Over the past couple of weeks, the Elden Ring community produced a fascinating side story in the form of Let me solo her, a player who has uniquely mastered one of that game’s most punishing bosses. As a co op summon, the player behind Let me solo her asks that you do just that: Stand back and watch them shred Malenia, Blade of Mequella for you. This player and character is so specific to the culture and experience of playing Elden Ring, that it’s hard to compare to any other aspect of playing video games.

The story got me thinking about the best and most surprising outgrowths of a game that come from its players and community. Things like specialist Twitch channels, fan art and fan fiction, fan-made strategy guides, and dedicated Discords are all excellent, but common examples of the phenomenon. But what have you seen crop out from one of your favorite game’s communities that was truly special and surprising?

Aside from the bossmelter mentioned above, another of my favorite examples of this is Ben Drowned. Probably you’ve heard of it if you spend anytime thinking about either Zelda or creepypasta. Ben Drowned is a fascinating modern-day ghost story that is told across multimedia, but born out of the classic Zelda title, Majora’s Mask. It’s an enthralling experience for anyone who enjoys a good campfire scare, but one that definitely would not exist without the game. And the chills that it gives are certainly heightened for anyone who played Majora’s Mask and picked up on that game’s dread-filled look and tone.

What is it for you? What surprising and delightful creation or connected experience sticks in your memory as having come from a game’s community? Tell us about it below or over in the Boss Rush Discord!