Independent gaming · Est. 2020 · Toronto

Honest reviews.
No hype.

ArenaLaunch is an independent gaming magazine. We review the games, report the news, and write the guides — for players, by players, with nobody pulling the strings.

870+Games reviewed
118,000+Monthly readers
6 yrsOn the beat
Key art for Ashfall Covenant, a RPG game
Review RPG ★ 9.0

Ashfall Covenant Review

A sprawling open-world RPG that trusts you to get lost. The combat takes a few hours to click, but once it does, few games this year reward curiosity so generously.

By Priya Anand July 18, 2026 9 min read
Fresh off the desk

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Key art for Null Signal, a FPS game 8.0
Review FPS

Null Signal

A lean, mean single-player shooter that remembers gunplay is a craft. Short campaign, but every level is sharpened to a point.

Marcus ReidJuly 11, 2026
Key art for Harvest of Thorns, a Strategy game 8.5
Review Strategy

Harvest of Thorns

A turn-based strategy game with the soul of a good board game. Deep, readable systems and one of the smartest campaigns of the year.

Sofia AlvarezJuly 4, 2026
Key art for Paper Lanterns, a Indie game 9.5
Review Indie

Paper Lanterns

A hand-painted narrative adventure about memory and distance. Small in scope, enormous in feeling — the indie highlight of the year.

Theo NakamuraJune 27, 2026
Editor’s pick

The One to Play

Key art for Paper Lanterns, an indie Indie game
Indie highlight ★ 9.5 / 10

Paper Lanterns

A hand-painted narrative adventure about memory and distance. Small in scope, enormous in feeling — the indie highlight of the year.

By Theo Nakamura PC, PS5, Switch
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A review is a promise to the reader.

We started ArenaLaunch in 2020 because too much games coverage reads like a press release. Our team of 11 editors and writers plays every game to completion, scores it against a public rubric, and answers to no publisher. If a game is great, we’ll tell you. If it isn’t, we’ll tell you that too — with reasons, not just a number.

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Articles published
870+
Games reviewed
118,000+
Monthly readers
6
Years on the beat