When James Almond opened Xtreme Arena last fall, he intended it to be a space where groups and families could create their own chaos.

“You remember playing with Nerf guns in your house as a child? Well, this is just like that only on a larger scale,” Almond says. “It’s the first of its kind in Spokane.”

Almond grew up in the Spokane area, attending West Valley High School, followed by two years at Washington State University before joining the military. Having served in the Army for five years, he then went on to attend Eastern Washington University earning his bachelor’s degree in business in 2007.

Almond co-owns the business with his wife, Beatrice, and the two rent the 10,000-square-foot building it occupies at 1521 N. Thierman Road, in Spokane Valley.

He says the building’s owners, Ryan and Craig Clifford, of Clifford Enterprises, were initially hesitant about the business, wondering how successful it would be in such an industrial location, but now stand behind it completely.

“It was really hard to find the right building for this kind of thing, and we’re so glad they took a chance on us,” says Almond.

So far, Almond says he’s invested around $70,000 into starting the business, and all is going well.

“It’s going about as well as we’d anticipated,” he says. “I’d expected a few more walk-ins, but actually we get most of our business from groups and parties.”

The rate to play is $10 per person, per hour in the arena. Xtreme also offers discounts for members of the military, police, and paramedics. Special rates also apply for parties and larger groups.

“We cater to faith-based groups, and those supported by veterans,” says Almond.

About 4,200 square feet in the building is devoted to a dart shooting area, which can accommodate up to 30 people at a time.

“It’s what I would call Nerf on steroids, a mix of paintball obstacles and Nerf guns,” says Almond.

Staff explain rules of conduct, and how to use the Nerf guns prior to allowing groups through into the arena. Children under 5 years old aren’t allowed into the dart arena unless they’re accompanied by an adult.

“We supply everything, including safety equipment, and try to keep things as safe as possible,” Almond says.

Overlooking the dart arena is a DJ booth, from which staff is able to control music and lighting, as well as referee the teams playing. Some games are played with the lights off; for others, colored light displays flash around the darkened room.

“We coordinate games like freeze tag, capture the flag, and more,” says Almond. “If you have an uneven number of people, one of our staff may join in to even things out.”

The facility also offers arcade games, a concession stand, and two party rooms for birthdays. One of the party rooms has a “Wall of Fame” featuring the handprints of birthday kids.

So far, besides Almond and his wife, the business has one other employee.

“We’ll possibly be looking to increase that soon, depending on how well business is going,” says Almond.

Almond says he did a lot of the interior construction himself, with some help from his wife’s family, to have the facility ready for its opening.

A mural along the wall of the dart arena features the Spokane skyline, with Riverfront Park’s clock tower clearly visible.

“That was painted by a friend of ours,” says Almond. “It’s a real conversation piece for everyone who comes in.”

One area of the building that remains unfinished is a loft above the lobby and concession area. Almond says this space eventually may become an adults-only entertainment area.

“It really depends on the demand, but we have had people ask about adult game nights,” he says. “We’re considering serving beer and wine up there, but so far it’s just an idea in the development stages.”

Almond says for some patrons, Xtreme Arena is just a fun distraction. For others, it’s become a larger hobby.

“We do get some regulars who are really into it, bringing their own Nerf guns, and stopping by two or three times a week,” says Almond.

While customers are welcome to bring their own Nerf guns, most use those provided, some of which were designed especially for Xtreme by local company Johnson Arms Props. Owner Brian Johnson makes custom Nerf guns, movie props, and costumes.

“We worked with Johnson Arms on two of our guns, one based on the Halo video games, and one in a simple military style,” says Almond. “It’s not an official partnership, but I wouldn’t go with anyone else, because he really nailed it.”

Overall, Almond says customers also feel the experience of playing at Xtreme is good exercise, allowing for kids to put aside electronics and engage with family for a few hours.

“It burns a lot of energy,” he say. “We always say, if you’re not sweating in 15 minutes, you’re doing something wrong. There’s lots of running, dodging, and squatting to retrieve ammunition.”

While the business is still pretty new, Almond says turning it into a franchise and adding more locations may be part of his future plans.

“We’ve got some ideas we’re kicking around. Everything is new, so we’re still testing how things might work, but we’d like to be as community oriented as possible,” he says.

Xtreme Arena is open Wednesday through Friday 4p.m. to 9 p.m., and weekends 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.