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The Haunted House of Horrors is something new, even after having reviewed more than a dozen approaches to the horror games genre of virtual world of simulators.
Type: Walk-In
Theme: Integrated Horror Sim
Duration: 30-35 minutes
Location: Siringo
Area: 1536 m2
Lag Level: Low
My Horror Rating: Ride: 4/5, Zone: 4/5
In which way it’s new? For me, it’s new, in the sense that it was the first haunted house sim I visited that smartly integrated the buying process into the experience.
Other sims in this vein I visited had capabilities to buy the stunts that make part of them. Still, the way in which the buying process was integrated into the whole simulator in the HHoH, was unique and I dare say, well-executed (pun intended).
The sim has three main sections. A hallowed grounds sector, front lawn, crypt, and house. Take note of the sounds. The sounds of this sim are very unnerving and creepy.
The Graveyard
The graveyard has two tomb stunts that pop a menu when touched. these two involve avatar animations. There’s another stunts initiator in a tree’s trunk. This one spawns environmental stunts. Some of the tomb stunts, for me, were a surprise.
I have visited a handful of dark ride, ghost train and haunted house sims in Second Life, but Amanda Dench, the designer of this sim, seems to me as the only one that has defined her style as a spooks designer.
You’ll see what I mean when you spawn the spooks of the graveyard tombs. The tombs and the tree have 7-8 stunts that animate your avatar, and add environmental stunts and spawn spooks.
The Crypt & The Chapel
The crypt, not much to see, but a great spot to take to take a picture.
The chapel, which by the way is also for sale, is a good pre-fabricated unit to use as the basis for any kind of condemned church sim. Like the one, I reviewed in my last review.
The House
The house is like the rest of the sim, in a concentrated manner. It’s kind of spacious and very nicely designed. I would say that the main theme of this simulator is to sell stunts and spooks, and the haunted house is more of it.
Also, the stunts and spooks inside the house gel seamlessly between themselves and with the ones outside. They might not be related thematically, but still, they give a homogeneous feel.
The house is great at keeping you wanting to see more of it. The nice feel that the interior design gives may be at the cost of using a sparse quantity of objects, but the end result is satisfying.
Be prepared for the crowning diorama, in the attic, it was something I wouldn’t have expected. Something grotesque.
Horror Games or Generic fun?
I would say this type of diversions are more of an amusement than a game. You cannot deny their fun, but since there is not a predefined pattern to defeat, I doubt you can call games virtual world simulators like this one. Still, they are of interest for horror games enthusiast for many reasons.
What do you think? Should horror simulations in the metaverse be lumped along regular horror games? Voice your opinion in the content section below.
© Bholenath Valsan 2021 — Haunted House of Horrors and Halloween – Horror Games
