HHN 32: Most Anticipated House

[Tyr12]

I've got the highest hopes for Darkest Deal. It seems such an unlikely concept from a marketing perspective that I'm assuming it had to be a  really great design to get greenlit.

 

[Clive]

I've got the highest hopes for Darkest Deal. It seems such an unlikely concept from a marketing perspective that I'm assuming it had to be a  really great design to get greenlit.

I’ll say my interest went way up when the design for the collector was revealed at the boutique.

 

[Tobias]

I’ll say my interest went way up when the design for the collector was revealed at the boutique.

Considering The Darkest Deal is my #2, it already had my interest. A slight concern I had was the how the Collector was going to look, since designs of the Devil/Demon can always vary and in some cases can be quite bland and boring. But seeing that art of the Collector? Yeah, it's firmly staying up there as that is a killer look for him. Gimmie a hot demon over the usual pair of small horns and a goatee on some dude any day.

 

[sjago13]

My list has been shifting so much as we get drips of info and background via the podcasts.

Darkest Deal - I just feel in my bones that this house will be something special. Plus so much they can do with the location and music.

Universal Monsters - Always finds a way to be a great house and this setting has me excited. Haven't been let down yet but them.

Last of Us - love the game and love this is based on the game. Seeds was an all time for me and I know they can pull this off.

Dueling Dragons - super excited for this but just feel like this could be the house that people build up in their head and then get disappointed by. Cautiously optimistic about this house but just can't shake the feeling that it will either come off as silly or lack the required scale to be great.

Oddfellow - really love him and his incorporation into the event this year, just curious what exactly the inside of this house will be like.

Bloodmoon - initially has this as my 10 because to me it just screamed Roanoke 2.0 but the podcast and whispers have been steadily increasing my anticipation.

Chucky - higher because of the original/self-aware nature of the house.

Yeti - loved it in slaughter sinema, was fine at 29 being very timing dependent, and have the same, it will be fine feeling. Hopefully they lean into the campy aspect because I think I would enjoy it more as a comedy house.

Stranger Things - enjoy the show but not super attached, 1 was good, 2 was terrible, but fully expect this one to be the best of the 3. Just lower due to how solid this year appears. This was originally 6 for me and has slid down as other stuff has excited me more.

Exorcist - one of the few that really liked the house from 26. Mainly bottom due to lack of context for the first 2/3rds of the event.

 

[johnathanm]

Super tough year for rankings. 1-8 nearly interchangeable.

1. The Last of Us - I expect I could be let down here, but I can’t help but have this #1. Loved the game and the show, and think this could be great tonally, scenically, and may be damn scary.

2. Monsters: Unmasked - 3/3 with the monsters houses thus far. I like the unique monsters featured here and have always wanted to see Catacombs at HHN (started going in 23 so missed the original house a couple years prior).

3. Dr. Oddfellow - Love classic circus visuals. Add in HHN lore and I’m sold.

4. The Darkest Deal - loved the collector poster art. Interested to see a new take on this setting/geography and think the tighter nature of tent layout may make this one surprisingly scary.

5. Blood Moon: Dark Offerings - very curious about this one. I suspect there is something more to this house than the description suggests. Perhaps cool creature feature towards the end if we’re lucky, and I think this could be large scenically. Enjoyed the tone of the VVitch so I hope this is reminiscent of that film. Hoping the Roanoke parallels are just at face value.

6. Yeti: Campground Kills: think this a guaranteed solid house. Probably will end up around this #6 ranking if some of the ones above are as underestimated as I expect.

7. Dueling Dragons - mostly lower than many fans have this because I prefer a darker tone than the storyline suggests. That said, I think this will be scenically and technically astonishing. Will be interested to see if this is scarier than I expect.

8. Stranger Things - very excited to see some of the iconic scenes here. Just worried about execution of some of the larger scenes, particularly after the previous house sort of flopped. Creel house could be an all-time facade and soundtrack should be killer.

9. Exorcist: Believer - don’t know what to expect here obviously. Just curious more than anything. Hope we see some iconography from the original. Hearing the theme is an automatic win.

10. Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count - I think this could be fun, but haven’t had the chance to see the show. Hoping the meta take makes this unique. The scenic in this location last year was very weak in my opinion. I know that doesn’t necessarily mean this will be the same, just not expecting much set or scare wise here.

 

[GA-MBIT]

1. The Last of Us
2. Stranger Things 4
3. Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate
4. Yeti: Campground Kills
5. Universal Monsters: Unmasked
6. Dr. Oddfellow: Twisted Origins
7. Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count
8. The Darkest Deal
9. Blood Moon: Dark Offering
10. The Exorcist: Believer

1. Shipyard 32
2. Jungle of Doom
3. Vamp '69
4. Dark Zodiac
5. Dr. Oddfellow

 

[johnathanm]

1. The Last of Us
2. Stranger Things 4
3. Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate
4. Yeti: Campground Kills
5. Universal Monsters: Unmasked
6. Dr. Oddfellow: Twisted Origins
7. Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count
8. The Darkest Deal
9. Blood Moon: Dark Offering
10. The Exorcist: Believer

1. Shipyard 32
2. Jungle of Doom
3. Vamp '69
4. Dark Zodiac
5. Dr. Oddfellow

Nice to see Shipyard so high for a change. I feel like it will go down as criminally underrated.

