Rec. — North Melbourne Play Sessions
We record every run, rewind the tough bosses and hand you the tape. RPG deep dives, indie gems and no-nonsense reviews, filed weekly from a cluttered desk on Errol Street.
Platforms we grind on every week
The Columns
Five recurring series, published on a fixed weekly schedule. Everything is free to read — supporters just get it a day early.
Long-form breakdowns of a single RPG each week — build theory, lore threads and route planning. Average read: 18 minutes. Recent entries covered Baldur's Gate 3 honour-mode and Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree.
Frame-by-frame strategy for the fights that wall players. Timed to under 10 minutes each so you can read on a loading screen.
Three under-the-radar indies picked from itch.io and Steam Next Fest, with honest first impressions from a full playthrough.
Full scored reviews only after we've finished the game — no early-access hot takes, no publisher junkets.
Early access, a monthly members-only livestream and a print zine posted anywhere in Australia. Cancel any time.
The Crew
Four writers, one shared studio above a café on Errol Street. We split the calendar by genre so nobody phones in a review.
Editor · RPGs & CRPGs
400+ hours in isometric dungeons. Writes the Monday deep dives.
Soulslike Specialist
Beat Malenia hitless. Owns the Wednesday boss guides.
Indie & Handheld
Haunts itch.io at 2am. Runs Friday's Indie Static column.
Reviews Lead
Scores nothing until the credits roll. Writes The Verdict.
Reader Love
Brunswick, VIC
"The Malenia rewind guide got me past a wall I'd been stuck on for three weeks. Actually explained the timing instead of just saying 'get good'. Cleared it that night."
Fitzroy, VIC
"Indie Static is how I find half my library now. Found a tiny farming-horror game through them in March that ended up being my game of the year."
Carlton, VIC
"Finally a review site that finishes the game before scoring it. Their Verdict on the last big open-world release saved me sixty hours of disappointment."
The Weekly Tape
Our full week of columns plus a rewind pick, wrapped in one plain-text email. Free forever, unsubscribe in a tap.
Contact
Got a game we should cover, a factual fix, or a collaboration? The studio reads everything. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 10am–6pm AEST.