New Wiltshire board game cafe to open in town centre

Owners Jamie Sythes and Mary Hall are set to open Game Knights, on Sidmouth Street in Devizes, in around three weeks.

While no official opening date has been set, Mr Sythes is hopeful the new venue will officially open its doors to customers on Tuesday, September 17.

Mr Sythes and Ms Hall are working with director Greg Dodds to transform the unit into the town’s newest cafe.

The trio are all “avid gamers” and wanted to bring a business that offered something different to Devizes.

READ MORE: Retro Relics Games Cafe opens its doors in Wiltshire

Inside the Game Knights cafe under renovation (Image: Game Knights)

Mr Sythes added: “We’re avid gamers and that’s how I met Greg, I’ve got a shed full of games at home and we just thought it would be good idea to create a gaming lounge.

“We had been somewhere like this in Portsmouth and then a shop came up in Devizes so we thought we’d just have a go.

“There are lots of cafes and pubs in Devizes but I don’t go out drinking anymore and there’s a lack of things to do so this is a really nice social environment.”

The team has been working “non-stop” for the last three or four weeks to renovate the empty town centre unit.

They hope to create somewhere where guests can “immerse” themselves in other worlds and “unplug” from daily life.

Mr Sythes is “really pleased” with the progress but added there is still some work to do before customers are welcomed in.

“I’m really keen, if I could I would open this week”, he said.

Inside the Game Knights cafe under renovation (Image: Game Knights)

“I’m so excited to be in there because it’s just a nice space with a really chilled vibe.”

Once these works are completed, Game Knights is promising a wide array of board and card games that can cater to different visitors.

Mr Sythes said: “The idea is you can come in and we’ll have around 300 games, from the classics like Monopoly and Uno to real modern games and Warhammer.

“You can play games, have a cup of coffee or a drink and some cake, and it’s a great way of passing the time.

“We’ve got a whole Lego collection as well and people can take a Lego set and have a go, it’s perfect for date nights because it’s a great icebreaker.”