Melbourne-based gaming blog

Cold takes. Sharp analysis.

We're a small crew of players in Carlton writing the reviews, guides, and hardware breakdowns we wish existed — no hype cycles, no paid placements, just honest coverage for Australian gamers.

Updated weekly · 40,000+ readers across Australia

A cool-toned gaming setup with glowing peripherals

Our mission

Coverage that respects your time and your wallet.

Founded in 2019 above a laneway café off Lygon Street, Shadow Game Vanguard exists to cut through marketing noise. We buy the games we review, benchmark the hardware ourselves, and tell you exactly whether something is worth your money before you spend it.

640+
Reviews published
7
Years running
0
Sponsored scores
40k
Monthly readers

Fresh off the desk

Latest from the blog

RPG review scene
Review

Frostveil: The Long Night — reviewed

80 hours in this snowbound RPG. Gorgeous, punishing, and the best writing we've seen this year.

Gaming hardware bench test
Hardware

Budget 1440p GPUs benchmarked

We ran nine cards through 14 games at Melbourne room temps. Here's what actually holds 60fps.

Indie game feature
Feature

Nine Aussie indies to watch

From a Brisbane studio's deck-builder to a Perth horror gem, the local scene is on fire right now.

Esports coverage
Guide

Fixing input lag on a home NBN setup

A plain-English guide to trimming ping and stutter without spending a cent on new gear.

What we cover

Four beats, covered properly.

Honest reviews

Scored on a plain 10-point scale with no rounding games. We always disclose how long we played and on what hardware.

Hardware benchmarks

Real frame-time graphs from our Carlton test bench. GPUs, handhelds, and peripherals put through identical runs.

Deep-dive guides

Setup walkthroughs, build orders, and optimisation tips written for real people — no jargon left unexplained.

Local scene

Spotlights on Australian studios, tournaments, and meetups — because the best stories are often in our backyard.

Reader mail

What the community says.

“Your GPU benchmark saved me from buying the wrong card. I bought the runner-up you recommended and it's been flawless for eight months.”
Daniel R. — Fitzroy, VIC
“Finally a blog that plays games to the end before scoring them. The Frostveil review matched my experience exactly, warts and all.”
Priya S. — Adelaide, SA
“The NBN latency guide dropped my ping in Sydney servers by 20ms. Clear steps, no upsell. Signed up for membership the same day.”
Marcus T. — Newtown, NSW

Membership

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Get in touch

Tip us off, or just say hi.

Got a game we should cover, a correction, or a review copy? Reach out — we read everything and reply within two business days.

Phone
+61 3 9376 4490
Address
57 Rathdowne Street, Carlton VIC 3053
Desk hours
Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm AEST