The Verdict
Scored reviews of new releases, published within 72 hours of launch. Every score out of 100 with a spoiler-free summary up top.
Weekly · Free to read
Dispatch No. 042 · Fitzroy, VIC
Game criticism, engraved like a collector's stamp.
RogueRelicFrontier is a Melbourne game blog dispatching honest reviews, long-form deep dives and retro archaeology. Every post is filed like a first-day cover — dated, catalogued and worth keeping.
+61 3 9419 5427 · Editors reply Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm AEST
AUSTRALIA·EST 2019·50c
How a dispatch is made
From cartridge to catalogued post.
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01
Acquisition
We source the game — new release, forgotten indie or 90s relic — and log its provenance before a single controller is picked up.
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02
Full playthrough
Minimum 15 hours logged, or a full completion — no verdict is written from a demo. Notes are timestamped as we go.
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03
Engraving
The draft is edited for line and detail — fine linework, real screenshots, and a fair score out of 100, never a lazy round number.
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04
Dispatch
Published, catalogued with an issue number, and mailed to subscribers every Thursday morning, Melbourne time.
The columns
Three regular series, filed every week.
Relic Files
Long-form retro archaeology — the making, myths and market value of games from 1985 to 2005. Roughly 4,000 words a piece.
Fortnightly · Members A$6/mo
Frontier Finds
Curated indie spotlights, mostly Australian and Southeast Asian studios. Interviews, demos worth your time, and where to buy.
Weekly · Free to read
The collection
Screens from the archive.
Reader ratings
4.8 from 1,240 subscribers.
5★
84%
4★
11%
3★
3%
2★
1%
1★
1%
★★★★★The only review site I trust before dropping A$90 on a launch title. Their Dust Coast verdict saved me from a preorder I'd have regretted.
Marcus L. — Brunswick, VIC · Mar 2026
★★★★★Relic Files is basically a games history course. The piece on the N64 launch had interviews I'd never read anywhere else.
Priya S. — Adelaide, SA · Feb 2026
★★★★☆Frontier Finds put me onto three Aussie indie studios I now follow religiously. Would love a monthly podcast to go with it.
Jem O. — Fitzroy, VIC · Jan 2026
★★★★★Honest scores out of 100, no fluff, no clickbait. The Thursday dispatch is the one newsletter I actually open every week.
Daniel W. — Perth, WA · Dec 2025
Good to know
Frequently asked.
Reading & membership
Is the blog free to read?+
The Verdict and Frontier Finds columns are completely free, forever. Relic Files deep dives are for members at A$6 per month, which also removes ads and gets you the full back-catalogue. You can cancel any time from your account page.
How often do you publish?+
New reviews and indie spotlights land two to three times a week, and a Relic Files deep dive drops every second Thursday. The weekly dispatch email rounds everything up on Thursday mornings, 8am AEST.
Editorial & contact
Do you accept review copies?+
Yes — developers and PR can email [email protected] with a key or press build. We disclose every review copy at the top of the article and never let access influence a score. Australian and Southeast Asian indie studios always go to the front of the queue.
Can I pitch a guest piece?+
Absolutely. We commission a handful of freelance features each quarter and pay A$400 per accepted long-form piece. Send a two-paragraph pitch through the contact form and our editors reply within five business days.
Get in touch
Send a dispatch our way.
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