Opening ambitiously 4 days before Christmas in 2024, Odyssey Games is the passion project of Director, Robyn Jarvis, who strives to bring the world of board gaming to the wider community through the shop's ethos: Play, Connect, Explore.
Now 18 months old, the shop may be small but has a big heart, running monthly games events in a nearby theatre space that can seat up to 150 attendees, as well as holiday clubs for kids and, most recently, their first Free RPG day.
Ely is one of the smallest cities in the UK, yet when Odyssey Games opened it was building on a strong foundation of gaming clubs in town, and has helped foster an ecosystem where you can play games with a local group almost every day of the week.
Our favourite games:
Robyn - Director
Robyn loves everything co-operative, especially if it has a great narrative element. Her favourite legacy game played to date is Pandemic Legacy and her next to play is Kinfire Chronicles. She's also a huge fan of Ryan Laukat Games and her ultimate favourite is Sleeping Gods.
Skyler - RPG Specialist
Skyler came on board about 6 months after Odyssey Games opened and has curated (in our humble opinion) the best indie RPG section in the East of England. They have worked with publishers small and large to find games that push the boundaries of storytelling, whether through journalling, following cloth maps, or even embroidering your story as you go. Their ultimate favourite, is Vampire: The Masquerade.
Fiona - Community Champion
As a mum to three boys, Fiona knows everything there is to know about playing games for younger audiences and has taken the lead in running accessible and fun events for all. Her favourite kids game is Dodo, but when she gets a bit of time to herself, she always turns to her faithful copy of A Gentle Rain. Whilst being the newest member of Odyssey Games, she is already working with local schools and groups to foster play spaces within the community.
After 18 months, Odyssey Games is still guided by the same idea it started with: helping people play, connect and explore. Head down to Ely to check them out in person, and take a peek at their website to stay up to date!
