HoloCraftDepot — Australian Gaming Blog | Reviews, Builds & Culture

The workshop

A loft full of test benches, not a press office.

We benchmark every rig on the floor, play every game to the credits, and write it up the way you would explain it to a mate — plainly, with the receipts.

01

Built on the bench

Each build guide is assembled at our South Melbourne workspace, thermal-tested across a 3-day burn-in, and photographed under the exposed pipework you can see on this page. No renders, no stock rigs.

02

Reviews without the hype cycle

We buy or borrow retail copies, log at least 20 hours before scoring, and disclose exactly how far we got. If a launch is broken on AU servers at 8pm AEST, we say so.

03

Plugged into the local scene

From Fortress Melbourne LANs to grassroots Rocket League ladders, we cover the players and organisers across VIC that the big international sites never make time for.

The work

Everything the depot puts out.

Free to read, funded by our members. Here is what lands in your feed when you follow along.

Tested build guides

Parts lists in AUD with live Ped-check pricing, wiring photos and thermals from our own bench — from $900 budget rigs to $4k halo builds.

Honest game reviews

Minimum 20 hours logged, AU server performance noted, and a plain-English verdict. No review is written from a preview build.

Local esports coverage

Weekly wrap-ups of VIC and national events, player interviews and bracket breakdowns you cannot get from overseas outlets.

The Depot newsletter

One email each Thursday, 5pm AEST — the week’s posts, a deal worth acting on, and a reader question answered.

Members’ workshop

Depot members ($9/mo) get build cost spreadsheets, early access to reviews, and a monthly Q&A call from the loft.

Repair & upgrade notes

Field notes on repastes, BIOS quirks and drive upgrades — the small fixes that keep an ageing rig on the shelf.

Good to know

Questions from the inbox.

The things readers email [email protected] about most often.

+61 3 9642 3967 [email protected]

No. We buy retail copies or accept review codes with zero conditions attached. Every review states how the copy was obtained and how long we played before scoring. If a studio asks for copy approval, we decline the code and buy it ourselves.

Yes — every parts list is in AUD and reflects real prices from Australian retailers, updated when the market shifts. We flag import-only parts and note the delivery reality of ordering to VIC so your budget is not a surprise at checkout.

The loft at 71 Thistlethwaite Street is a working studio rather than a shopfront, so drop-ins are by appointment. Email us and we are happy to book a time if you want to talk through a build in person.

Membership is $9/month and unlocks our costed build spreadsheets, early review access, an ad-light reading experience, and a monthly live Q&A call. It is what keeps the guides free for everyone else — you can cancel any time.

We try to cover as much of the VIC and wider AU scene as we can. Send the event details, date and format to our contact address at least two weeks out and we will let you know if we can send someone or run a recap.

Say hello

Pitch us, quiz us, or just talk shop.

Story tips, build questions and event invites all land in the same inbox. We read everything and reply within two business days.

Phone: +61 3 9642 3967
Email: [email protected]
The loft: 71 Thistlethwaite Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205
Desk hours: Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm AEST

Australian gaming,bolted together in the loft.

A loft full of test benches, not a press office.

Built on the bench

Reviews without the hype cycle

Plugged into the local scene

Recent posts off the workbench.

The $1,850 "Loft Special" 1440p build

Silent Cascade: a fanless HTPC log

Hollow Ridge — 40 hours before we scored it

Does it run on a $900 budget rig?

Fortress Melbourne Winter Clash recap

VIC Rocket League ladder — mid-season report