An independent, family-run games shop based in Oxford, we sell traditional and vintage games including chess, backgammon, mah jong and go, alongside a wide range of board games: family classics, newcomers, award-winners and hard-to-find independent, niche games. We also stock a wide range of puzzles, jigsaws, playing cards, magic and juggling supplies. We started out sourcing and selling ornamental chess sets in 1975, when they were first introduced to the UK. We came to Oxford in 1997 and have been happily based on the High ever since, where we now sell over 200 different ornamental and Staunton chess sets, and much, much more! WHAT'S IN A NAME? The man to thank is a certain Edmond Hoyle, a renowned eighteenth century writer known best for his authoritative writing on the rules and variations of card games, chess and backgammon. His most famous book, Hoyle's Rules of Games, has been in print continuously since 1760 - we still sell it ourselves.