An independent platform run by people who genuinely care about games — not as products, but as creative works with something to say.
Shopboy Gaming began as a simple idea: there should be a place online where games are written about with the same care and seriousness that readers bring to them. Not every game deserves a ten, and not every game deserves a dismissal. Most deserve something more interesting — a genuine attempt to understand what they were trying to do and whether they achieved it.
We're based in Yeovil, Somerset, and we write for a UK audience that loves gaming culture without needing it wrapped in hyperbole. Our team has been playing games collectively for decades. We've seen the industry change, seen genres rise and fall, and we're still here because we find it genuinely interesting.
We have no corporate backing. We have no investors pushing us toward specific coverage. What we have is a commitment to writing that's worth reading — and a community that's proved, over time, that there's an audience for it.
A small team of writers who care about games more than about covering them.
Marcus founded Shopboy Gaming in 2021 after spending fifteen years writing about games for various publications. He has strong opinions about difficulty curves and even stronger ones about save systems.
Sarah's specialist subject is indie games and their relationship with narrative form. She wrote her university dissertation on storytelling in games and has been proving the thesis ever since.
Raj covers the strategy and RPG space, which means he's rarely seen without a lengthy turn underway. He approaches games with the same systematic attention he'd bring to any complex system worth understanding.
Chloe manages our community content and writes the quizzes. She considers it a professional obligation to know every obscure gaming fact you've never thought to look up.
Marcus Webb launches Shopboy Gaming as a one-person blog with a clear editorial voice. The first article: a 3,000-word piece on why save scumming isn't cheating.
Sarah Donnelly and Raj Patel join the team, expanding coverage to indie games and strategy. Monthly readership reaches 3,000.
Chloe Marsh develops our interactive quiz system. The Classic Trivia quiz breaks 10,000 completions in its first month.
Major site redesign launches at shopboygaming.net. 12,000+ monthly readers, 48 published articles, and still growing — still independent.
We're always open to reader questions, tips, and conversations about games. Reach out anytime.
Contact the Team