Crooked Descent Haunted Attraction Review (2024)

Crooked Descent is home to 67 actors in 2024, and every single one of them is bringing the heat with a side of extra spice. There’s not a single actor within these walls that isn’t interacting with every fiber of their being, and that’s one of Crooked’s hallmarks. Every single scene across the two attractions has a minimum of two actors, and in many cases, more than that. To say that there are enough actors is an understatement.

Beginning in the opening scene of Afterworld Asylum, patrons are subject to the level of energy they can expect through the entire haunt. Lots of screaming, yelling, and chaos are present as hostages are directed at gunpoint by masked men, to have a seat and sign your name to a piece of paper, which probably has some really important legal jargon about how the doctor can do whatever they want with you.

In the following scenes, we’re shown the horrors of the experimentation on humans, and the several references from actors about how the doctor needs more babies. One of the most consistent things throughout this show is how loud the actors are in their dialogue. One might think that in a scenario where you are being subjected to untold horrors, screaming is going to be a common thing. This is also one of the few downsides to the interaction, that everybody is screaming, and there isn’t a lot of nuance, taking away from the believability in some cases.

We also see a similar case in Forbidden Family, like the mother who is trying to cook dinner and keep a clean house while her delinquent children scream, and have a tantrum. In the following scene, we enter a child’s bedroom where they have a “puppy” which is clearly just a guy the family found and stuffed into a dog suit. The captive pet screams for help while the kids beg you to stay and play with them. If you tell them no, they will unleash a fury upon you that will surely require earplugs.

In later scenes, we’re shown the horrible things that take place inside this home. Many of the characters are in a state of distress, which explains the screaming and yelling. We see a good dynamic range from an actor who pleads for help that her baby is going to be taken, and in the next room, she’s screaming bloody murder as a masked man uses a reciprocating saw to take said baby from her.

One thing that I noticed is the “victim” characters feel more relatable and believable through their screaming versus the “villain” characters who are psychotic but still screaming, though that’s probably the point. The forced bride-to-be is really selling the idea that she doesn’t want anything to do with whatever is going on, and her pleas for help are well delivered. I suspect that many of the actors in Forbidden Family are returning to roles that they’ve held for a number of seasons, and they have been able to settle into the character to give a more convincing performance.

When Crooked Descent left the Herkimer location, many items such as masks and costumes were lost to mold, including the Momma Misty mask. While this may come as a disappointment to guests who remember the alien-like appearance, I’d argue that the new version of Momma Misty is better. The masculine features of the actor, like the goatee and chest hair, really add a bit of humor to the character, while still focusing on the creep factor.

Some masks remain, and we see about 25% of actors wearing them. These are used in good taste, creating the sense that the masks are intentional to the character in an “armed rioter” sort of way, rather than implying the mask is really the character’s face.

The rest are wearing makeup, and it’s very well done in many cases. The bride in Forbidden Family really looks like she’s been sobbing, and her eyeliner is running. The police officer in Asylum has blood running down their face like they’ve been injured, and so many others that have been covered in blood and makeup to otherwise add some texture to their overall look. There are little details, like Momma Misty’s sparkly pink eyelids, and the pentagram on the forehead of the actor who hid in the dryer of Forbidden Family.

Costuming overall is well thought-out, and fitting for scenes. One of the costumes is an absolutely massive dog in Forbidden Family. The actor inside it crawled around on their hands and knees, and the outfit looks dirty as though it’s been left on the floor of a cabin full of inbred outcasts. Other costumes are more simple, yet still fitting for their scenes. In Asylum we meet actors in scrubs, lab coats, and hospital gowns. Some actors, like Chicken Man, wear little more than a mask and basic black, although there were a few instances where it was clear the actor didn’t get the basic black memo.

Heading over to Crooked’s website, we’re able to find the address, and even a map showing the location. The thing that may confuse some guests is that there is not any information about parking on the website or Facebook page. To be clear, there is a limited amount of parking available right in front of the haunt, although on a busy night you may need to find parking elsewhere.

Guests who are not familiar with the New Hartford area may have some trouble finding the place as well. Crooked Descent is tucked back behind buildings, and there is a lack of signage visible from the road. The other thing to note is when entering the address into Google Maps, I’m given a pin that falls on a completely different building. To avoid this, directly searching for “Crooked Descent Horror” or “Rage-N-Relax” in Google Maps, will give you the correct pin.

Other than the confusion regarding the location and parking, the website gives us everything we need, including hours, a link to buy tickets, and the classic FAQ points of “Is it scary?” and “Will I be touched?” You won’t be physically touched, but I can’t make any guarantees about emotional damage.

