Independent Game Writing · Sydney
The frontier between hype and honesty.
Long-form reviews, indie spotlights, and slow-burn guides — written by players who finish the game before they file the verdict. New pieces every Tuesday and Friday.
A founder note
Started in a Surry Hills flat, still allergic to review-score inflation.
I launched MysticMoonFrontier in 2018 after a decade of writing coverage that had to fit a deadline instead of the game. We publish fewer pieces, later, and only once we've actually rolled credits — because a first-impressions score isn't a review.
Everything you read here is reader-funded. No affiliate quotas, no embargoed hot takes, no "sponsored verdicts." Just careful writing from a small team that plays too much and sleeps too little.
— Harriet Vale, Founding Editor
How we cover a game
Four steps before a single score gets published.
Play to completion
We finish the main campaign — and a healthy chunk of the side content — before drafting a word. Roguelikes get a 20-hour minimum. Live-service gets revisited at launch, month one, and month six.
Test on real hardware
Performance notes come from actual devices — a base PS5, a Steam Deck, and a mid-range 2021 PC — not a spec sheet. We log frame drops, load times, and battery draw so you know what you're buying.
Separate taste from craft
Every review states plainly what's a matter of genre preference versus a genuine design flaw. If a game isn't for us but nails what it set out to do, we say so — loudly.
Update after patches
A launch verdict isn't the final word. When a major patch or expansion lands, we revisit the piece, timestamp the change, and adjust the score if the game earned it.
The desk
Five writers, one editorial line.
Harriet Vale
Founding Editor · RPGs
Fifteen years on the beat. Will defend turn-based combat to anyone who'll listen.
Deng Okafor
Reviews Lead · Action
Speedrun-adjacent. Measures a game by how it feels in the first ten minutes and the last.
Mei Tanaka
Indie Editor · Narrative
Champions the small stuff — visual novels, two-hour gems, and itch.io oddities.
Rory Fitzgerald
Tech Writer · Performance
Runs the hardware bench. Owns more capture cards than any one person should.
Video review
Watch our verdict, not just read it.
Every headline review ships with a companion video breakdown — captured footage, spoiler-free structure, and the score explained on screen. Here's our latest: a 40-hour dive into this season's most divisive open-world RPG.
"The only games outlet whose scores actually changed which games I bought this year. No fluff, no 9/10 for everything."
Get in touch
Pitch us, correct us, or just say hi.
Freelance pitches, review copies, and reader tips are all welcome. The desk is staffed Monday to Friday, 9:00–17:00 AEST.