axe throwing

Cross Roads opened in January of 2016 with The Hex Room. Since then, creators Luke and Madison have designed and built 3 more hour-long escape games, 2 mini-games, and even branched out into immersive theater with The Séance Experience in 2019. Now, they are embarking on a new adventure: Axe Throwing.

It’s been a year since we have seen something new from the creators of Cross Roads Escape Games. The Weeping Witch opened in September 2022, and fans have been eagerly looking forward to what will come next.

In December 2023, Slashers Axe Throwing & Ales opened in Costa Mesa, CA. The Cross Roads team is upping the ante to make the experience more immersive for everyone by using theatrics, special effects, interactive games, and beer! 

“I see axe throwing the same as I saw escape rooms years ago: a fun and great idea, but lacking in immersive sets and theatrical elements,” said Madison Rhoades. “We plan to take Slashers Axe Throwing & Ales to the same elevated level as Cross Roads Escape Games.”

The axe-throwing area of Slashers looks like a dark forest outside a spooky cabin. Your hosts, dressed as camp counselors, will go over a brief safety orientation axe-throwing coaching before you begin. The beer bar area inside the spooky cabin provides an immersive atmosphere, show moments, special effects, draft beers, ciders, and non-alcoholic-themed drinks. 

When asked about the inspiration, Madison said, “I’m sure you can tell by the spooky games we have at Cross Roads that I am a huge horror movie fan. Axe Throwing and horror movies seemed like the perfect combination. Once I had the idea, I felt I had to make it a reality.”

What sets Slashers Axe Throwing & Ales apart from most Axe Throwing venues is the attention to detail, both with their horror movie references and safety precautions. The bar is adorned with horror movie props, which makes for a fun game of Eye Spy. Added safety precautions are also taken, such as implementing ‘no bounce’ mats around the target, caged-off lanes, and specialty-designed throwing axes (compared to the traditional axe you would use for chopping wood).

Slashers is also the only venue in SoCal to implement big axe throwing, draft beer, and interactive projected targets. Projected targets allow players to choose between different games and different targets to throw at. Although they do have the standard bullseye, they also have classic games like Tic-tac-toe, Battleship, Space Invaders, and many more, all with an axe-throwing twist.

Slashers is open Wednesday-Sunday in Costa Mesa. Tickets are $40 per person for a 1-hour session and $65 per person for a 2-hour session. Reservations are recommended. Walk-ins are based on availability. Reservations can be made at https://www.slashersoc.com/book-now