Research shows 56% of gamers feel more comfortable expressing themselves in games than in real life. For Gen Z, this figure jumps to an astounding 77%.

Gaming is clearly a haven for people seeking authentic interactions. But games themselves aren't always designed for interaction. So players take their passion to platforms which are specifically designed for chatting, messaging and hanging out - most notably Discord, which has over 150 million monthly active users and is a fast-growing opportunity for brands in gaming, music and any vertical.

Discord looks like 'Slack for gamers', but as The Verge explains, "it has become much more important than that... for a growing mix of mostly young, very online users steeped in gaming culture, fandom, and other niche communities, Discord is fast becoming the hub to their entire online lives."

For gamers and fans, Discord is more than just a communication app - it's a dynamic space for friendship, collaboration and shared experiences. Through text, voice and video channels, players can keep their in-game friendships alive, host discussions, share achievements, and even facing life's challenges with a support network they trust. Discord connects gamers and fans to their communities even when they’re not actively playing.

Online communities provide continuous support, self-expression and connection for members - while also driving huge value for the artist, game, studio or brand.

To facilitate that connection and help the community thrive and grow, it's crucial to make these spaces safe, inclusive and supportive for every voice.

Here are some best practices for creating and maintaining communities that are safe for members:

Set clear community guidelines

Make your expectations around behaviour clear from day one. Boundaries are important, and guidelines help everyone know what’s acceptable and what isn’t.

Top tip: Add the guidelines to your onboarding process so each new member sees them, and pin your safeguarding policies to key channels to make sure they're always visible.

Foster positive engagement

Recognise and highlight members who make constructive contributions. Set the tone by encouraging positivity in your own posts, appealing to members to follow suit.

Top tip: You can't force members to be happy. But you can use XP rewards, levelling and roles to incentivise posts that attract engagement and reactions from other members, encouraging fans to form genuine friendships.

Take advantage of data-driven insights on Discord

Take the guesswork out of running a community by using simple but powerful tools and dashboards to monitor key metrics. These data analytics give you insights into members' behaviour patterns, helping you to understand what engages the community and also identify bad behaviour or signs of distress early on.

Top tip: Levellr's analytics are a crucial safety tool. For example, sentiment tracking allows you to feel out the overall mood of the community, presented in an easy-to-understand dashboard. Use your dashboards to identify topics that consistently trigger disagreements, and if necessary create dedicated channels or resources to support the people joining these conversations.

Be proactive with moderation

Managing a Discord community requires more than setting up channels and leaving members to it. An active moderation team equipped with Levellr’s analytics can keep an eye on the community, drawing real-time insights, spotting trends, highlighting positive contributions and catching potential issues before they escalate.

Top tip: Mods recruited from the community are an invaluable asset. They're trained to handle the task, but also feel like a friendly face to their fellow fans. Fan mods can intervene in a more personal, supportive and non-intrusive way than external moderators, spotting friction and resolving or de-escalating any conflict.

Encourage open dialogue

Allow members to share feedback about their community experience. This helps foster a sense of ownership and makes members feel heard and valued.

Top tip: Use forum channels to collect feedback from fans, separating criticism and complaints away from the main channels.

Keep out the trolls

Most members are genuine fans keen to share their passion for the music artist, game, sports team or brand at the heart of the community. But every online space faces challenges, and you will need to use the available tools to head off users who don't follow the rules, such as spammers or trolls.

Top tip: Use Discord's built-in security features and Levellr's automated features including bots and XP to tackle trolls, spam and bad behaviour.

Build a safe space and let your fans thrive

Building a truly safe community is more than moderating - it’s about creating a culture of trust. As people are increasingly drawn away from the chaos of social media to join likeminded folks in the dedicated safe spaces of the 'cosy web', let’s make sure these spaces are as welcoming as they are engaging.

Expert community managers can guide you in building and growing a thriving, value-driving space for all. At Levellr, we work with a range of clients in multiple verticals and industries, from music artists like Conan Grey and Fall Out Boy to global brands like Starbucks. We've helped them drive tangible marketing ROI and monetisation value through meaningful emotion connection with fans, in a protected environment where both your brand and your fans feel safe.

Contact Levellr today to find out how you can found a safe, secure and exciting community that creates huge value for your brand.