Think about the last time you got stuck in a video game. Maybe it was a hidden boss fight, a glitchy door, or a puzzle that made no sense until someone else figured it out. You didn’t check the manual-you went to Reddit, a Discord server, or a wiki page. That moment? That’s community knowledge. And it’s disappearing fast.
Most people don’t realize how much of what makes a game meaningful lives outside the code. It’s not just the graphics or the soundtrack. It’s the hundreds of forum threads where players cracked a secret level. It’s the YouTube videos that show you how to beat a boss with zero health. It’s the Discord chat where someone shared a trick that saved their entire guild. These aren’t just tips-they’re cultural artifacts. And if we don’t document them, they’ll vanish when servers shut down, forums disappear, or platforms change.
Where Community Knowledge Lives
Community knowledge doesn’t live in one place. It’s scattered across platforms, each with its own rhythm and rules. Understanding where it lives is the first step to saving it.
- Reddit - Subreddits like r/DarkSouls or r/Starfield are treasure troves. Threads here contain deep strategy, hidden lore, and player-tested workarounds. A single thread might have 500+ comments, each adding a piece of the puzzle.
- Discord - Real-time chats are where quick tips, emergency fixes, and inside jokes live. But most of it? Gone in minutes. No search history. No archive. Just a flood of text.
- Wikis - Fan-made wikis (like the Elden Ring Wiki or the Terraria Wiki) are the most organized form of community knowledge. They’re editable, searchable, and often updated daily. But they’re fragile. One admin leaves, and the whole thing falls apart.
- Steam Forums - For PC games, this is where players report bugs, ask for help, and share mod tips. These threads are often buried under update announcements and don’t get indexed well.
- YouTube and Twitch - Video guides and live streams capture visual knowledge. A 10-minute walkthrough can explain mechanics better than a 2,000-word guide. But videos get deleted, channels vanish, and links rot.
- Bluesky and Twitter - Short-form posts with screenshots or quick tips. Useful for real-time updates but rarely preserved.
Each platform has its strengths. But none of them are built for preservation. That’s the problem.
What Makes Good Community Documentation?
Not every forum post deserves to be saved. Not every Discord message matters. Good documentation isn’t just about volume-it’s about quality, structure, and context.
Think of it like a library. A book with no table of contents, no index, and no author info is useless. The same goes for community knowledge. Here’s what makes documentation worth keeping:
- Clear structure - Does it have headings? Sections? A logical flow? A guide that says “How to farm XP in Chapter 3” is better than a rambling post titled “HELP PLZ.”
- Attribution - Who wrote this? When? Was it tested? A guide that says “Based on 200+ hours in multiplayer” is more trustworthy than one with no source.
- Version tracking - Game patches change everything. A guide that says “Works in v1.4.2” but doesn’t mention v1.5.1 is misleading. Good documentation updates with the game.
- Multiple formats - The same tip should exist as a wiki page, a short video, and a forum summary. Different people learn differently.
- Context - Why does this matter? Was this discovery made during a community event? Did it change how people play? Context turns a tip into a story.
The best community documentation doesn’t just answer “how.” It answers “why” and “who figured this out.”
How to Start Archiving
You don’t need a degree in librarianship to start preserving this stuff. You just need a system.
- Choose one game - Don’t try to save everything. Pick one game you care about. Something with an active community. Maybe it’s a modded game, a cult classic, or a new release with tons of player theories.
- Find the key sources - List the top 3 platforms where knowledge is shared. For example: Reddit, Discord, and the official wiki.
- Set up a simple archive - Use a free tool like Notion, Obsidian, or even a Google Doc. Create folders for: Guides, Tips, Bugs, Lore, Videos.
- Start collecting - Every time you find a useful thread, video, or Discord message, copy the key info into your archive. Include:
- The original link
- A summary in your own words
- When you found it
- Who posted it (if known)
- Tag everything - Use tags like #boss-strategy, #glitch-workaround, #multiplayer-tip. Tags make searching later possible.
- Ask for help - Post in the community: “I’m archiving useful guides. Want to help?” You’ll be surprised how many people want their knowledge to last.
Start small. One game. One month. You’ll be surprised how much you gather.
Why Wikis Need a WikiMaster
Many fan wikis look great at first. Then they become messy. Pages overlap. Outdated info stays up. Links break. The wiki becomes unusable.
