6 Tips We Warned You Before Experiencing Hauntu

So you’ve decided to experience Hauntu, or maybe you’re on the fence about it, wondering whether or not to take the plunge. You may be wondering what one can expect. Will there be blood? Is it really dark? How interactive is interactive exactly? Without giving too much away and potentially ruining the experience by setting expectations, here are 6 tips before experiencing Hauntu for everyone that will ensure you get the most fun out of your time with us.

1. Drop your expectations and surrender to the experience

Do not expect this to be an escape game like Breakout or a normal, conventional haunted house. There is a storyline, it is scary and yes, it is also a game. The best thing you can do is to let go of expectations and surrender to the experience. Enjoy the adrenaline rush of not knowing what’s next and go with it. 

We promise you that your experience will be hell a lot more fun if you let yourself be absorbed in the experience and interact with the actors in a way that is conducive to the story.

And what do we mean by interacting in a way that is conducive to the story? 

We mean asking relevant questions about the character guiding you or what you should do next and leaving out personal and useless questions directed at the actors or about the set. 

For example, asking an actor why they chose this job or what their names are in real life, asking them questions about how the props are made etc. are not only ruins the atmosphere for your fellow players, it also makes it difficult for the actors to stay in character.  

So please, try not to be that one disinterested person laughing at everything being not real and trying to point out the illusion ALL THE TIME. We all know that bravado is a known coping mechanism for fear anyway, so at the end of the day you are only drawing attention to you being shit scared while putting a damper on the experience for the rest. 

Our top tip really cannot be stressed enough – surrender to the experience, engage, don’t fight the fright, and let yourself be transported to a completely different world for the hour and a half that you have at HAUNTU. 

2. Pay attention

We understand – there is a lot to take in. Not only is your heart rate going crazy, you don’t really know what is expected of you next and there is so much to take in around you. 

Some people do not seem to realise that they are actually the centre of the show and that there are multiple endings depending on the way you interact and the choices you make. So listen for hints that the actors might be alluding to, read the materials you are handed, observe your surroundings and try to piece things together. Active engagement is key.  

Also, we did not incorporate interactive theatre for you to just be a spectator. Our actors are really brilliant at what they do and they are masters of improv. They are there to guide you through the experience, so if you are in doubt of what you need to do next, ask questions.

3. Please respect the rules

It goes without saying that you should obey the rules set out in the video reel you will watch beforehand that outlines the dos and don’ts while experiencing HAUNTU. 

It is really important that you do so in order to ensure the safety of yourself, your fellow players and also our actors. Behaving recklessly could very well end up causing accidental mishaps. As cool as the setting is, it is not a playground so please treat it with respect. 

Know that you won’t be achieving anything except the scorn of the actors and the operator if you behave in a way that is inappropriate, dangerous, rude or just downright disrespectful. Again, don’t be THAT person. 

4. Only go with sporting people

Choose your friends wisely.

Even if you might be put in a group with strangers if you’re a small group, if everyone adhered to this rule, we would have no complaints about any of our players. 

Go with people who you know will not be criticising everything the entire time as if they are professional haunted house critics (even if this is their first time in one). 

Also, it might not be the best idea to invite that one friend who is terrified of everything. You really don’t want to spend most of your time cajoling them to continue on. Unfortunately, you will not be refunded if you decide that you are too terrified to continue, which is why it’s also best to leave young children at home.

We have also had the unfortunate job of cleaning up after players before. Let’s just say their lunch ended up on the floor and they probably should also have emptied their bladder beforehand. But don’t let this put you off. Such incidences are extremely rare and 99.9% of our players make it through incident free and have a great time to boot.

So pick a group of people you know will enjoy it as much as yourself to go with and you will not be disappointed. You will have a lot more fun with people who are willing to engage and are just as willing as you are to surrender to the experience. 

5. Dress Comfortably

Practical advice, but good advice anyway. 

There will be crawling and some climbing, not to mention pushing and shoving (by your overexcited friends of course). 

So please dress in a way that is comfortable. We recommend trousers for both ladies and gents and comfortable shoes like sneakers or flats. 

This is not a time to dress to impress. Save that for another day. 

6. Pre-book your session and make a day out of it

Like all good things in life, sharing in the experience will make it that much more special and memorable. So make a day out of it and pre-book a session in advance online. 

We recommend pre booking in advance so you won’t be disappointed by showing up as a small group and getting turned away. 

Also, if you plan ahead, you could even get a group large enough to pre-book a private session all to yourselves! 

Of course you can show up at HAUNTU, alone, on a wednesday afternoon. That’s fine too. Our recommendation though, is that coming as a group of friends will be more fun and memorable for everyone. 

Thank you for visiting our website! We look forward to hosting you and your friends at HAUNTU. Be prepared to be scared, be prepared to laugh, but most importantly, be prepared for a truly unique and fun experience. See you soon! 

Contributor: Jia Ling