Wake me up once September ends because that means it is the start of the spookiest month of the year.
Per my annual tradition, I visited Universal Studios Singapore’s (USS) Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) event to get my yearly dose of scares and screams.
This year, Halloween Horror Nights 13 (HHN13) will be held from Sept 26 to Nov 1 and guests can look forward to four haunted houses, two scare zones and two live shows. Out of the four haunted houses, three are based off popular shows and books.
Tickets cost $68 for non-peak nights and $78 for peak nights. Prices are much more affordable compared to last year, when tickets were $80 for non-peak nights and $90 for peak nights.
But does this mean that the quality of the experience has dropped? I let my fear and screams be the judge of that.
Scare zones
The FEARground
Last year, I wasn’t very impressed with the New York area’s scare zone, Nether-land, as it felt more like a rave and didn’t send chills down my spine.
It feels like USS read my mind because for HHN13, they ramped up the fear factor by transforming New York into The FEARground, a fairground that had been left to decay.
The decor, which featured elements like a horror game show stage and a whack-a-human booth, was already pretty terrifying.
But what really brought the place to life (or death) were the scare actors, who were dressed as freakish, sinister carnival performers.
There was a jester whose face had been split into two, a human-sized jack-in-a-box and plenty of demonic clowns.
The character that scared me the most was Chatterbox Charlie, a ventriloquist. He didn’t scream or talk like his other carnival counterparts and would simply just stare into your soul while stroking his doll.
Scream meter: 4.5/5
The Realm of Yokai
This scare zone was inspired by Japanese folklore concept Hyakki Yogyo, which is also known as the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. During this eerie parade, thousands of supernatural creatures join a nightly procession through the streets, and witnessing it is considered a dangerous omen that can bring misfortune.
I’ve always found Japanese ghosts frightening so I had high expectations for this scare zone.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t as spooky as I had anticipated it to be and I found the ghouls and entities more amusing than scary.
However, I was pretty impressed by the costume designs, which were pretty accurate to what you would see in Japanese folklore.
Scream meter: 2/5
Haunted Houses
Stranger Things
The Stranger Things house is arguably one of the more highly anticipated haunted houses of HHN13, especially since the show’s final season will be released on Nov 26.
I too was extremely excited for this haunted house and even re-watched the entire series before going for the event just so that I could better immerse myself in the experience.
This house combines elements from seasons two, three and four of Stranger Things, so I could only imagine how challenging it must have been to try and pack as much as possible into a single haunted house while still keeping it coherent.
And while not all my favourite scenes were featured, I still think the USS team did a fantastic job in bringing Stranger Things to life.
I also wasn’t expecting this haunted house to be as terrifying as the others because I’ve never found the series to be scary, but it turned out to be pretty frightening and even elicited a few screams from me.
Scream meter: 3/5
Death Whisperer
There’s always been something about Thai horror movies that I find especially unsettling, so I was pretty nervous about visiting the Death Whisperer haunted house.
For context, this house was inspired by the popular horror film franchise that ranks among Thailand’s highest-grossing films, and the story tells the tale of a vengeful spirit in search of a new host.
I’ve never watched the movie before but even without much context, I found this haunted house unnerving.
The house is set in rural Kanchanaburi, Thailand, in 1972, and did an impressive job of recreating that atmosphere, which made the experience feel all the more terrifying.
I also love how the forest room featured two parts — stairs leading up tree canopy top as well as flat ground, which was also done with wheelchair users in mind. It’s the first-ever Singapore HHN haunted house to have a room with two levels and I quite liked the concept.
Scream meter: 4/5
The Unruly Immortals
This haunted house is USS’s first collaboration with a Chinese novel intellectual property and was inspired by the hit online Chinese novel The Unruly Immortals, which amassed more than 11.3 million subscribers across Chinese culture and entertainment group Yuewen’s online literature platforms.
It tells the tale of high school student Li Huowang, a mentally unwell high schooler who enters an uncanny world when he closes his eyes.
Similar to Death Whisperer, I was unfamiliar with the storyline and did not know what to expect.
And despite still feeling a little confused about the plot even after going through the haunted house, the decor and theatrics left me pretty shaken.
Scream meter: 3.5/5
Singapore’s Most Haunted: Build To Horror
What is an HHN event without a local-themed haunted house?
