Fitzroy Games Desk · Since 2016

Stormlit reviews from the reef of gaming.

We play everything twice, dig into the patch notes, and surface the indie gems drifting past the mainstream. Honest scores, no hype tides — written from a little studio on Rose Street.

Neon-lit gaming setup

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One email every Friday: our headline review, three quick takes, and a reader-voted indie pick.

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The NovaStormCitadel desk at work
About the citadel

A small crew that actually finishes the games.

NovaStormCitadel started in a Fitzroy sharehouse in 2016 with one rule: don't score a game you haven't rolled the credits on. Nine years later that rule still stands, whether it's a 90-hour RPG or a two-hour indie puzzler.

We cover the whole reef — AAA launches, roguelike deep-cuts, tabletop-to-digital ports — with a soft spot for the Australian and Southeast Asian indie scene. No affiliate-driven scores, no early-access puff pieces.

1,900+
Reviews published
72h
Avg. play before scoring
9 yrs
On the beat
How a review gets made

From download to verdict.

1

Play to credits

Every title gets a full run on retail hardware — no skipping to the ending for a hot take.

2

Benchmark & test

Frame-time captures, load times and accessibility options logged on both console and PC.

3

Second opinion

A second editor plays the opening hours to check the verdict holds beyond one taste.

4

Publish & revisit

Scores are re-checked after major patches, with a dated note so you know what changed.

The desk

Who's holding the controller.

Editor portrait

Priya N.

Editor-in-Chief

RPG obsessive, 4,000 hours in JRPGs and counting. Founded the blog in 2016.

Editor portrait

Marcus T.

Tech & Hardware

Runs the benchmark rig and translates frame-times into plain English.

Editor portrait

Elena V.

Indie & Tabletop

Champions the Australian indie scene and reviews digital board-game ports.

Editor portrait

Jordan K.

Video & Streams

Cuts our review companion videos and hosts the Thursday night playthroughs.

What you'll find here

More than a score out of ten.

Long-form reviews

Full-playthrough reviews

2,000-word verdicts that cover pacing, story, and the last act nobody else finishes.

Patch breakdowns

Patch-note breakdowns

We read the patch notes so you don't have to — what actually changed and whether it matters.

Indie spotlights

Indie spotlights

Weekly features on under-the-radar releases from Australia and the wider Pacific.

Support the desk

Membership tiers.

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For the players who want the extras.

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Founder

A$22/mo

Direct line to the desk.

  • ✓ Everything in Citadel
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  • ✓ Monthly live stream Q&A
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Back the desk
Get in touch

Pitch a story or say hello.

Got a review request, an indie game to share, or a correction? The desk is open Monday to Friday, 10am–6pm AEST.

Studio
53 Rose Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065