This happens because no one is in charge. Someone writes a guide. Then they stop playing. No one updates it. A new patch drops. The guide is wrong. New players get confused.
The fix? A WikiMaster. Not a developer. Not a mod. Just one person with time and care.
A WikiMaster’s job:
- Review new edits daily
- Move outdated pages to an “Archive” section
- Write clear style rules: “All guides must include game version,” “No screenshots without captions,” etc.
- Tag pages by importance: Core Strategy, Optional Tip, Unverified Theory
- Link related pages so players can explore
It doesn’t take hours a day. Just 30 minutes. But without this role, the wiki dies.
The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters
Archiving community knowledge isn’t just about saving tips. It’s about saving culture.
Future historians won’t care that Dark Souls had 87 weapons. They’ll care about how players figured out how to beat the first boss without dying. They’ll care about the Reddit thread where 200 people shared their first victory. They’ll care about the Discord voice chat where a group of strangers cheered each other on through 12 failed attempts.
These aren’t just gameplay moments. They’re human moments. They show how people connect, solve problems together, and build meaning in digital spaces.
Right now, most of this is stored on platforms owned by corporations. If a company shuts down a forum, deletes a subreddit, or changes an API, all that knowledge could vanish overnight. No one is legally required to preserve it.
That’s why community-led archiving is urgent. It’s not about nostalgia. It’s about accountability. If we don’t save it, no one else will.
Tools and Tips to Keep Going
Here are a few practical tools that make archiving easier:
- Wayback Machine - Save entire web pages (including forums) at archive.org. Use it for static pages, not live chats.
- Notion or Obsidian - Great for organizing text, links, and tags. Both let you link pages together like a wiki.
- YouTube Downloaders - Use tools like yt-dlp to save public videos locally. Always check copyright first.
- Reddit Archiver - Tools like reddit-archive let you download entire subreddits as JSON or HTML.
- Google Sheets - Make a simple tracker: Game | Platform | Date Saved | Summary | Link | Status (Active/Archived)
Don’t wait for a perfect system. Start with a folder. A doc. A spreadsheet. Do something today.
What Not to Do
There are common mistakes that kill archiving efforts:
- Copying and pasting everything - You’ll drown in noise. Be selective. Only save what’s useful, unique, or culturally significant.
- Ignoring context - A guide without the game version is useless. A video without the date is misleading.
- Working alone - If you’re the only one archiving, it won’t last. Build a small team. Even two people.
- Using only one platform - If you only save to Discord, you’re losing 90% of the knowledge. Cross-platform backup is key.
- Waiting until it’s “too late” - The best time to start was yesterday. The second-best time is now.
Archiving isn’t about perfection. It’s about persistence.
Why can’t game companies archive community knowledge themselves?
Most game companies focus on official support-bug fixes, patches, customer service. Community knowledge is messy, unofficial, and often created by players without permission. Companies rarely have the staff, tools, or legal framework to preserve fan-made guides, Discord chats, or Reddit threads. Even when they want to, they lack the infrastructure. That’s why community-led efforts are essential.
Is it legal to save forum posts or YouTube videos?
Yes, for personal archiving. Most forums and platforms allow users to download their own content. Saving public posts for non-commercial use-like preserving knowledge-is generally protected under fair use. But don’t republish them widely or claim ownership. The goal is preservation, not redistribution.
How do I know if a piece of knowledge is worth saving?
Ask: Did this help a lot of people? Was it unique? Did it change how players approach the game? If a strategy bypasses a broken mechanic, or a lore theory sparked a community-wide debate, it’s worth saving. If it’s just “I got 100 coins here,” it’s probably not.
What if the game’s servers shut down?
That’s exactly when your archive matters. If the game’s online features disappear, the community knowledge becomes the last record of how people actually played. Without it, future players won’t understand the game’s culture-only its code. Your archive becomes the bridge.
Can I use this for academic research?
Yes. Universities and museums are actively collecting video game community materials. If you’re archiving with clear labels, dates, and sources, your work could be used in future research. Just document your process-you’ll be ahead of most collectors.
Community knowledge about video games is one of the most vibrant, untapped archives in digital culture. It’s not just about winning. It’s about how people learned, shared, laughed, and struggled together. Start today. Save one guide. One video. One thread. You’re not just archiving a game-you’re preserving a piece of human connection.