This year it will be Singapore’s Most Haunted: Build To Horror, which was first introduced in last year’s edition of HHN and is inspired by something all Singaporeans are familiar with — build-to-order (BTO) flats.
The story revolves around unsuspecting residents living on a burial ground for unclaimed bodies and an entity called Demon Sinseh who possesses them through his dark rituals.
Local and Asian haunted houses always hit home harder for me because these are more relatable, so I was pretty nervous about visiting this house.
While it turned out less scary than I had anticipated it to be, I really enjoyed it and appreciated all the small details that made it feel more local, such as the smells coming from the provision shops, the HDB lift, as well as the wellness check poster on the wall.
Scream meter: 3/5
Live shows
Dare or Die Live!
Located at the end of the The FEARground is the Dare or Die Live! stage, which is a horror gameshow shown at several timeslots throughout the HHN13 event.
It was an exhilarating show packed full of high-energy dances, stunts and humour. There’s also a segment where the cast interact with the audience and pull some of them onto the stage.
So, if you want a few minutes of fame and a brush with death, you can volunteer yourself.
Scream meter: 2/5
Once Upon a Time…To Die
I always look forward to the shows at Pantages Hollywood Theatre so I was really excited for Once Upon a Time…To Die, which features Mr Rabid, a mutilated master of time who is fast approaching his end.
And I was not left disappointed. The show kept me gripped to the very end, and I love how some performers made surprise entrances from unexpected parts of the theatre. I won’t spoil it for you, but guests should definitely keep their eyes peeled.
Scream meter: 3/5
Fuel for the fearful
Hungry from all the screaming and jump scares? Guests can grab a bite from some of the many food options available during HHN13.
I had dinner at Loui’s NY Pizza and tried the Ghoulish Charcoal Pizza, which was designed for the Realm of Yokai scare zone.
Frankly, upon first glance, it didn’t seem very appetising because the pizza had been dyed black and was covered in edible creepy crawlies. But looks can be deceiving and this pizza turned out to be delicious, so much so that I finished the entire thing and licked my plate clean.
I also tried a bag of Spooky Seaweed Ribbon Fries that came in a bag that looked like a Chinese talisman. This was extremely addictive and I polished off the entire lot.
Apart from the restaurants, guests can visit Blumhouse Bar by Blumhouse, which brought films like M3gan and The Purge to life.
Here, I sampled bites like The Baloon Croquettes, The Butchered Ribs and Pinkish 2.0 Hummus. I also watched the M3gans perform their viral dance routine and they even stared me down while I ate.
Final thoughts
Out of all the Halloween Horror Night events I’ve attended post-Covid-19, HHN13 is my favourite thus far and there was not a single part of it that I didn’t enjoy.
So despite the drop in ticket prices, I see no drop in quality.
Even though some haunted houses and scare zones were not as scary as I had anticipated them to be — such as Singapore’s Most Haunted: Build To Horror and The Realm of Yokai — it gave me the opportunity to properly enjoy all the little details.
If I had to pick a favourite haunted house, it would be Stranger Things. As a fan of the series, I really enjoyed it and appreciated all the effort put into making it as true to the show as possible.
As for the scare zones, I must applaud The FEARground concept. I can foresee myself having nightmares about Chatterbox Charlie for the next few nights.
Get your tickets here if you dare
Going in a group? There’s the Frights for Four bundle deal of four tickets. This comes with perks including early entry to the park and guests will have access to rides from 4pm. Tickets cost $480 for a group of four.
Another option is the Halloween Horror Nights RIP Tour, which is a guided VIP experience that lets guests skip the queues at the haunted houses and rides. Additionally, they can enjoy special experiences including a private meet and greet with select HHN13 characters. Tickets cost $260 for one pax.
Want to skip the long queues? Get the Halloween Horror Nights Express Pass, which allows guests to skip the regular lines one time at all haunted houses. There’s also the Halloween Horror Nights Express Plus Pass that allows guests to skip the regular lines one time at all haunted houses, as well as participating rides and attractions.
Guests who have purchased the newly launched USS Season Pass can also enjoy exclusive discounts on select HHN13 tickets. Do note that HHN13 tickets must be purchased separately.
Tickets for HHN13 can be purchased on RWS Sentosa’s website and through its official ticketing partner Klook.
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melissateo@asiaone.com
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