I knew I was in for something special the minute I saw the window display, and confirmed it when I stepped into and saw the giant robot painting on the back wall. The front of the shop focuses on board games and gaming space, with wonderful natural lighting from large windows.
The center and left of the store is dedicated to board and card games for sale, with trading cards near the till at the back of the shop, along with a coffee maker. The right hand of the shop was the play space with multiple tables and a comprehensive game library. Hot drinks and pastries were available at very reasonable prices.
Delving deeper, I discovered the RPG and miniatures section in the back, which I had entirely too much fun perusing. There was a wide selection of RPG books, with a great selection of indie games and zines, including a rack of solo games. It was neat seeing physical versions of so many books I have digital versions of..and hard to resist buying them all.
The staff member was very nice and extremely knowledgable. I enjoyed hearing his advice for ways to introduce someone interested in TTRPGs. He’s also released a neat TTRPG of his own where you play as minion monsters called, appropriately, Minion.
All in all, a wonderful shop with regular events that I recommend if you find yourself in Edinburgh!
Website: https://www.ancientrobotgames.co.uk
Address: 23 Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 8LN, United Kingdom