Rules of Play

A fantastic little gem of a shop. Really friendly, knowledgeable staff, great choice and good prices. If you are into any form of tabletop gaming do yourselves a favour and call in.

If any of you don’t believe in stereotypes, please visit Rules of Play, you’ll rethink that opinion pretty quickly. I’m not having a dig, but hobby shops like this one do attract a certain kind of person.
Imagine two people who look like they’ve stepped in from a Star-​trek convention and have fountains of fantasy game knowledge to get off their chests. You’re imagining the two people who entertained me for a full five minutes in front of Rules of Play this afternoon.
Nasal voice boy 1: Of course they have the firepower 15 better than anyone else and have at least the strength of a bear.
Nasal voice boy 2: (Nodding enthusiastically) Yeah, yeah.
Nasal voice boy 1: Whoever doesn’t know that is going to be in serious trouble.
Much snorting and wheezing.
This is the problem with hobby shops; you have to fight your way past the guardians of all that is geek. Once you have you’ll find some good stuff. I was impressed to see the old board game of Diplomacy (amazing game, Churchill would have enjoyed it) amongst other favourites.
Don’t let the Warhammer faithful put you off, this shop offers more than that.

This is a shop down an arcade that is fast becoming one of my favourites in Cardiff, particularly with the peculiar balcony and L-​shaped structure, you just feel shut off from everywhere else in the city even though you are simultaneously in the heart of it.
On the lower level you’ll find Rules Of Play, a shop for gamers. Not in the sense of video games. We’re talking proper, in the flesh, hold it in your hand, slay an evil wizard gaming. They have a fairly big range in this shop, and it’s pretty, dare I use the word, swish which is probably partly due to it competing with the Warhammer Shop around the corner.
There’s a big variety, so while there are games everyone knows about and even ones with cult followings, there are also games that only two people have ever played, so it’s worth a browse. On the upper level there is a table where they welcome gaming people, but the lower level is where it’s soon going to get going.

In addition to the usual ranges of Warhammer et al games, Rules of Play also carries a wide selection of board games, and some of the more esoteric games that may only have been previously available online.
I thankfully didn’t have the same customer service annoyances as Amanda, most likely because I came here with a boy, but I’m happy to report the staff were helpful and courteous in any case.
Although I’m not interested in much this shop has to offer, I think Rules of Play is a welcomed communal haven for the gaming community. For those Cardiff residents looking to expand their playing circles, Rules of Play also has an oft-​updated Facebook page, in addition to an interactive forum.
Events like game-​play evenings are often scheduled, with Magic night on Thursdays from 6pm (only £2 entry). For more information, check out their afore-​mentioned social media pages.