HHN 31: Spirits of the Coven

[SeventyOne]

Went tonight, had more actors than I've ever seen working in this house before which is a good change. It definitely has improved with intensity on the front half (shoutout to that first password guy, he was really going at it) and the voicelines help, but its still pretty slow and low intensity. Hope we see some big shifts in energy cast-wide.

If anything, the improvements in the front half just drove home further how the back half is empty hallways and repetitive hags.

 

[salismetho]

Lol no we were 915 am. Did you have Zac as guide though?
I love how the houses adapt and change. Have seen 3 people down in line now over 2 weekends. Heat? Dehydration? Even fans circulating air would help.

Ah got it, but yeah Zac was our guide he was fantastic.

I really wish I could love this house because (at least pre-added-lines) it felt like they were so close to something fantastic

 

[HHN Yeti Lover]

After doing this house 5 times, I have to say it’s not good. I’m not bashing scare actors either, it just isn’t executed very well.

 

[Lucky Planet]

After doing this house 5 times, I have to say it’s not good. I’m not bashing scare actors either, it just isn’t executed very well.

if you mean that you did it today, and it still seems so bad, it means none of the "improvements" worked.... .... lol

the houses last year (even with the plastic sheets) were all much much better than this or the jail house or the bug house

 

[shiekra38]

In all my years I've never once said "this house is too long"...but my goodness...

This house just keeps going and is largely empty towards the end

I liked several aspects (the mine cart for instance)...but overall...yeah...bizarre

 

[Jakemeister]

In all my years I've never once said "this house is too long"...but my goodness...

This house just keeps going and is largely empty towards the end

I liked several aspects (the mine cart for instance)...but overall...yeah...bizarre

I've never thought that either, and I've been through a lot of haunted houses at multiple events. I think it felt so long because it was so dang empty.

 

[Lucky Planet]

In all my years I've never once said "this house is too long"...but my goodness...

This house just keeps going and is largely empty towards the end

I liked several aspects (the mine cart for instance)...but overall...yeah...bizarre

With monstrous scary demon witches and other regular demons, it could have been really cool .
But even then the same concept goes on and on and on lol

 

[Brian G.]

I've never thought that either, and I've been through a lot of haunted houses at multiple events. I think it felt so long because it was so dang empty.

It's especially noticeable since the beginning of the house isn't intense. Seems like it's meant to slow build to the underground but then it just... dies.

 

[Returning-The-Reaction]

I haven't seen anyone make the connection, but am I the only one who gets some Suspiria vibes from this house? Something in here feels a bit inspired by the film to me... maybe the lighting and sound in the latter half of the house? I wish they leaned harder into that lane.

 

[shiekra38]

I haven't seen anyone make the connection, but am I the only one who gets some Suspiria vibes from this house? Something in here feels a bit inspired by the film to me... maybe the lighting and sound in the latter half of the house? I wish they leaned harder into that lane.

That's one of my favorite horror films of all time and I can't say that I get those vibes..specifically the more psychedelic aspects

It feels more AHS adjacent, if anything, to me

 

[Speed]

Honestly the most enjoyable part of this house for me is seeing if the mine cart is going to make it all the way down the track that day or just stop half way through

 

[Shinigami]

With monstrous scary demon witches and other regular demons, it could have been really cool .
But even then the same concept goes on and on and on lol

I feel like they needed more variety when it came to the witches as well as better scare opportunities. There is no real sense of danger and unease in the house due to how its build which is kinda sad since it has such a promising story

 

[UniversalRBLX]

There are several sections of the house I thought could use "Monsters-style" boo holes where they can scare you twice as you turn the corner.

 

[orlandoiloveyou]

I went last weekend and I enjoyed the event as a whole. I feel like the length of this house is a big plus but I see so many opportunities for the back half to become a scarecrow style assault. I don’t mind repetitive costuming or scenes but they really could have made this a sensory overload, especially with how dark the rooms were.

I would love for a normal Witch concept house. House in the woods/ catacombs of witches and victims. Possessed farmers. Animal human hybrid familiars. Just some straight forward pagan fun. The traditions one last year came close but was a little too whimsical. Something like Scarecrow or Tomb of the ancients. Just adrenaline and claustrophobia.

 

[Darko]

When I redid this house, I liked it a bit more. Still my least favorite house this year, but it was better after I knew what to expect. Kind of enjoyed how low key it is compared to other, super loud, constantly intense houses. Still can’t help but feel a lot of it is a bit of a missed opportunity though.

The first half has some cool sets though nothing impressive. The second half should have went crazier though. The progression wasn’t very organic. It was basically first half is young beautiful witches and speakeasy. Second half is old hags and cellars.

Again, loved the concept, and the first half is decent but if they were going to go with that second half as they did, I wish they would have at least went crazier then.

 

[GA-MBIT]

Closing cast last night went really hard. It actually got me a few times because everyone from start to finish was giving it their all. Piano guy was crawling over the whole grand piano, witches were making huge sweeping motions into the conga with their pickaxes and bottles, flappers were really utilizing the sounds of their fans opening for shock factor as they came out. I think the house is overall poorly designed, but something has definitely happened morale or direction wise that led to my group going twice in a row. It was really great! Props to the cast!

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Closing cast last night went really hard. It actually got me a few times because everyone from start to finish was giving it their all. Piano guy was crawling over the whole grand piano, witches were making huge sweeping motions into the conga with their pickaxes and bottles, flappers were really utilizing the sounds of their fans opening for shock factor as they came out. I think the house is overall poorly designed, but something has definitely happened morale or direction wise that led to my group going twice in a row. It was really great! Props to the cast!

Yeah I blame the house design not the concept itself. Really wanted to like this house.

 

[Brian G.]

Closing cast last night went really hard. It actually got me a few times because everyone from start to finish was giving it their all. Piano guy was crawling over the whole grand piano, witches were making huge sweeping motions into the conga with their pickaxes and bottles, flappers were really utilizing the sounds of their fans opening for shock factor as they came out. I think the house is overall poorly designed, but something has definitely happened morale or direction wise that led to my group going twice in a row. It was really great! Props to the cast!

I'm gonna give it one more go. I truly wanted to like the house but it just never hit.

 

[Casper Gutman]

I'm gonna give it one more go. I truly wanted to like the house but it just never hit.

It's incredibly disappointing. The concept is great with so many fun places to go with it - gangsters, jazz bands, secret passages, untouchable G-men, corrupt cops, non-stop parties, dancing flappers, wanton debauchery - and it doesn't explore any of them, just sort of lying their listlessly. This is the roaring 20s! Roar, darn it!

I REALLY hope the failure of this house doesn't deter Universal from creating more historically-themed house. This maze didn't fail because of the theme, it failed because it didn't come close to realizing that theme's potential.

 

[Lucky Planet]

It's incredibly disappointing. The concept is great with so many fun places to go with it - gangsters, jazz bands, secret passages, untouchable G-men, corrupt cops, non-stop parties, dancing flappers, wanton debauchery - and it doesn't explore any of them, just sort of lying their listlessly. This is the roaring 20s! Roar, darn it!

And your post made me think.
It's not fully realized as a 20s debauchery house, and it is not fully realized as a witch house.
Because you wanted more 20s gangster content,
And I went fully expecting really crazy wild witch stuff. I expected more traditional witches stuff. I expected to see demons or something. More magic spells, more special effects.
I expected them to do mirror tricks and flying actors. Witch stuff. .... Sacrifices, or more wizard stuff,

The house doesn't deliver on either one. It fails on both fronts. I was disappointed in how little magic stuff there is
And I didn't even realize your point, it also fails as a 20s nightclub house.