✓-Free Parking✓-Restrooms/Porta Potties On-Site✓-Gift Shop/Souvenirs✓-Special Events✓-You will NOT be touched✓-Original Characters✓-Covered Outdoor Waiting Line✓-Indoor/Outdoor Waiting Line✓-Indoor/Outdoor Attraction
This attraction was reviewed on October 13, 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!
Hide This
Final Score: 7.98
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 8.45
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 7.44
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 8.46
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 8.8
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 8.08
(5% of Final Score) Theme: 7.3
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 7.39
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 7.88
Hide This
Summary:
Our yearly trip to Indiana brought us back to the familiar skeletal warriors on horseback that guard the entrance to Hysterium Haunted Asylum in Fort Wayne. This year, the patients have taken over the asylum and have transformed it to fit their liking. Deranged doctors and neurotic nurses beware’the inmates are running the asylum and there’s no place to hide!
Cast: 8.45
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 9
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 8.5
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 8.5
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 7.5
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 8.5
Hide This
While a number of characters used some variation of the phrases ‘get out’ or ‘let’s play,’ there were a number of characters who interacted heavily with us and their surroundings. Even those who chose to use classic haunted house lines for the most part, were able to elaborate on what kind of games they want to play. The energy level of the actors was great, and the day room in the first scene was especially memorable.
Costuming: 7.44
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?: 8
(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 7
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 7.5
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: N/A
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 7.5
Hide This
Most of the costumes and makeups were appropriate for their scenes. An actor that wandered the queue line and surrounding plaza was shuffling around strapped into an authentic looking straightjacket. The majority of the cast wore aged and tattered scrubs, with makeup to match. Since the haunt was being controlled by the patients, makeups were generally pretty ‘human’ in nature and, while there weren’t any that particularly stuck out, they were well done.
Customer Service: 8.46
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?: 7.75
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 9
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 8.5
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 8.5
Hide This
Hysterium is listed as Hysterium Escapes in Google Maps. Parking is on-street, which is somewhat lit by streetlights and is a first come, first serve situation. We were able to park our van relatively close to the haunt’s entrance early in the evening.
The ticket booth is situated right inside the entrance of the haunt’s plaza. Right inside the entrance is also a cop car, and there are two uniformed officers on site; one who roams the grounds and one who is set up with a metal detector wand at the entrance of the haunt itself. While a lot of haunts will have a police presence, this is the first one that we have ever been scanned out. It is nice to see Hysterium taking their actors’ and the public’s safety so seriously. There were a few areas with uneven floors, and a step down after exiting a vortex tunnel that had us slightly concerned for a trip hazard. Other than that, we didn’t notice any real areas of concern as far as safety goes.
Atmosphere: 8.8
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?: 9
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 8.5
Hide This
The main plaza of Hysterium is well decorated with fallish d������cor and has speakers softly playing Midnight Syndicate music to enhance the mood. A few roaming actors would occasionally emerge from the haunt to interact with the folks waiting in line or the queue line actors before returning, so you got a small taste of what was waiting for you inside as you wait your turn. You can even try out their escape room as you wait. The sound of a boom canon sporadically echoes through the night and often catches patrons off guard as they wait in line.
Special Effects: 8.08
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 8
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 8.75
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 8.5
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 7
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 8.5
Hide This
Many of Hysterium’s scenes are very well decorated with lots of care and attention to details. They do have very interesting and unique interpretations of the classic dot room and pallet maze as well. In long corridors, the wall panels are decorated with doors and chair rails, which is a nice touch of realism. We were also relieved to find that a friendly psycho was stationed in their maze of doors to help us find our way through this year. There were, however, many spots where the ceiling of the warehouse was visible, which allowed us to slip slightly out of our roles as the helpless victims. The sewer scene was, by far, our favorite scene in the haunt. It was beautifully constructed and highly realistic.
Theme: 7.3
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?: 6.5
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?: 7.5
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?: 8
Hide This
As mentioned before, this year, the patients have taken control of the asylum and have created their own little sanctums inside the facility. We had to ask what the theme was because, under the guise of a haunted asylum, there were a few elements that weren’t making sense or really fitting in for us. But, upon discovering the theme, some items began to fall into place. We did learn their plans for future theming and we must say that we are looking quite forward to it. The one thing that still feels a little out of place for us is ‘Billy.’ It is a great looking prop and we understand wanting to use it’it just felt forced in.
Scare Factor: 7.39
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 7.5
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 8
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 7.5
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 6.75
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 7
Hide This
Hysterium does a pretty good job of coaxing screams out of their visitors, although they have a tendency to ‘Scare and Scoot.’ It’s a lot of startle scares brought on by quick, loud screams. However, they do a pretty good job of sneaking up on you and don’t shy away from going for anyone in the group.
They would benefit greatly by utilizing some distractions to help amplify their scare tactics and give themselves some easier prey. At the end, Katie was given the ‘antidote’ (a jelly bean) and we went on our merry way. While this wasn’t a very strong finale, it was definitely the most unique one we have seen.
Entertainment & Value: 7.88
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?: 8
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 7.5
(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?: 8
Hide This
It took us around 20 minutes to make our way through Hysterium and with a general admission ticket costing only $15, we felt as though it was money well spent. This puts their minutes of entertainment per dollar at 1.33. The amount of time that we were in the attraction this year was quite a bit longer than the last time we visited.
There weren’t many moments that we weren’t being entertained in one form or another and for an additional $5 you can also try your skill at their escape room. We look forward to seeing what evolves at Hysterium in the future.
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!
