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It’s that time of year again; Oct is approaching, and with it comes the yearly affair of Halloween Horror Nights. This year is its 14th edition, with 4 original haunted houses (goodbye, Stranger Things), 3 live shows and 2 immersive zones.
As someone who likes all things horror, be it movies or comics, I was jittery while waiting to enter, mostly from excitement but a little from being nervous about what’s to come. But as it turns out, I had a great time. Halloween Horror Nights 14 will run for 18 select nights. Prices start from S$68 for non-peak periods and S$78 for peak periods.
Without spoiling too much fun for you, here’s what you can expect if you choose to have a spooky night out at Universal Studios Singapore (USS) for Halloween Horror Nights 14 (HHN14).
What I experienced at Halloween Horror Nights 14
4 Haunted Houses
Singapore’s Most Haunted: ON AIR
There are 4 original haunted houses for Halloween Horror Nights 14 (HHN14), and the first I chose to enter was Singapore’s Most Haunted: ON AIR. For those who frequent HHN, you’ll be pleased to know that Singapore’s Most Haunted returns for its third year. This time, as the name suggests, it brings you into an abandoned broadcast studio which is still on air despite its desolate appearance. The ghouls trapped within are stuck in a loop, re-enacting Singapore’s darkest legends to feed the TV Ghost, kind of like a residual haunting.
The transition between each section of the house made it feel as though I was entering a completely new house every time, which was an interesting experience. The set transforms along with the different unfortunate souls reliving the end of their lives. My favourite was the last room, surrounded by monitor screens. On top of encountering all the scare actors within the house, having watched Ringu (1998), the screens added to my anxiety. I was afraid a ghost would crawl out of the screens at any time.
Karang Guni: The Cursed Collection
Karang Guni: The Cursed Collection is also a house inspired by a Singaporean heartland icon, the Karang Guni. They are traditional rag-and-bone or scrap dealers who collect unwanted or recyclable items. Unfortunately, the Karang Guni here collected sinister objects instead of the usual trinkets, causing the ill fortune of the objects’ previous owners to fester in him. This cursed both him and his shophouse, turning his shophouse’s collection strange… to say the least.
Walking through the house, I was in awe of the huge display of props in his shophouse, and I thought to myself, “Wow, he really collects everything and anything”. It felt like I was walking through a museum of cursed artefacts and curios, with abandoned dolls, strange antiques and ritual objects all around. There were also toyols (mythical, undead infants), paying even more homage to Southeast Asian folklore.
Fun fact, there are actually 1,125 props within the house. Is it just me, or does horror hit closer when it’s something close to home? In this case, there were Chinese altars and talismans in one section of the house, which definitely spooked me out.
Chatterbox Charlie’s Vaudeville Horrors
The third house I visited was Chatterbox Charlie’s Vaudeville Horrors. You may know the ventriloquist, Chatterbox Charlie, from last year’s immersive zone, The FEARground. Now, he’s not just roaming the streets, but has his very own haunted house. As someone who really likes the aesthetics of vintage circus and theatres, I was stoked to enter this house and take a look around.
Eerie carnival music played even before I entered the house, unsettling me. I liked that Charlie’s uncanny dummy Junior makes repeat appearances throughout the house, as if he’s stalking you. Chatterbox Charlie and Junior look almost identical as well, so I began to wonder if what I was looking at was the master or the puppet.
I found this house to be the most immersive, with flashing carnival lights, macabre props and amazing set designs with optical tricks and distorted spaces. It was disorienting, so I never knew what to expect next and felt like I became one of Chatterbox Charlie’s playthings. Hands down, without a doubt, this is my favourite house in HHN14 because of its more theatrical and grotesque nature.
Made in Hell: XL Robotics
The last house I visited was Made in Hell: XL Robotics. It’s not like the other haunted houses in HHN14; it’s set in a state-of-the-art bioengineering and robotics facility instead. You may be wondering what they do in the facility; well, they harvest human life force for AI. No, not the one you’re thinking of, but Artificial Immortality.
I had high hopes going into this house because the whole man-versus-machine concept is always intriguing to me. Maybe I’m a traditionalist, but this didn’t really spook me as much as the others. With its brightly lit sets and abundance of evil robots, the scares here come from a more futuristic and technological aspect than the usual supernatural.
