Board game fans could soon be able to have a quick go of snakes and ladders while sipping a cappuccino at a new themed café.

Page Costas, Michelle Chin and Mario Karaiskos are currently working hard to transform an empty Queens Road shop into the D20 Board Game Café – complete with hundreds of table-top games and an extensive food and drink menu.

“I grew up in Watford and so we wanted to open up somewhere in Hertfordshire. Mario has been dreaming of this before it was even a thing,” said Miss Costas.

Watford Observer:

“We’ve got 400 board games already – anything from family games to strategy. We’re really passionate it – it’s our hobby. It won’t feel like hard work at all.”

There certainly seems to be a demand for such a venue, with the group’s Kickstarter campaign quickly raising £10,000 – enough to get the project up and running.

Part of the ethos of D20 is bringing people from the far-flung corners of gaming community together; people who share a common interest but may not have the opportunity to meet without a mutual base.

Miss Costas said: “People are waiting for it to open. Quite a few people love games but don’t have anyone to play with and it really is a brilliant community.

“It is the thing that is driving us, the idea of bringing people together.”

After receiving the keys from the estate agent last week, the gaming trio have been putting in a lot of long hours in order to get the venue ready for its grand opening in January.

But they will not be stopping there, harbouring ambitions to expand further in the future.

“We’re going to start small and hopefully move up. We are a little bit ambitious so we want to open up at least one more café,” added Miss Costas.

“All we really wanted to do was a really good coffee and hot chocolate.”

Early plans are to open the café seven days a week, with later hours at weekends and regular themed game nights.