"What makes this subreddit different than most other subs is that it's a game," the mods of r/ExplainAFilmPlotBadly told Bore Panda. "There's very little in the ways of discussion and until recently there were only some basic rules. So for much of the last 4+ years, the subreddit basically ran itself. Users subscribe but over time it seems that some people just come and go. They play the game, get their fill, sometimes phase-out and come back."

That didn't lead to a ton of growth. As of this article, r/ExplainAFilmPlotBadly has 46.8k members. But it is still active. In fact, you could say it sees more action every day than some subreddits that are twice as big. The most important thing, the mods believe, is the continued enjoyment it has provided.

However, recently there's been somewhat of a shift. "The lead mod, /u/drmonix was teaching himself python and decided it would be fun to launch a bot that awarded points not only for correctly solving a clue (the posts in the sub are referred to as clues) but also having submitted a clue that got solved. This sparked some new interest and as a result, he needed to bring on another mod to help things along."

"After some discussion, we revamped the rules to keep the game fresh. Every few posts were about Star Wars or Endgame and the clues were long becoming stale. So we banned them."

The bold move paid off. Super popular subjects that come up too often are too easily recognized and removing them made the game a little spicier. "This change was widely lauded by the users thankfully."

The mods think the sub remains relevant because movies and shows simply go on forever. "They are a cultural glue that spans the world. So users from all walks of life and from any country with an Internet connection can participate and see if they can guess the answer to the latest unsolved clues."

Add the points system to that and you begin to build a longer-term community. Plus, since the game involves guessing and answering and very little discussion there's little to no friction between the members, the moderators said.

The interaction between members of the subreddit is so miniature, that the moderators couldn't even describe their community if they tried. "Since the subreddit acts like a game with very little discussion there's actually not much of a personal community. There's a lot more camaraderie between users who recognize each other through the various clues."

"Regulars take notice when a new person comes in and posts 25 really good clues and answers accurately huge numbers of existing unsolved ones," the mods noted. "Regulars notice each other and congratulate each other with the solves: 'Oh, you beat me by 2 seconds' and 'I should have known not to post this when you were active, it would have lasted longer.'"

These well-meaning comments only add to the pleasant experience that is playing the r/ExplainAFilmPlotBadly game. The mods said that the members mostly show their personality through the nature of the clues themselves and the movies that they do.

"There are folks who lean more heavily towards 80's films though you see them try and sprinkle in newer flicks to keep users off their scent. There are others who prefer to try and sneak in some truly classic films but you can only do so many of those. So who are these people in this community? No clue, but they love playing the game, don't take it too seriously, and enjoy the rules that make things a little more difficult."

The mods said that a truly great clue, one that gets everyone's attention, can come in multiple flavors but they mostly enjoy these two types: "First, the one that really makes you think and go 'I really should know this, what the heck is it?' and the second would be one that makes you laugh."

"Our top post of all time is 'A son motorboats his mom while the sister rides her. Then there is a little family bondage. Finally, the whole thing culminates in the dad assisting with some big black penetration.' I mean, that sounds disgusting. But it's an accurate description of part of the plot of The Incredibles, rated PG."

Then there is another crass offering 'a senior citizen and an academic taste a German dish' which was the vilest way one could describe a key component of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Of course, a great clue doesn't necessarily have to be innuendo. "If you can take another look at it, another slant as it were, you can get people to re-evaluate a movie," the mods said. "For instance, before it was banned in the sub, it was popular to talk about 'the kid who was radicalized by an exiled religious nut and killed thousands or millions in a terrorist act' which is a super common reframing of Star Wars: A New Hope."