I'm not opposed to social media, I'm opposed to proprietary platforms, which all of the above are, some more, some less.

Let's take a look:

• The Twitter account is basically dead. Last tweet from 2018, no mention of version 1.0.0.
• The ModDB page is ancient. Last post from 2015 (!) and screenshots are ancient. It also says that Hedgewars was released 2006 (not true, it was released 2019. The first alpha does not count as a “release”)
• I have no idea what downloads you get from itch.io. No mention of version number. This is unacceptable. This page should not include downloads itself, instead it should just link to hedgewars.org/download.html. Maintaining a single download page is tedious enough. Trailer is also very old
• Reddit is mostly dead cuz we're a tiny community anyway. At this size, I don't see what good it does except for spreading our already community even further. I bet most ppl interested in HW lurk on hedgewars.org anyway. We're just really, REALLY tiny
• I hate Discord in general, it's way too restrictive. I completely ignore what's going on there. So what am I missing?
• I tend to ignore Facebook out of paranoia :P

I also have no idea who controls these accounts.
Anyway, atm, Twitter, ModDB and itch.io accounts are in a terrible shape right now, I would not recommend links for now.

I would also consider all these pages to be unofficial & unendorsed fanpages, it would be important for me to mention that. Considering to be fan pages is perfectly fine with me.

Some random thoughts on Hedgewars popularity:

I agree we need to gain popularity somehow. But I'm really not happy with how those way-too-popular platforms with proprietary BS, lock-in and other bogus restrictions function. I'm afraid those actually just spread out our already-tiny community.

One important thing to me is that the main “hub” for Hedgewars should always be hedgewars.org (and #hedgewars), with everything else linking prominently to it. Official stuff always on hedgewars.org.
I'm generally in favor of doing some Hedgewars elsewhere to make HW more known, BUT I see platforms only as a supplement, not a replacement. The goal of any of this should be to get more people to join hedgewars.org (if they want).

Note that this is not to say I condemn anyone using any of these platforms. I don't condemn the users, I condemn the owners of the platforms.

Hmm, this reminds me, Hedgewars was not posted on enough game/downloading websites so far. This should actually be #1 priority right now.
A new video trailer would be great, but I'm not a good video maker. :P

Another strategy is to get some semi-popular Let's Players to play Hedgewars.

Yeah, these could be left out. I'm not saying that necessarily everything I linked should be included on "Community" page, I just knew these exist (also I found Twitter literally after starting writing this, it was like "I wonder if Hedgewars has also Twitter, let's google it")

It's the next most active place after IRC and forum.

Facebook and Twitter are maintained by Sheepluva, so it's not that "unofficial". Also Discord is maintained by me.

Well, this could be a problem, but most people seem to still be using the "official channels".

btw, can anyone explain this?

Personally I have no problem with highlighting "proprietary" sites even if I have no desire to use such walled gardens myself.

I think Wuzzy's point about out of date stuff is a good one. Linking to dead sites is just kinda sad.

Any that are actually active could probably be featured on a "Community" tab.

**Sigh...** I'm a little bit dying on the inside by reading these, somehow.
⠀⠀⠀Yeah, +1, as usual. Just don't forget to add these community links to the online lobby if it turns into reality.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Another strategy is to get some semi-popular Let's Players to play Hedgewars.
⠀⠀⠀I'm not sure why, but my guts telling me that Hedgewars isn't quite ready for that yet. I'm definitely wrong, though.

⠀⠀⠀Well, I want to give more opinions, especially on a certain subject, but I don't have much lifeforce left. So many things could be said, but uh... I'm tired. Eh, that's about it.

What's especially sad is seeing a lot of passworded rooms. Thier ratio compared to open rooms is... let's say, it almost seems as if players themselves don't go into contact. I'm not speaking for all players, I've seen communicative ones. But the way Hedgewars just keeps showing passworded rooms up is anticlimactic. I've realized I probably should file an issue about it.

I wonder if players understand that by activating the password checkbox, only players with the password can join. Maybe some server statistics gives insight. Maybe some players unintentionally lock out players.

Many passworded rooms are definitely intended, those are rooms for one's closest friends only / invite-only.

You can hide passworded rooms, however. We show them by default because otherwise it would be too confusing if you need to join a friend's room. If they are hidden by default, it would be even worse because not all players will consider the possibility that your friend's room is just stuck in the filter and they just think “Hedgewars is broken” and give up. Therefore, showing passworded rooms by default is the better option IMO.

Passworded rooms are not the problem but the lack of players in general.

Hedgewars places focus on search field, so why not use it to search for friend's room over all these, also bypassing filter, but leave private rooms out of public scope? (which means hide private rooms by default OR at least save this setting between game sessions, I remember I've posted feature request for it some time ago - when I get glimpse of code, maybe I'll make something, no promises here though...)

No wonder if these two problems contribute to each other.

Sorry for pulling off-topic, it was sitting in my chest, like hedgehog with supernaturally sharp needles.