Ancient Robot Games
Edinburgh's vibrant board game café & shop – giant robot mural, huge library, friendly community, and great coffee.
Photos
About
If you're walking down Leith Walk and spot the towering front windows of Ancient Robot Games, you're in for a treat. Step inside and you're greeted by a giant, vibrant robot mural on the back wall, with shelves of games to buy on one side and a row of sturdy tables for playing on the other. The natural light floods in, making the whole space feel open and welcoming. Grab a coffee and a pastry from the counter (prices are very reasonable), then dive into their extensive board game library. I'd recommend booking a table online—especially for evenings, as they don't accept walk-ins after 5pm—and it's just £4 per person for a two-hour slot. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable and friendly; one even designed his own TTRPG called Minion. The community Discord is active and full of folk happy to help newcomers find their footing.
Facilities
Board Game Café
Ancient Robot Games is an independent board game café and shop in Edinburgh, offering a large board game library, tabletop RPGs, miniatures, hot drinks and pastries, with regular events and friendly staff.
Shop
Ancient Robot Games is a board game shop and café in Edinburgh, featuring a retail area with board games, card games, RPGs, and miniatures for sale, alongside a game library for borrowing and a café serving hot drinks and pastries.
Board Games
Ancient Robot Games is a board game café and shop in Edinburgh, offering a large library of games to play on-site, regular events, and a welcoming atmosphere for both new and experienced players.
Dining
Ancient Robot Games is a board game café that offers hot drinks, pastries, and snacks.
Full Description
Ancient Robot Games is an independent board game shop and board game café located at 23 Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 8LN, at the Foot of the Walk in the Leith area. Opened in 2023, it is a bright, airy venue with excellent natural light from towering front windows. The venue is wheelchair accessible. It has a rating of 4.9 out of 5 based on 243 user reviews on Google Maps. The business is operational and open daily from 10:30 to 19:00 (Monday through Sunday). The phone number is +441312812419, and the website is https://www.ancientrobotgames.co.uk/. Online booking is available at https://www.ancientrobotgames.co.uk/bookings. Inside, the front area focuses on board games and gaming space, with a large robot mural painted on the back wall. The left-hand wall is dedicated to board and card games for sale, organised by genre and complexity, with a small table featuring latest releases and staff picks. The counter at the back, beneath the mural, serves hot drinks and pastries at very reasonable prices and also handles collectable card games. The right-hand side of the shop is a play space with multiple solid tables and comfortable chairs, plus a comprehensive board game library available to borrow. The library catalogue can be viewed online. Table booking costs £4 per person for a 2-hour slot, and consecutive sessions can be booked if more time is needed. Walk-ins for tables are not accepted after 17:00. Deeper in the shop, an alcove to the right of the counter houses the RPG and miniature game selection. Miniatures are mostly Games Workshop, and the RPG selection ranges from Dungeons and Dragons to indie titles and solo games, including a rack of solo games and zines. The shop also sells paints and accessories. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly; one staff member has released their own TTRPG called Minion (play as minion monsters). The owner previously ran games nights at Argonaut Books next door, building community ties. The shop runs a Discord server where members share their hobby and help newcomers. They also run multiple event nights (board game nights, RPG sessions, miniature painting, collectable card games), usually announced a month in advance and costing £4 per person to attend; booking is recommended due to limited spaces. The venue accepts credit cards, debit cards, and NFC payments, but does not accept cash only. There is also a separate co-working space for tabletop games creators called Ancient Robot Workshop (ancientrobotworkshop.co.uk). Nearby transport includes tram and bus from Edinburgh city centre. Additionally, the location features 7 EV charging points (Type 2 Socket Only, 7kW each, Level 2 AC Single-Phase, 230V, 32A), with a usage type of 'Public - Membership Required' and a complicated tariff structure (£0.45/kWh, £0.75/kWh). The operator is POD Point (UK), and the unit is installed at St James Square site at Quarter, Edinburgh.