Read the article about Ancient Robot and answer the questions:
- What kind of place is Ancient Robot?
- Why do people go there?
- What activities are people doing in the shop?
- How long have some people been doing these activities?
- Which people in the article:
a) have been coming regularly?
b) have been running game nights?
c) have just arrived?
Ancient Robot – Games shop and café
In the last decade, tabletop gaming has changed a lot. There are more games than ever before, and a much wider range of people are playing them. What used to be a niche hobby has started to feel more mainstream.
But what about the places where people actually play?
For years, local game shops were often hidden away—down side streets or in basements. They were important spaces for the people who knew about them, but they weren’t always easy to find, and they didn’t always feel welcoming to newcomers.
That’s started to change. Shops like Ancient Robot are part of a new wave of venues that are trying to do things differently.
Located in Leith, the shop is bright, open, and easy to walk into—even if you’ve never played a board game before. Shelves are packed with everything from quick card games to long, strategy-heavy titles, and there are several tables where people can sit and play.
On a typical afternoon, you’ll find a mix of people. A group of friends might be halfway through a complicated game, while a family tries something simple for the first time. At one table, two regulars are deep into a campaign they’ve been playing for weeks.
“We come here most Fridays,” one of them says. “We’ve played loads of different games, but this is the one we keep coming back to.”
Behind the counter, the owner is chatting to someone who’s looking for a recommendation. “A lot of people have been asking for games that are easy to learn but still interesting,” he explains. “We’ve been running open game nights, so people can try things before they buy them.”
Not everyone who walks in is a regular. One visitor, who has just arrived, is looking around the shop. “I’ve been trying to find something new to do in the evenings,” she says. “I haven’t played many board games before, but this place seems really friendly.”
That mix of experienced players and newcomers is part of what makes places like Ancient Robot work. People aren’t just buying games—they’re staying, learning, and playing together.
If the growth of tabletop gaming continues, it’s likely that more spaces like this will appear. For now, though, this small shop in Leith shows how far things have already come.
Discuss in groups:
- Would you like to go to a place like Ancient Robot? Why / why not?
- What games or activities do you usually do with friends?
- Do you prefer playing games at home or in public places?