A carnival of gamers · Fitzroy, Melbourne
Step right up to the greatest game blog in the empire.
Honest reviews, deep speedrun teardowns and love letters to weird indie games — written three times a week from our striped little tent on Smith Street.
Reviews published
Monthly readers
Indie devs interviewed
Years on Smith Street
What's under the big top
Our coverage, ticket by ticket
Full-Length Reviews — from A$0, published Mon & Thu
Every review runs 1,800+ words after a minimum of 20 hours played. We score on a plain 10-point scale, flag accessibility options up front, and never take payment from publishers for a verdict. Free to read, always.
Speedrun & Strategy Guides — updated within 48h of patches
Frame-data breakdowns, route maps and boss-pattern cheatsheets built with runners from the Melbourne speedrunning meetup. Each guide is re-tested after major patches so the timings never go stale on you.
Indie Spotlights — A$6/mo supporter tier
Long-form interviews and dev diaries with the small studios you haven't heard of yet, many of them from Collingwood and the wider Fitzroy scene. Supporters get early access and a monthly curated demo bundle.
Tabletop Nights — free, every Wednesday 6–10pm
We run open board-game and TTRPG nights from the Smith Street tent with a rotating library of 200+ titles. Beginners welcome, snacks provided, and we write up the best sessions on the blog each Friday.
Then vs now
Remaster reviews: before & after
Drag the slider to see how our favourite remasters compare to the originals we grew up with.
Emberfall Chronicles — 4.7/5 remaster
Neon Drift Racers — 4.2/5 remaster
From the queue outside
What our readers holler back
Brunswick, VIC · Mar 2024
"The Emberfall speedrun guide shaved eleven minutes off my personal best in a weekend. No fluff, just frame data and honest routing. Easily the best games writing in Melbourne."
Fitzroy, VIC · Jan 2024
"I found my new favourite studio through their indie spotlight. The supporter demo bundle alone is worth the six dollars, and the Wednesday tabletop nights got me out of the house."
Collingwood, VIC · Feb 2024
"They actually flag accessibility settings at the top of every review. As a colourblind player that's saved me from three refunds already. Honest scores, no publisher spin."
Richmond, VIC · Dec 2023
"My studio got interviewed for a spotlight and they actually played the whole build first. Thoughtful questions, fair write-up, and a genuine bump in wishlists afterwards."
Carlton, VIC · Nov 2023
"The remaster before-and-after breakdowns settle every argument in our group chat. They call out lazy re-releases and celebrate the loving ones. Bookmarked forever."
Northcote, VIC · Feb 2024
"Three posts a week and every one is worth reading. It feels like a proper local scene, not a content farm. The Smith Street tent is a Melbourne treasure."
Ask the ringmaster
Frequently asked questions
Do you accept money from publishers for reviews?
Never. Review copies are disclosed but they buy no influence over the score. Our supporter tier and the occasional clearly-labelled ad keep the lights on, so verdicts stay entirely independent.
How often do you publish new posts?
Three times a week — a full review on Monday, a guide or spotlight on Thursday, and a tabletop write-up on Friday. Supporters usually see drafts a day or two early.
Can my indie studio be featured in a spotlight?
Absolutely, especially if you're based around Melbourne. Email us a build or a demo link and a short pitch. We play everything we cover in full and cannot promise coverage, but we read every submission.
Are the Wednesday tabletop nights really free?
Yes — no cover charge and no need to book for groups under six. We run them from the Smith Street tent every Wednesday 6–10pm with a 200-title library. Larger groups should ring ahead so we can save a table.
What does the A$6 supporter tier include?
Early access to every post, a monthly curated demo bundle, an ad-free reading experience, and a vote in our end-of-year awards. You can cancel any time and it stays A$6 for as long as you're subscribed.
No questions match your search.
Pull back the tent flap