London Gaming Journal
Play sharper. Read louder.
Shadow Game Champions is a Shoreditch-based gaming blog covering the reviews, guides and hardware verdicts that actually change how you play — no filler, no paid hype.
New reviews every Tuesday & Friday · Call us on +44 20 7739 6321
Who we are
A small desk with strong opinions
We started in 2016 as three friends arguing about frame rates above a Leonard Street coffee roaster. Today we're a five-person editorial team that buys its own hardware, finishes the games before we score them, and publishes the verdict even when the publisher won't like it.
How we score
Every number is earned
No review goes live under 12 hours of play, and hardware sits on our bench for a fortnight before a rating. We disclose exactly how a unit reached us, and we never let review access decide the score. That's the whole promise.
Our process
From launch code to published verdict
Play it fully
We finish the campaign or bench the hardware for two weeks before a single line is drafted.
Test & measure
Frame times, load speeds and battery are captured on our own rigs, never from a press kit slide.
Cross-check
A second editor replays the sticking points so no verdict rides on one person's bad night.
Publish plainly
One clear score, the disclosure of how we got the game, and comments open from minute one.
What we cover
Four beats, one honest voice
Reader reviews
Trusted by players who read the whole thing
"Their RPG buying guide steered me off a £60 mistake and onto something I've now sunk 90 hours into. The only games site I read to the end."
"I bought a mid-range headset entirely on their bench numbers. Everything they measured matched what I heard. Refreshingly no-nonsense."
"The weekly members' briefing is genuinely worth the £4. Concise, opinionated, and it flags the discounts actually worth having."
FAQ
Questions readers ask us
Anything else? Ring the desk on +44 20 7739 6321 or drop us a line — a real editor replies.
Do publishers pay for reviews?
Never. Coverage is free of any payment, and no advertiser sees a review before it publishes. When a game or unit arrives as a press sample we say so plainly at the top of the piece, and we buy retail copies whenever a sample would come with strings attached.
How often do you publish?
New reviews and guides land every Tuesday and Friday, with hardware verdicts added as embargoes lift. Members also get a short Sunday briefing rounding up the week's releases and the discounts we think are genuinely worth it.
Can I pitch a guest piece?
Yes — we run one or two freelance features a month and pay standard UK rates on acceptance. Send a two-line pitch through the contact form with a link to something you've written; we reply to every pitch within a week, even the noes.
What does membership cost?
Membership is £4 a month or £40 a year and keeps the site ad-light. It unlocks the Sunday briefing, our full hardware test data, and early access to buying guides ahead of major sales. Cancel any time from your account with no lock-in.
Contact
Pitch, correct us, or just say hello
Story tips, review requests and freelance pitches all come through here. We read everything from the Shoreditch desk.
- Phone
- +44 20 7739 6321
- [email protected]
- Address
- 82B Leonard Street, Shoreditch, London EC2A 4QS
- Desk hours
- Mon–Fri, 10:00–18:00