That said, I appreciated how the house played around with different sensory elements. Some sections of the house filled up with smoke as I walked through, while others had carpeted floors which changed how the space felt.
3 Live Shows
Scaremony
Scaremony is back this year as the opening of HHN14. I liked that the show had a modern twist to it when introducing HHN14. Without many spoilers, basically, a group of live streamers break into a warehouse for clout and to film content. Of course, Murphy’s law strikes and it all goes wrong. They begin finding cursed objects related to this year’s houses, unleashing all hell. The mix of humour was entertaining to me as well, with the streamers using Gen Z slang.
Nail the Beat
Nail the Beat begins as an immersive experience, with electrifying music you can’t help but groove to and dance moves to follow.
After a sudden gush of smoke, HamiKuma graces the stage in all his creepy-cute glory and begins dancing with his Scare Bears troupe.
Unfortunately, all that bass and high-energy movement wakes up the Pontianak — you can see her in the upper half of the image above. After a look at HamiKuma, I guess she felt insecure, because she decided to take heavy inspiration from his creepy-cute appearance and transform into Ponti-Ana, pictured at the bottom of the image above.
After which, the show culminates in an all-out dance battle between HamiKuma and his Scare Bears and Ponti-Ana and the Fatimah Rockers. I really enjoyed the high-energy show and the crew’s amazing dance moves; they created a lively night amidst the undead houses.
Club PanDEMONium
As I mentioned above, I’m a big fan of the old-school theatre aesthetic, so I was waiting all night to be able to watch Club PanDEMONium. It’s hosted by KHAOS, a theatrical demon with a sultry French accent. You’ll be transported to Hell’s hottest cabaret, where he’ll judge you and decide if you should return to your boring mortal existence or be condemned to hell.
The show’s central theme is the 7 deadly sins: wrath, greed, pride, envy, sloth, lust and gluttony. Each of them gets their own showtime, minus, you guessed it, sloth. The experience is interactive, with fan cams involving audience members. Audience members are also invited onto the stage for some of the cardinal sins performances. I particularly liked the Singapore twist on classic cabaret, with gluttony tying into the Hungry Ghost Festival.
2 Immersive Zones
Be sure to take a look at the scare actors in both immersive zones; one is The Raveyard. The other is Necropolis: The Serpent’s Crossroads. The Raveyard has undead party-goers, while Necropolis: The Serpent’s Crossroads has more mystical costuming. The scare actors were friendly — you can even take photos with them; just be mindful not to touch them.
Who is Halloween Horror Nights 14 best for?
Halloween Horror Nights 14 is best for thrill-seekers and groups who enjoy horror, haunted houses and immersive scare experiences. If you enjoy Asian folklore with a horror twist, the themes this year will suit you as well.
How to get to Halloween Horror Nights 14
Halloween Horror Nights 14 is located at Universal Studios Singapore within Resorts World Sentosa. The nearest MRT station to Resorts World Sentosa is Harbourfront (NE1/CC29). Head to Level 3, Lobby L of VivoCity and board the Sentosa Express for S$4. Alight at the Resorts World Station to reach Universal Studios Singapore.
If you want to travel by bus, take bus RWS8 from HarbourFront MRT Exit C. The inbound fare for RWS8 is S$1. Bus 123 also goes directly to Resorts World Sentosa. For both buses, alight at the Resorts World Sentosa B1 Transport Hub bus stop.
If you’re feeling athletic, you can also reach Resorts World Sentosa on foot. Simply alight at HarbourFront (NE1/CC29) MRT station, walk through VivoCity Lobby F on Level 1, and cross the Sentosa Boardwalk. When you reach Resorts World Sentosa, proceed to B1.
Do we recommend Halloween Horror Nights 14?
I recommend Halloween Horror Nights 14 if you’re looking for a fun night out full of scares. I enjoyed myself thoroughly with the intricate set design and lore behind the houses. Plus, you can enjoy more than the haunted houses — there are 2 immersive zones and 3 live shows to watch. It’ll be here for a limited time only, so why not try it out and have fun?
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