communities on the internet. Covers everything from casual play to competitive esports and game development.
: Hive Index lists 45 Gaming independent communities on Independent Platforms. Most listings with size data are huge (18%) or massive (11%). The main Gaming topic page covers every platform we track for this topic.
: Forum is the most common (89%). Others that show up often include online/offline events. Use the feature filters above the list to narrow results.
: 42 of 45 (93%) are free to join. The rest require payment, an application, or both.
: On Hive Index, the default Popular sort surfaces VRChat, MLB 9 Innings Rivals Official Forum, XLink Kai, and Z League first. Popularity reflects visitor interest in communities on the site, not a universal quality score. Use the sort menu for Ratings, Largest, or Newest.
: Gaming Latest and VGR Forum have the highest review scores on this page. Switch the sort to Ratings to see the full order. Reviews come from Hive Index members and reflect their experience, not our editorial ranking.
: Listings are submitted by community builders and researchers, reviewed for topic relevance, and updated with platform, feature, member, review, and traffic data where available. Member counts are approximate. Popular reflects visitor interest in communities on the site, with richer profiles breaking ties. Ratings, Largest, and Newest use review scores, reported member counts, and listing age instead.
: This page was last updated 6/20/2026, based on the most recent change to the topic or its listings. We refresh entries when communities are submitted, claimed, or reviewed, and we update member counts, features, and traffic data on an ongoing basis.