Jump scares aside, long wait times and missed haunted houses can also be a frightful thought.
As I’ll soon find out, this can be especially true at Halloween Horror Nights (HHN), the popular scare fest by Universal Studios Singapore (USS) making its 14th run this year from Sept 25 to Nov 1.
I headed to HHN14 ahead of its opening for a full preview of what’s in store: four haunted houses, three live shows, two scare zones and roaming acts.
As someone who hasn’t been to HHN for many years, my first impressions are positive. The production quality has not only improved, but has also kept up with the times in terms of creative ideas — an AI-themed haunted house is case in point.
This may be why, even with 14 editions and counting, HHN still remains a highlight of the Halloween season in Singapore.
What deserves special mention is a clear dedication to satisfying both thrill seekers and those looking for a less frightening experience. So if you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy full-on horror, there’s still plenty for you to do.
A thoughtful addition this year is the Kia Si Amulet, Singapore’s version of the no-scare lanyard charms from HHN at Universal Orlando, which functions the same way.
Wear one, turn it on, and the scare actors will not actively target you. However, this only works at the outdoor scare zones and not inside the haunted houses. Each amulet costs $18 and can be purchased at the Universal Studios Store near the entrance of the attraction.
How to navigate HHN14
While there’s no best way to enjoy HHN14, here’s how I would recommend approaching it to maximise time efficiency and enjoyment.
The Scaremony at the entrance of Hollywood zone is the de facto starting point. After a two-year hiatus, the opening ceremony event of HHN is back, and it should not be missed since it is only done once at the start of each night.
It offers a glimpse of all the attractions and main characters to come, tying them together in a cohesive narrative.
As the story goes, four live streamers break into a disused warehouse to film content for their audiences, only to end up meeting a horrible end.
Once the show ends, expect a rush to the haunted houses. Most will head right towards the New York zone where two haunted houses — Made in Hell: XL Robotics and Singapore’s Most Haunted: On Air — reside.
Rather than joining the masses, head left instead towards Minion Land. There is no Halloween programming here, nor is there one at the next zone, Far Far Away.
The goal instead is to make a beeline for the highlight haunted house of HHN14, Karang Guni: The Cursed Collection, located at the far edge of The Lost World zone, while most people are busy queuing for the other ones.
While I was unsure at first at how the idea of a rag-and-bone man can be scary, this haunted house has changed my mind.
As you enter the shophouse where he keeps his cursed collections, things become increasingly haunting as junkpiles and cabinets of dolls, curios and limbs give way to scenes of ghastly rituals.
The several karang guni characters you will bump into as you make your way through the haunted house also become more and more deformed and inhuman, making them disturbing to look at.
Once done, head straight into the neighbouring zone, Ancient Egypt, to experience the scare zone Necropolis: The Serpent’s Crossroads.
More impressive than scary, this scare zone is great for snaps with its cast of Egyptian mythology-inspired monsters, including some oversized ones and others prowling about on stilts.
While the zone is not inherently scary, remember to put on a Kia Si Amulet if you’d rather the cast not attempt a jump scare at you.
Roaming scare actors — there are two, a karang guni man on a tricycle, and a band of pontianaks known as the Fatimah Rockers — that can appear anywhere will be warded off too.
Going through the Necropolis area leads you straight to the next haunted house, Chatterbox Charlie’s Vaudeville Horrors.
If you find clowns and puppets scary, this is the one to look out for. Or avoid completely, if you think the theme is too much to handle — because it gets intense inside.
I like how the scares begin before you enter the haunted house proper, thanks to a scare actor positioned strategically at a blind spot as you turn a corner to head inside.
This house leans towards psychological horror the most, I find, as the many humanoid figures and puppets left lying on the floor or hanging overhead leaves you unsettled and in a state of paranoia.
If you manage to escape the clutches of Chatterbox Charlie, it’s then time to head to the New York zone, where all the remaining things to do are located.
What will capture your attention first is The Raveyard scare zone. The undead-themed party zone is high-energy, and even the scare actors here reflect that by breaking out into dance moves.
The Raveyard is also where Nail the Beat takes place thrice a night on stage. Part dance performance, part interactive live show, it is highly entertaining and fun to watch.
HamiKuma, an undead teddy bear character from HHN at Universal Studios Japan, makes its Singapore debut as part of the performance, engaging in a dance battle with Ponti-Ana, an equally scary-cute character being introduced by USS.
I can easily watch this live show multiple times, but the two remaining haunted houses beckon.
Of the two, XL Robotics is the less scary one, and from cursory responses I’ve garnered on the day, probably the least scary haunted house of HHN14. On the other hand, On Air is rated the most scary among those I asked.
To know more, I gave my thoughts on these two haunted houses in an earlier preview.
Either haunted house is fine to go first since they are located so near each other. And if the queues seem too long, The Raveyard continues to offer entertainment in the form of graveyard-themed photo booths and scare actors who are more than game to interact with you.
The stage where The Scaremony took place will have turned into a rotating meet-and-greet spot with HHN14’s cast of scary characters too. And since it is located near the New York zone, it makes for a great spot for phototaking if there is time to kill while waiting for a show to start.
A must-do at the end of the HHN experience is this year’s signature stage show, Club PanDEMONium at the Pantages Hollywood Theatre. While there are showings thrice a night, it’s great to leave this for last, as it offers an air-conditioned end to the sweaty evening.
Here, main character Khaos, who runs hell’s hottest nightclub, tempts you to wallow in sin by giving airtime to each of the seven deadly sins — pride, greed, lust, gluttony, sloth, envy and wrath.
I particularly enjoyed the greed and envy segments, as both had an element of audience interaction that made it hilarious.
During the envy act for instance, a Corpse Bride-inspired dance number turns into a wedding, with one of the undead brides ‘marrying’ a random member of the audience on stage.
The show ends on wrath, a finale act with performers giving their goodbyes to the audience, offering a fitting farewell to HHN14 as well.
Standard non-peak period tickets to HHN14 are priced at $68 while peak period tickets are priced at $78. Frequency and timing for Nail the Beat and Club PanDEMONium live shows are subject to changes.
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