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Ancient Robot Games

Ancient Robot Games

By: Ancient Robot Podcast
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Summary
 Ancient Robot Games is an independent board game shop/café on Leith Walk in bonnie Edinburgh.

On the Ancient Robot Podcast, hosts Dougal Freir (Owner, Ancient Robot Games) and Robert Gelb (board game designer) talk trends, design, and development of all things tabletop!

Each episode features guests from the industry sharing their insights into the world of game development and the ever-growing community of game designers in Scotland.

Tune in for your monthly dose of board game nerdisms!

Ancient Robot Games - https://ancientrobotgames.co.uk
Midnight Trading Co - https://midnighttradingco.com
Podcast Producer Ryan Scott - https://www.ryanscottmedia.com/

Making or want to make tabletop games in Edinburgh? A new community and coworking space is open now in Edinburgh! https://ancientrobotworkshop.co.ukCopyright Ancient Robot Podcast Art
Episodes
  • Aster: Creating a brand new ancient-strategy game with Robert Gelb | Episode 38

    Aster: Creating a brand new ancient-strategy game with Robert Gelb | Episode 38
    Nov 11 2026
    We’re speaking with our very own Robert Gelb, co-host of the pod, to discuss his new upcoming game, Aster.

    Aster is an ancient space strategy game set in the ever expanding Solari universe, gifted to our ancestors by stellar travellers who sailed the stars on streams of sunlight. With your pieces representing your Skysails, Castras, and Asters you will travel the stellar map and lay claim to unoccupied areas of space on a board in a Seed of Life design.

    Gelb discusses the full three year design timeline - experimenting with pieces and new shapes, diving into geometrical patterns, building the lore of Aster, and finding enjoyment in others' fun!

    Show your support for Aster at:
    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/midnighttradingco/aster-a-game-of-skysails-strategy-and-stellar-influence

    Or go to:
    https://midnighttradingco.com/


    If you have any burning game questions, or special events coming up and need some advice for what game to bring - email us at ancientrobotpod@gmail.com and we’ll endeavour to answer in an upcoming episode!

    Ancient Robot Games - https://ancientrobotgames.co.uk
    Midnight Trading Co - https://midnighttradingco.com
    Podcast Producer Ryan Scott - https://www.ryanscottmedia.com/

    Making or want to make tabletop games in Edinburgh? A new community and coworking space opens May 2025 in Edinburgh! https://ancientrobotworkshop.co.uk

    Music: Coffee Break by Sensho
    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
  • A Nightmarish Solo Experience - DREAMESCAPE with Justin Morgan-Davies | Episode 37

    A Nightmarish Solo Experience - DREAMESCAPE with Justin Morgan-Davies | Episode 37
    Oct 14 2026
    In this episode, we are joined by BadCatGames CEO and founder Justin Morgan-Davies to talk about designing solo, narrative driven games and building games with theme first!

    BadCatGames is an award winning Scottish publisher and creative studio with incredible thematic games such as Gladiatores, Elemenz, and of course DreamEscape - their solo narrative driven adventure through a Lovecraftian nightmare! Justin also discusses their upcoming release, ZeeDice - a frantic, quick-thinking dice game - a riff on his first ever game Elemenz.

    So join in for discussions on Lovecraftian horrors, narrative game design, and building game mechanics around your theme!

    See more of BadCatGames at their website - https://badcatgames.co.uk/


    If you have any burning game questions, or special events coming up and need some advice for what game to bring - email us at ancientrobotpod@gmail.com and we’ll endeavour to answer in an upcoming episode!

    Ancient Robot Games - https://ancientrobotgames.co.uk
    Midnight Trading Co - https://midnighttradingco.com
    Podcast Producer Ryan Scott - https://www.ryanscottmedia.com/

    Making or want to make tabletop games in Edinburgh? A new community and coworking space opens May 2025 in Edinburgh! https://ancientrobotworkshop.co.uk

    Music: Coffee Break by Sensho
    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • "The Adventure is This Way!" - Starting Handiwork Games with Jon Hodgson | Episode 36

    "The Adventure is This Way!" - Starting Handiwork Games with Jon Hodgson | Episode 36
    Sep 9 2026
    This week on the Ancient Robot Podcast, we are joined by Jon Hodgson, founder of Handiwork Games (Cold City: Hot War, a|state, Beowulf) a Scotland-based production company of tabletop games.

    Handiwork Games is now in its eighth year, starting as an experiment to see if a company like this could exist with full-time employees, offering job security and good working conditions - so far it seems it can!

    Tune in to listen to the guys talk about the inception of Handiwork Games, ENNIE wins, grand heists, and his past life working on the likes of The One Ring and the Doctor Who Roleplaying Game.


    If you have any burning game questions, or special events coming up and need some advice for what game to bring - email us at ancientrobotpod@gmail.com and we’ll endeavour to answer in an upcoming episode!

    Ancient Robot Games - https://ancientrobotgames.co.uk
    Midnight Trading Co - https://midnighttradingco.com
    Podcast Producer Ryan Scott - https://www.ryanscottmedia.com/

    Making or want to make tabletop games in Edinburgh? A new community and coworking space opens May 2025 in Edinburgh! https://ancientrobotworkshop.co.uk

    Music: Coffee Break by Sensho
    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
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