✓-Free Parking✓-Restrooms/Porta Potties On-Site✓-Handicap Accessible✓-Gift Shop/Souvenirs✓-Optional Games/Midway✓-Special Events✓-“Hi-Tech” Attraction✓-You will NOT be touched✓-Original Characters✓-Indoor Waiting Line✓-All-Indoor Attraction✓-Family Friendly
This attraction was reviewed on October 26, 2018 by .
How Do We Get These Scores?
Our Rating System
UPDATE FOR 2022: Our former “Atmosphere” and “Theme” categories have now been combined and renamed “Immersion.” Our intent with this is to give more appropriate credit to attractions that have shown a clear focus on achieving and maintaining better customer experiences (both inside and outside the attractions) and developing creative storylines.
Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:
10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.
9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.
8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.
6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”
5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”
3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.
1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.
0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.
Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!
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Final Score: 9.51
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 9.85
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 9.78
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 10
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 10
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 9.45
(5% of Final Score) Theme:
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 8.85
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 9
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Summary:
Carnage Haunted House opened up in Columbus, Ohio last season after only three months of build time and still managed to impress us with their offering. This year, though, they really showed us what they were holding up their sleeve and what they could do with a lot more time.
Their sets, actors and the entire haunt have really stepped up this year and become a force to be reckoned with. Theatrical-quality sets and immersive story lines within each scene draw you into an experience that will thrill even seasoned haunt goers. Carnage is letting the world know that they are here to keep their patrons entertained from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave.
Cast: 9.85
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 10
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 10
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 10
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 9
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 10
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The cast at Carnage is absolutely insane. The staffing problem we have seen at most of the haunts we visited this year doesn’t seem to be affecting them at all. There were no noticeable gaps between actors, other than maybe in the dark maze. Their over-the-top performances and unique dialogue really knocked us off our feet, and we had a little trouble picking favorites.
We would like to give a big shout-out to Mia Vitale Riedmiller and Aneaj Bokor for their performances as the rule reader and scene setter, respectively. Those roles require a lot of banter and improvisation that you really have to know your character for, and they nailed it. These ladies are so personable and enthralling in their roles, we kinda just wanted to hang out with them.
Costuming: 9.78
How Did We Get This Score?
Costuming Scores (15% of Final Score):
(15% of Costuming Score) How complete / finished did the costumes appear to be?: 10
(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 10
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 10
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 8.5
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 10
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Carnage’s wardrobe department is filled with an extensive collection of handmade costumes and you won’t find any Halloween store products on their people. The distressing is realistic with no obvious scissor cuts or bright red paint on them.
They don’t favor masks at Carnage, but the ones we saw were appropriate for their scenes, fit the actor well and allowed for clear dialogue. Their makeups are excellently-detailed airbrush creations by Morbid FX, which complete the characters without taking your attention away from their full ensemble.
Customer Service: 10
How Did We Get This Score?
Customer Service Scores (10% of Final Score):
(25% of CS Score) How easy was it to locate the attraction, park, and navigate the premises?: 10
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 10
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 10
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 10
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Carnage is located very close to the highway, so there isn’t a bunch of navigating through neighborhoods or dark country roads on your way. GPS will take you right there and there are parking attendants to greet you and guide your party into an available spot. Parking is usually free; however, on very busy nights, you may be directed into the parking lot of the business next door. If that’s the case, there is a $5 parking fee imposed by the owner of that lot. The staff is friendly and passionate and more than happy to help. Carnage is one of the few haunts we visited this season that is wheelchair accessible, with bypasses for their claustrophobia hallway and vortex tunnel.
Atmosphere: 10
How Did We Get This Score?
Atmosphere Scores (10% of Final Score):
(60% of Atmosphere Score) How obvious was it that you were at a haunted house before entering?: 10
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 10
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The first thing you notice when arriving at Carnage is the movie being projected on the front of the building and loud music filling the air. Costumed actors roam the grounds outside and the Ohio Zombie Guard provides some delectable eye candy with their extravagantly-decorated vehicles. There’s no mistaking that you’re at a haunted house and you’re in for one Hell of a show.
Special Effects: 9.45
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 9.5
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 10
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 9
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 9
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 10
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Carnage does not skimp on the eye candy, and every scene has incredible details that they really want their patrons to absorb. Hidden in each room is an “Easter egg” from a famous movie, which you’re encouraged to find. Beyond that, though, the level of detail in each scene well exceeded our expectations and the unique scenes and scare effects are some of the most well executed we have seen this year.
Theme: N/A
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?:
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?:
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?:
This score is left “N/A” when we believe the haunt is trying to target a random variety of themes or phobias, rather than a single overarching “Theme” or “storyline.”
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This haunt does not use a specific theme.
Scare Factor: 8.85
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 8.5
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 10
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 9
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 8.5
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 8.5
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The actors at Carnage are very well trained, and aren’t content just to go after the weakest link in the group. As you make your way through the scenes, the actors hit multiple targets and make EVERYONE a target at some point. Your height and girth won’t protect you from the evils that lie within the walls of Carnage Haunted House.
Be prepared to jump as scares come from out of nowhere and from the last places you would ever expect. While a lot of them are the standard startle scares, the actors at Carnage did well at extending their skills into a variety of scaring methods. The ending at Carnage is a tricky one, and there are technically two endings. We won’t spoil them for you. Just be warned that when you think that you are finally safe’ you probably aren’t.
Entertainment & Value: 9
How Did We Get This Score?
Entertainment & Value Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment received during the main attraction/s?: 10
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 9
(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 8
(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 9
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You definitely get what you pay for, and then some, at Carnage. Their $20 General Admission ticket price is pretty standard fare for high-caliber haunted houses, but few provide as much entertainment as Carnage does.
While you are waiting to enter, you are treated to a movie and music. If you find yourself getting hungry, you can grab a bite to eat from the ‘Stab and Grab’ gore-mey eatery, such as The Meat Grinder or Meatball Massacre. The incredibly-detailed vehicles from the Ohio Zombie Guard are on scene to provide some extra eye-candy and photo opportunities, as well as a zombie brain game to help pass the time.
All of this and a 25-minute walk-through time gives Carnage a MPD rating (minutes of entertainment per dollar spent) of 1.25 and makes their ticket price a great, above average value. You can even get a fast pass for $7 more, which is still a pretty good bargain, all things considered.
How Did We Get These Scores
Our Rating System
Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:
10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.
9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.
8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.
6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”
5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”
3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.
1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.
0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.
Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!
