After a year off last year we headed back to the absolute staple amongst UK scream parks. A massive thank you to the team at Ed Hopkins for having us down and providing us with entry & fast track. So, let’s get in to the good stuff and discuss the scares on offer alongside all there is to encounter whilst at Shocktoberfest.
Disclaimer – There may be spoilers ahead.
Electric Circus – 3/5
First maze back & it didn’t disappoint. Not a great ordeal has changed since our visit 2 years ago from what I can recall. I’ll forever be thankful for the axing of the 3D glasses from Twisted Clowns. It’s all you can expect from a clown maze. Absurd clowns causing mayhem and popping in & out delivering some fun scares. Of course, for us clowns don’t particularly scare us but this maze just hit right with the jumps & the tactics. As for the theming and length of the maze, it’s just all brilliantly done. It’s not too lengthy and definitely not too short. The theming is cheerful & colourful with some eerie props in corners of the rooms etc. But it was still extremely fun and a nice way to ease us back in.
Haunted Hayride Route 666 – 3.5/5
This is very different to how we left it back in 2022. A rejuvenating fun breather from the chaos elsewhere. There’s a lot more humour and lighthearted atmosphere which has always been the case but a lot more so this year compared to the prior version. Don’t get me wrong there are still spooky sections that include the doll and the couple getting married. It’s such an unusual attraction which alone carries it for sure. The improvements to the special effects were fab as well. I do miss that extra touch of scary from the old version with the chainsaws etc. However, where else in the UK can you find something like this? I cant think of anywhere. It’s absolutely brilliant and so unique for Tulleys.
Coven of 13- 2.5/5
Off to The Witches we go! The setting of this maze always sets the tone and holds that nerve wrecking feeling so effortlessly. It’s unnerving and eerie. However, we have never really had much in terms of scares from this maze over the years. Admittedly, the reduced amount of fog really did help this year as it was still disorienting but not overpowering so it takes away from the fun of the maze. There was a small number of decent jump scares throughout. Always enjoyed the indoor & outdoor aspect of this maze as it keeps it all fresh. It’s not one of the stronger mazes at Tulleys but still fun.
The Creepy Cottage – 1.5/5
I’ve always rated this maze to no end. There is usually a respectable amount of scares throughout. However, I feel we may have clocked it at the wrong time as there were possibly 3 actors throughout the whole maze. We were in a small group of us entered which usually makes the scares more intense. The refresh on the scenery and the sets was a welcome change and that alone made the maze fun. We actually jumped more at the props than the actors in this maze. Perhaps we were just unfortunate and maybe it will change as the season goes on. But in comparison to prior years, this was definitely the weakest it’s ever been. The creepy cottage vibe and theming are absolutely incredible nonetheless. It’s a brilliant place to start if you’re new to this kind of experience.
Doom Town – 5/5
From 2022 to here this has come so far with the scares. The set pieces never fail to blow my mind it is just so epic and real. You genuinely are in this little world known as Doom Town. The attention to detail is unprecedented. This year delivered us with some really fierce scares. The actors were on us consistently throughout we barely got a second to breathe from the scares. Just imagine entering a zombie galaxy with plenty of frights and a trip down memory lane for us 90s kids! This is one of those timeless mazes for sure.
Wasteland Penitentiary – 4/5
Always pleasant to be entering the prison cells again and meeting the absolutely batshit crazy inmates. This was very comparable to the intensity it was in the first year. There were so many scares that weren’t easy to predict admittedly the group size meant most were aimed towards the front or back where we were in the middle but they still managed to get us along the way. That finale is one of the most overwhelming, intense and mind-blowing few minutes you’ll ever encounter. It’s so trippy and so easy to get lost within and the actors I’ll never figure out how they work the room so well in this area but genuinely so exceptional. Upon exiting we entered the show and got a delightful scare from the roaming actors. All in all this maze is gold smaller groups would make it that more drastic but nevertheless it’s a lot & not for the weak!
The Chop Shop Garage – 5/5
Not quite sure anything can quite compare to Chop. It’s revolting, horrendous, terrifying and something that belongs in nightmares. The characters are represented amazingly, the sets are always brilliant! The actors that are in this maze year after year are just unhinged and bonkers! Their energy again is so hard to come by. I’m quite over the whole hillbilly theme until I enter this maze then I’m back in the swing of how grim it actually is. It’s one of those mazes where you genuinely get so lost in the vibe you end up fearing for your life, particularly during the never-ending finale. The lead-up to that point has usually been quite sluggish and not all that much happens HOWEVER that was not the case at all this year! In each room, there was at least one actor waiting for the next group they were there and ready to scare! Our batching group was reasonably big but it didn’t influence the scare level at all they were just on it. That finale is horrid it doesn’t end it just keeps going. There’s a chainsaw in every angle you don’t get a second to think at all you are just trying to flee the consistent reoccurring chainsaws that arise!
The Carving – 3/5
I had quite high expectations for this maze given all the teasers that we’ve seen in the lead-up. I can absolutely see precisely what they had in mind. The fact there are modifications to make the maze more pleasant for the guest experience with the lack of uneven floors and, a little more shelter from the weather. It’s a worthy replacement for the prior maze The Island and definitely delivered more scares in comparison. The theming was so unnerving alone that the constant scarecrows dotted around the maze just had me on edge about whether any was real or not. There were a couple of decent scares throughout although it did feel there were maybe too many people batched through to the number of actors in the maze. It didn’t feel like the run-through was remotely fair on what it had to offer due to the big group sizing again. After all, it’s the first year for this maze and there’s so much potential to be had we all know Tulleys takes their new mazes and evolves them greatly for the next season. I’m intrigued to see how it grows and more notably, did enjoy the vision of this one and the few characters we did encounter. It’s a good replacement for The Island but not quite to the level of love I had for The Wreckoning.
Purgatory 4.5/5
There was very little shared regarding this maze in the build-up to the event. But I can absolutely understand why what a delightful surprise! This maze is very unique and atmospheric. The fact you are batched into small groups and given a lantern as one of the maze sources of light alone sets the tone for the eeriness you are about to encounter. The characters you come across work the room so gracefully and provide some of the more distinguishable types of scares to what you’d usually face in the other mazes. It’s not so hot on the scares it’s a lot more tactical and timed well to the point you get frightened when you least expect it. The layout of this maze allows the actors to move around and pop up suddenly. Absolutely can’t give enough credit to whoever created this absolute gem!
Overall:
Unfortunately, we did run out of time to do a few of the mazes like The Cellar and Hell Elements due to arriving a little later. However, Tulleys Shocktoberfest is absolutely the place to be in October nowhere quite does it the same. Away from the mazes you have endless roaming actors to interact with I feel there was definitely more this year than the last time we visited. There are so many different things to appreciate including some rides and a live band on the two different stages. There’s a whole tavern now and various food & drink outlets. Something I loved was the difference between the fast track and ticketing system. You can go through the mazes an unlimited amount of times as long as you have a wristband and the fast tracks aren’t specific to the mazes so you can choose to skip one to repeat another. If you are heading to any scare event this year this has to be the one. It’s effortlessly the best the UK has to offer and every year it modifies with additional improvements.
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A massive thank you to the team at Ed Hopkins for having us we had the best night! Also, a big shoutout to all the tremendous actors, creative team and staff on the night you are all truly terrific and your creativity is next to no other!
