Nightmare in Budapest has opened in 2011, inspired by American haunted houses..
In these houses, jumpscares are predominant, but we felt more could be extracted from this concept. We devised shorter, 2-3 minute scenes to provide a unique experience to horror enthusiasts visiting us. Based on guest feedback, it became clear that we were on the right track, so we pushed further.
We incorporated interactions and small tasks into the scenes for our guests. This move also meant rethinking the "do not touch anything" rule. We needed to redesign the locations and the program to ensure safety in dimly lit rooms, where guests had to search for something during a task.
Of course, our guests are still not allowed to touch anything. The only exception is when there is an interaction where the actors are ask them to do so. Everyone must follow the rules to have a safe and fun experience! Those guests who do not follow our most important rules will get two warnings, but after these we have no choice but to escort them out. During this time, we added physical interaction as an element as well. We started touching visitors, and based on reactions, it heightened the fear level of the show and was well-received by our guests. Our visitors are only get touched and not harmed physically during the show.
Our main show is "Nightmare," where our characters and even the show's story are never predetermined, which means that our visitors won't experience the same show twice. We decide on the characters and the scenes at the start of the day and after opening, and sometimes changing the storyline based on new ideas during the same day.
The venue is a 400-square-meter underground cellar where visitors progress from room to room. Some rooms have jumpscares, while others feature 2-5 minute interactive scenes. Each room presents distinct, standalone, and varied stories that changes daily and in which our visitors are becoming part of the narrative. Because of this a lot depends on the guests and their attitude. If we see that they are enjoying the show, getting scared and most importantly, they are engaging in the game, the result will be an unforgettable, meaningful and exciting experience. Those who cannot immerse themselves in a situation, even a little or provoke the actors (e.g., making disrespectful comments or arriving with an attitude of "you can't scare me, so I won't even try to engage in the story") are not compatible with our rules and the haunted house.
Our goal is to provide visitors with a genuinely frightening, adrenaline-pumping, spectacular, and thrilling tour that offers a lasting experience for everyone. The programs are available in Hungarian and English, so Nightmare in Budapest has become one of the favorite attractions of foreign tourists.
In addition to the horror tour, we are also waiting our guests with 2 escape rooms at the same location. There is no scare in our escape games, the location is not that scary either. However, you can count on the appearance of our horror creatures here too, who will rush to your aid if needed or just play with you a bit... Whichever program you choose, it is definitely worth making an appointment beforehand. There are days when a lot of people come, so without an appointment it is not guaranteed that you will be able to participate in the programs.
