Neon-lit retro arcade cabinets glowing in the dark

Est. 1986 in spirit · Surry Hills

Press Start on the Frontier

Reviews, retro deep-dives and indie discoveries written by players who still hoard arcade tokens. New posts every Tuesday and Friday, straight from our Surry Hills desk.

Explore the Coverage Join the Newsletter

Read & quoted across the scene

PIXEL PARADE ARCADE ANNUAL SPEEDRUN AU INDIE DEN CRT WEEKLY

What we cover

Coverage built for real players

Four editorial columns, published on a fixed schedule so you always know when the next drop lands.

Controller resting on a stack of game cases
Every Tuesday

Full Reviews — scored out of 20 tokens

Deep 2,000-word reviews of new console and PC releases, played to completion before we publish. No day-one hot takes — every verdict includes performance notes, accessibility findings and a spoiler-free ending check. Free to read, always.

Vintage arcade machine control panel
Fortnightly feature

Retro Deep-Dives — history with the receipts

Long-form histories of the machines and studios that built the medium, from CRT arcade halls to 16-bit rivalries. We interview collectors around Surry Hills and Redfern and photograph the hardware ourselves. Roughly 3,000 words per piece.

Glowing keyboard in a dim room
Every Friday

Indie Spotlights — AUD $0 to back a small studio

A weekly showcase of one under-the-radar indie, with a developer Q&A and where to buy it. We only feature games we have actually finished, and we never take payment for coverage. Expect at least three fresh recommendations each month.

From the archive

Screens from the frontier

Row of glowing arcade cabinets
Arcade night at the Surry Hills meetup
Pixel-art indie game on a monitor
Indie of the week: neon platformer build
Crowd at a gaming event
Speedrun charity night, Sydney
Collection of retro cartridges
Cartridge haul from a Redfern collector

Reader mail

What the players say

"Their review of the last Metroidvania was the only one that flagged the input lag on the Switch version. Saved me from a refund headache — I bought it on PC instead and loved it."

Jordan M. — Newtown, NSW · March 2024

"I found three of my favourite indies of the year through the Friday Spotlight. The developer Q&As actually go deep instead of just recycling a press release."

Priya S. — Surry Hills, NSW · June 2024

"The retro deep-dive on 90s arcade halls sent me down a two-week rabbit hole. Beautifully researched and the photos of the local collectors' setups are gorgeous."

Callum R. — Melbourne, VIC · September 2024

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Say hello

Get in touch

Pitching a game, spotting a factual slip, or just want to argue about the best year for arcades? Drop us a line — we read every message from the desk in Surry Hills.

Address
58 Albion Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Desk hours
Mon–Fri, 10:00–18:00 AEST