ANCIENT ROBOT WORKSHOP
Your creative hub for tabletop games
Ancient Robot Workshop
A co-working and community events space in Edinburgh that asks a simple question: What does a maker space for tabletop game designers look like?
Launched in 2025, the spinning gears of our Workshop hosts a co-working and events space for creatives to make, develop and test tabletop games.
Whether you're a designer, author, artist, creative or player, our growing community of passionate game designers welcomes you.
In the Workshop
Our wee workshop is a cosy office space by day and a modular community space by evening, providing both dedicated co-working and flexible event space.
Co-Working
Co-working is exclusive to members & day pass holders, allowing you to use our Workshop and tools to work on your games. See our Facilities page for more info on what the Workshop has to offer as your workspace.
Mondays - Fridays: 9am-5pm* (*for keyholders)
Only open to members/day pass holders
No events during these times
Everything you need to design games for only £1 a day
Events
In the evenings and on weekends we run events that are open to the public and members alike, such as:
Regular public playtest evenings, welcoming the community to come playtest games for free and support local game designers
Active co-working events for game designers to work on their projects with community support
Community hosted events to skill share, create and play games
Game Jams designed to welcome in new game designers and provide creative challenges to seasoned creatives alike
Check out our Luma to get tickets and see all upcoming events:
Facilities
Our workshop in Leith has space for creatives to develop, work, prototype and playtest table top games. Some of our facilities for members include:
Co-working space with modular desks and chairs
Bookable meeting and recording room
Regular prototyping and play-testing evenings
A developing diverse programme of free-for-member events designed for connecting creatives, skill development and finding an audience for your games
Prototyping materials such as stationary, tokens, dice and a board games library
A3+ printer, photocopier, laminator and other paper printing tools
3D printers for developing and prototyping pieces, tokens and other items for games
Silhouette Pro MKII cutting machine for cutting unique 2D stencils, tokens and other items with a precise finish
Personal storage space for your games and projects
Say hello!
Have a question? Fill in this quick form to reach our small team and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
Get Involved
The best way to learn about everything that's happening at the Workshop is to join our discord!It's also where our community talks games, organises new events and support each other's games.
Check out our Luma to get tickets and see all upcoming events:
We host regular prototyping and playtesting evenings for board games and RPGs, as well as meetups, talks, and workshops.
Address
Ancient Robot Workshop
Suite 4,
130 Leith Walk,
Edinburgh
EH6 5DT
Visiting ARW
Traveling to the Workshop in Leith is easy. Local buses stop just outside our door.Find the main red door tucked between the Ella and Cornelius shops and buzz Suite 4. We're up the stairs and along the right hallway.Our building is also accessible via lift. Please get in touch before you visit so someone can be there to meet you.
Nearest Tram Stop: Either Balfour Road or Foot of the Walk (6 mins walk from either one!)
Nearest Bus stops: 7, 14, 16, 25, 49, N14, N16
Parking: the nearest car park is at the Tesco Superstore, location point here.
About Us
Ancient Robot Workshop launched in 2025 to provide space to tabletop game designers. Aiming to provide a workspace that's both a welcoming community and an office that has all the tools designers need to make games.In our second year, we're developing a more comprehensive programme of events and new ways to connect local game designers.
Say hello!
Have a question? Fill in this quick form to reach our small team and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
Membership, Day Passes and Renting
Ancient Robot Workshop is a Community Interest Company and as such while we strive to be sustainable, we also want to be as flexible as possible for creatives in Edinburgh.
Prices
| Membership | Day passes | Private Rent |
|---|---|---|
| £30/month | £7/use | Contact Us |
| Make the Workshop your office. Access to co-working, our suite of tools, free tickets to ARW events, lower rent rates for events hosting, all for just £1 a day. Want to see the space? Get in touch and a member of our team will be happy to give you a tour. | Drop in and use the workshop for the day. Use the facilities, book the meeting room or pitch at one of our playtest nights. Play-testers are always welcome for free to our Playtest events! Thank you for supporting local game designers. | Interested in hosting an event or workshop that aligns with our purpose of serving the tabletop game design community? Get in touch! |
Say hello!
Have a question? Fill in this quick form to reach our small team and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.