Full Reviews
Score-free deep dives after we roll credits — 1,500+ words on performance, feel and value, published every Tuesday and Friday.
Brisbane · Gaming Blog
Sweet takes on gaming, served fresh daily.
AlphaPlayRush.fun is a candy-coloured gaming blog from Fortitude Valley. We cover honest reviews, no-fluff guides, indie gems and the speedrun scene — with a sugar rush of personality.
+61 7 3229 8745
- Reads a year
- 4.2M
- Reviews published
- 900+
- Years online
- 11
Our Story
A gaming blog with a sugar-sweet streak
We started in a share-house off Ann Street in 2015, arguing about frame rates over bubble tea. A decade later we still publish from Fortitude Valley — just with a bigger desk and better snacks.
Honest first, hype never
Every review is written after we finish the game, not the press embargo. If a $109.95 AAA release fumbles the landing, we say so — and we tell you which $14.50 indie deserves that money instead.
Made by players, for players
From soulslike masochists to cosy-farming softies, our writers cover the genres they actually love. That means guides that go deep, not wiki copy-paste, and coverage that treats you like a mate, not a metric.
Newsroom hours: Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm AEST
What We Do
Everything we cover, in bite-sized pieces
Six regular columns keep the site fresh — free to read, updated weekly, no paywall in sight.
Speedrun Desk
Route breakdowns, world-record recaps and glitch explainers, with clips timed to the millisecond by our resident runners.
Indie Spotlight
One under-the-radar release each week, from AU$5 itch.io experiments to Aussie-made gems worth your wishlist.
Buyer Guides
Handset, headset and hardware picks priced in AUD, retested after every firmware update so the advice never goes stale.
Patch Notes Decoded
We read the 4,000-word changelog so you don’t have to — what actually changed, what got nerfed, and whether to reinstall.
Community Nights
Monthly reader game-alongs and a members Discord — free to join, hosted live from the Valley on the last Thursday of each month.
The Crew
The people behind the pixels
A small, opinionated newsroom that plays far too much and sleeps far too little.
Editor-in-Chief
Marlowe Tan
Founded the blog in a Fortitude Valley share-house. 300 hours in Elden Ring and counting. Refuses to review anything before finishing it.
Speedrun Lead
Priya Nadkarni
Former Any% record holder who now breaks down routes frame-by-frame. Can explain a wrong-warp glitch to your nan.
Indie Editor
Dev Okafor
Plays 200 indies a year so you don’t have to. Champion of tiny studios and weird little masterpieces.
Hardware Reviewer
Bec Fontaine
Tears down every controller and headset that lands on the desk. Owns 41 keyboards and regrets none of them.
Community Manager
Kai Whitmore
Runs our Discord and monthly game-alongs. The reason our comment section is actually pleasant to read.
Reader Love
What our readers keep telling us
Real notes from the inbox and the comment threads — lightly trimmed, never faked.
Bought a $180 headset purely off Bec’s teardown and it’s the best gaming purchase I’ve made in years. Their AUD pricing breakdowns are gold.
L
Liam R.
Brisbane, QLD · March 2026
The speedrun desk explained a wrong-warp so clearly that I finally landed it myself. Priya’s clips are unreal.
H
Hana K.
Melbourne, VIC · February 2026
I skip every other review site now. AlphaPlayRush actually finishes the games — you can feel it in the writing.
T
Tom W.
Gold Coast, QLD · January 2026
Found my current favourite indie through the Spotlight column. A tiny AU$8 game I’d never have seen otherwise.
S
Sofia M.
Perth, WA · December 2025
Their Patch Notes Decoded saved me from reinstalling a 90GB game for a change that didn’t matter. Bless.
N
Ngoc P.
Sydney, NSW · November 2025
The Sugar Drop
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We send one digest a week. That’s it. Pinky promise.
Say Hello
Pitch us, correct us, or just say hi
Got a tip, a review request or a typo to shame us over? Our newsroom in Fortitude Valley reads every message.
Call the newsroom
+61 7 3229 8745
Email us
[email protected]
Visit the studio
58 James Street, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Open hours
Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm AEST