Brisbane · Game Blog · Est. 2016
Where hard games
Frame-data soulslike guides, sprawling RPG build theory and no-hype indie reviews — written out of Fortitude Valley by players who actually finish the games.
The story so far
Eight years of chasing the run.
From a single Dark Souls death-count spreadsheet to a full editorial team, here's how IronHeroRealm grew into one of Australia's most-read game blogs.
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2016
A death-count spreadsheet goes public
What started as a shared Google Sheet logging every boss attempt turned into weekly write-ups. The first Bloodborne breakdown pulled 40,000 readers in a fortnight.
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2019
The Fortitude Valley studio opens
We rented a small room on Wandoo Street, built a capture rig, and started recording frame-perfect guide footage. The team grew to five writers and two editors.
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2022
Elden Ring coverage breaks records
Our interactive boss order and rune-farming maps hit 1.2 million sessions during launch month, cementing IronHeroRealm as a go-to soulslike resource.
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2024
Members club and indie spotlight launch
We introduced a paid members tier and a weekly indie column championing Australian and Southeast Asian studios that the big outlets tend to miss.
Recent work
Guides, essays & deep dives.
Every Elden Ring boss in the optimal order
The bleed-mage build that trivialises NG+7
Indie spotlight: the Brisbane roguelike you missed
Why difficulty settings are a design choice, not a cop-out
Parry timing, explained frame by frame
The lost art of the in-game map
Membership
Read free, or go all-in.
Every post stays free. Members unlock ad-free reading, interactive maps and the Friday deep-dive early. Prices in AUD, billed monthly, cancel anytime.
| What you get | Reader Free |
Adventurer $8 / mo |
Iron Guild $18 / mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| All reviews & guides | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ad-free reading | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Interactive boss & rune maps | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Friday deep-dive 48h early | — | — | ✓ |
| Monthly members-only Discord AMA | — | — | ✓ |
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Say hello
Pitch us, or just talk games.
Story tips, guide requests, corrections or collaborations — drop us a line and we'll get back to you.