Heading inside is very straightforward. Passed security is where one can find the ticket booth. The owner’s family is at the helm inside, and they’re all very warm and welcoming. From the ticket booth, getting in line is the next step. After winding through the queue, the first stop is Afterworld Asylum.

The path through this attraction is clearly marked, and easy to navigate. The exit brings us into an open space where the entrance to the escape room and Forbidden Family lie. There is a sign directing patrons to each of these, and almost every single person, myself included, took the immediate left turn towards the escape room. This is important because the escape room is only available with the upgraded ticket package, which most people did not opt for.

Forbidden Family is once again very easy to navigate and clearly marked, although the exit adds a bit of confusion. Despite the glowing red exit sign at the end, I wasn’t entirely sure which way to go. An actor in that area pointed me in the right direction, and I found myself outside. There are staff members outside of the exit that will direct you back around to the main entrance, although some signage would definitely be useful here. Bringing guests back to the entrance through the interior of the building would be ideal, although there could be some complications with guests entering and exiting through a single wide door.

Stepping into the building, one of the first things we see is an area used as a rage room. Black lights shine on the paint splatter across the walls, giving us a sense of the insanity that awaits us. While it would be cool to step into a room decorated like an abandoned hospital, to really spell it out, the pre-haunt area here relates to the chaos of Afterworld Asylum. The exit from the Asylum brings us to a big open space where guests queue for the escape room and Forbidden Family. This area has some fog and lasers that create a purgatory sort of feeling. Trapped between worlds, where mystery and anticipation fill the air. Both the escape room and Forbidden Family have well built facades that hint at the theme we can expect in each.

The official lore of Afterworld Asylum tells us that a doctor developed a serum to unlock the capabilities of the human mind, and his experimentation resulted in a viral outbreak, affecting the patients therein. The facility was closed, and now anyone who enters will encounter the remnants of the madness that occurred, and the spirits of the residents still trapped there.

Throughout the attraction, this is largely what we encounter as the actors and set pieces take us through different parts of a medical facility. Unfortunately, the immersion is broken with the appearance of plywood walls and sets that are not quite complete. The hallway in the very beginning of this attraction is one example of this. As we head into the darkness, we’re taken through an area that feels like it’s behind the scenes, and some set dressing could really take this section a long way.

The Forbidden Family tells the story of a decrepit house far away from civilization, full of inbreds, who are led by the matriarch Momma Misty. Guests will experience the horrors that dwell within, and the walls seem to draw nearer as we try to escape this deranged family. Being the returning attraction and storyline, this attraction does feel quite a bit more immersive, thanks in no small part to the actors, and the set pieces that have been carried over. Although we do see plywood and pallet walls throughout this attraction, they help the story by creating a sense that the shack has been cobbled together with whatever the family could find.

Exiting Forbidden Family brings guests directly outside of the building, where they will need to walk around the corner to come back to their vehicles. This is less than ideal, as there are no incentives to purchase a hoodie after the attractions, and although there was a food truck in the parking lot on the night of my visit, some folks may choose to get right into their cars and head home.

Crooked Descent is what you might call a low-tech haunt. This means you won’t find a bunch of animatronics, or electronic effects in a majority of the scenes. What we do find, in terms of special effects, are an ambient soundtrack being played through each attraction, as well as some fog, and basic lighting. The website mentions the use of scents, although I did not notice any during my visit. The ambient sound that’s being played in both attractions is very loud, and the actors had to really be loud to be heard over it.

Lighting comes in at the other end of the spectrum. Although I was there to shoot a video, and I had a somewhat bright light with me, the use of ambient and theatrical lighting is used sparingly. Lighting up some scenes to better see the actors and sets would be a good direction to go, and the use of effect lighting could help to immerse guests further into the story.

Set design in both attractions is somewhat bare, but the focus is definitely on the actors, and the power they bring to the table. Some set pieces throughout the Asylum look as though they’ve been sourced from real medical facilities, such as the exam table in an early scene, while stretchers and walkers can be seen in others. Other set pieces are more generalized, although they do fit within the overall theme. The kitchen scene features a large industrial sink like you might find in professional kitchens, along with a refrigerator and gas range that fill the scene, and make it look like a real kitchen.

The Forbidden Family takes us into a home and the set pieces fit well within the scenes. We’re taken through a kitchen, family room, and bedrooms, all of which are furnished like a real home would be. The children’s room features a bed and toys, while the family room looks like it’s been plucked right out of a back-woods cabin, complete with a couch, chairs, and reading lamps. We also find a laundry room with dryer that has a demon living inside of it.

Often, I’ll gush about how scary a haunt is. In this case, I’ll tell you the tale of the man who was definitely too scared. While waiting in queue for the escape room with the general manager Kenny, a couple had just exited Afterworld Asylum, and they promptly asked how to exit the building. Kenny let them know there was still another attraction that they paid for with their tickets, and the man’s response was that he did not want to wait in line.