 

[Kichkinet85]

my updated hype list

1. The Last of Us- Love the game and think this house has lots of potential and can be very scary. The clickers can be super scary themselves if done right and the scenes can be amazing.
2. Universal Monsters: Unmasked- All the Monster houses have been amazing. The monsters this year are some if my favorites. Phantom is one of my favorites. Loved the Hunchback room from 29. I’m very interested in seeing how they pull off Invisible Man. Dr. Jykell/Mr. Hyde could have some pretty cool scenes.
3. Dr. Oddfellow- He is part of HHN lore and I find all of his lore interesting. The Discover Universal Podcast just made me more hyped.
4. YETI- Loved all the yeti house they have done. As someone who has been camping a lot and know Bigfoot well, this is a house for me.
5. Bloodmoon- Don’t really know all what to expect but after that podcast it peaks my interest. Hearing the Oddfellow symbol make its appearance makes me more hyped.
6. Darkest Deal- This doesn't sound all that interesting to me. I do have hopes for it though. The collection does look cool and after listening to the podcast and seeing the Oddfellow connections I’m excited.
7. Dueling Dragons- Not very hyped for this. The story is just meh to me. Not really my type of house I think. Maybe it’s bc I don’t remember the ride Q very well. I do however think this house will be visible stunning like DMP was last year.
8. Stranger Things 4- Think this house could be cool but some of the bigger scenes I’m gonna concerned about.
9. Chucky- I’ve see all or most of the Chucky movies and I’ve seen season 1 of the show so I’m familiar with Chuck's lore. I think it’s cool how this is a “Licensed Original”
10. Exorcist- Don’t really know what to expect.

 

[Crypt Keeper]

Updated Hype List:

1. Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate - I am a huge Dueling Dragons/Lost Continent fan, so I'm super pumped to see this. While I do think it won't be very scary, it will definitely be memorable and quite nostalgic. I remember the Dueling Dragons queue vividly, as it was one of my favorite ride queues of all time. It will be great to visit it again in this house!

2. Dr. Oddfellow's Twisted Origins - Seeing the Sprung Tent lit up like a circus tent already has me sold on this. I'm a sucker for HHN lore and I just know this house is full of easter eggs and lore pieces. Also been wanting to experience a clown/circus-themed house (that is not KKFOS lol), so I finally got my chance!

3. The Last of Us - While I haven't played the game, this is an IP I've wanted to see translated into a haunted house experience. I've been interested in the infected and always thought they would be cool characters to see in a haunted house setting. Seeds of Extinction introduced me to the idea of a TLOU house.

4. Universal Monsters: Unmasked - Phantom and Invisible Man are some of my favorite Universal Monsters, so it's exciting to see them get the spotlight finally. Really enjoyed the Phantom scene from the UM house at 29 and I'm hoping that scene makes a return in some form. The facade sounds incredible and the catacombs I'm sure will be claustrophobic and unsettling. PLUS, the 3-way scare has returned and I don't think I'm ready for that lol.

5. Yeti: Campground Kills - Terror of the Yukon was a phenomenal house and I don't know if Campground Kills can top it. I love dark comedy houses, so I'm sure I will enjoy this house just on that factor alone. There's a lot of potential for this house and I'm hoping this goes for more intense scares just like Terror of the Yukon.

6. Stranger Things 4 - I thoroughly enjoyed Season 4 and definitely thought it was much more ripe with content for a house compared to the rest of the seasons. Curious to see how they pull off the Eddie scene and I'm excited to see Vecna in the flesh.

7. The Darkest Deal - The facade and story are great, but I worry this could fall flat. I have a feeling it'll be scary and visually appealing but will be hard to follow story-wise. The Collector looks cool and I'm interested to see if he gets a room similar to Pumpkin Lord's at the end of Wicked Growth.

8. Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count - It's been a long time since Chucky has gotten his own house. I was hoping this would finally be based around the Child's Play trilogy. An original/funhouse take is cool and all, but it doesn't sound all too interesting to me.

9. Bloodmoon: Dark Offerings - Cults are boring to me and while I do love a gore house, I fear this will be so over the top with it, it's genuinely funny and goofy. I know some have said it has scenic elements similar to Dead Man's Pier, but I don't think that would save it for me.

10. The Exorcist: Believer - I will say, the trailer has definitely grown on me. Especially the ending with the flashing images of the girls' faces. Genuinely gave me goosebumps. Glad that they are involving new demons, which I assume will be featured in the house somewhere. Which is the only thing I'm excited to see lol. That and hearing the Exorcist theme.