I think a big part of it is that people got tired of chasing the newest thing all the time. Retro games are easy to pick up, they have a lot of charm, and many of them are still incredibly fun decades later.
I also agree about forums. They feel much more personal than social media. You can...
Mine would be Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, the first book in the Empyrean series. Dragons, deadly trials, war secrets, and a heroine who was never supposed to survive. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down.