The important thing to note here, is that there was not much of a line to wait in at that time heading into Forbidden Family. Either this is the most impatient person in the world, or it was way too intense for him. I’m willing to bet it was the latter. So yes, it’s scary. It’s intense, it’s in-your-face, it’s chaos.

Through both attractions are jump scares coming from multiple angles, and we get really good intimidation scares, like in the opening scene of the Asylum, and we get a couple of scares that I don’t think I have a name for.

In Forbidden Family, there was a scene with a mother trying to corral her unruly kids. As we exited, I heard the words that struck fear in my heart, “You stop your crying right now!” yelled the mother, and we knew a can of whoop-ass had just been opened! For those of you keeping score at home, ripping open deep psychological scars is a great way to bring about real fear in a haunted attraction!

The psychological torture doesn’t stop there. The bride character, who has been bound to a chair against her will, gives us an introspective look into the fear of being kidnapped, and forced into a very unpleasant situation. Her makeup runs down her face as she sobs and pleads for mercy, and we can’t help but feel a pang of anxiety for what’s about to happen to her.

In the Asylum, many things we encounter are jump scares. An early one coming in the form of a door being ripped open just as we were about to grab the handle, and an actor taking us completely off guard. Another really great scare, that I wouldn’t quite classify as a jump scare, comes in the form of two actors working together to perform an excellent “body snatch” as we came around the corner.

This haunt is incredibly loud and intense. While that alone isn’t very scary, it makes your brain go all sorts of haywire, and the simpler types of scares are easier to execute, and catch more people by surprise. The other elements at play are the smaller sets and narrow corridors, making the show more intense by bringing guests much closer to the action.

Interestingly, both attractions have a finale scene featuring a reciprocating saw, and although it’s not as explicitly implied in Asylum, I’m fairly certain they both depict a rather violent abortion scene. Asylum’s finale brings us into a scene where one actor lies in a bathtub, being attacked with said saw, while three other actors scream at the top of their lungs for us to help them. It is certainly a very strong finish to the attraction.

The ending scene or scenes of Forbidden Family show a character being attacked by another character, wearing a really creepy rabbit mask, and we’re given context heading into this scene that “they” are trying to take her baby. This is followed by an actor in a pig mask in the next room beating a pair of mannequin legs with a shovel. Coming to the exit, we get a small jump scare from a goblin-esque character, and Momma Misty doing whatever it is that Momma Misty does, while guarding the exit. Truth be told, I’m not sure which of these is supposed to be the true finale, so I’ll let you be the judge.

Is Crooked Descent worth the money in 2024? Let’s do some math. The price of a combo ticket is $40, and that will gain you entrance to Afterworld Asylum and The Forbidden Family. In speaking with the general manager, each of these haunts is intended to take roughly 10 minutes each to complete. I clocked in at slightly more than half of that, bringing us to a total of 0.29 minutes per dollar. Perhaps I was moving more quickly than anticipated, and each attraction certainly feels like it lasts longer than it really does.

The short-run times are certainly made up for with the level of energy and action happening every single second, and guests will experience a very intimate experience through both attractions, as groups are spaced very widely apart. Returning fans of Crooked Descent know this is another of their hallmark, and the greatness that can be achieved by this team. Whether this show is worth the price of admission is ultimately up to the individual, but my opinion is that it’s a bit steep for where the show currently stands.

Patrons who want to extend their stay can purchase the VIP package, which includes access to the all-new escape room. This option will cost another $15 bringing the total price up to $55. While the escape room is a really fun idea, and it adds another layer of entertainment available on site, the puzzles felt very much like a “find the key” sort of scavenger hunt, and making the puzzles a bit more challenging would really help to increase the value of this upgrade.

Every visitor to Crooked Descent will be entertained and possibly scared by Chicken Man, who, at present, is the only queue actor. The actor playing this character is actually a talented method actor, and dare I say comedic genius. Guests should really spend a few minutes conversing with him to learn what Chicken Man is all about.

Outside of interacting with Chicken Man, there isn’t much else happening onsite. There is a food truck available most nights, and hoodies are available for purchase at the ticket booth. Being in the middle of an urban setting, fire pits won’t be something you find here, but I do think that adding some photo opportunities on the property could be a good fit.

It’s very clear that Crooked Descent is in a stage of growth and massive change. I know for a fact that this team is willing to put in the hard work necessary to become a household name in the haunt industry, and they aren’t likely to let anyone stand in their way. This show isn’t for everyone, but these young haunters will one day be the face of the industry, and I’m excited to see what that will look like.