As Halloween approaches, hundreds of horror fans will be flocking to haunted houses and scare mazes this half term.
While many of these feature simple jump scares and are suitable for most people, there has been an increase in demand for ‘extreme’ scare mazes that include strong storytelling, psychological horror and elaborate sets.
Among the scariest on offer in the UK is Enola – The Experience at Walsall Scare Maze, which uses immersive storytelling to make visitors feel like they are experiencing the side effects of an experimental drug.
Before entering, guests must sign a waiver which includes consenting to electric shock, as well as haircuts, waxing and shaving.
And one visitor previously reported being ‘verbally abused, prodded, shocked, shaved, waxed and stripped to his boxers’.
Walsall Scare Maze said: ‘Adrenaline-based attractions like ENOLA give adults a rare chance to feel something real — fear, vulnerability, surrender, or excitement — in a completely controlled environment.
‘They offer the same psychological rush as skydiving or extreme sports, but through theatre, storytelling, and sensory manipulation instead of physical danger.
‘There’s also a growing cultural fascination with mental resilience and personal limits
TikTok user Mahira Qadeer shared her experience of Enola – The Experience at Walsall Scare Maze
‘Audiences want to test themselves — to see how far they can go, what they can handle, and to walk away saying, “I survived it.”
‘Social media has amplified that appeal: people want to share unique, brag-worthy experiences that stand out. Extreme horror is the next evolution of immersive entertainment — part art, part endurance, and part psychology.’
The event has been compared to McKamey Manor, an extreme haunted house in America, which has attracted controversy due to reports of people being injured during their visit.
Despite its cult following, there have been petitions for McKamey Manor to be shut down over fears about guests being physically assaulted.
Various videos of Enola – The Experience have been shared on TikTok, though filming is not allowed inside.
In one video, an actor at the event says: ‘Once you get inside, you can expect things like insect eating, stripping, nudity.’
Later in the video, one of the guests is seen to have had his head shaved with an ‘E’ and is covered in mud.
In another video, which has received more than 103.3k likes, TikTok user Mahira Qadeer shared her experience of the attraction.
The ‘after’ picture shows the video creator with a wax strip on her eyebrow, covered in water and dirt
The video is captioned: ‘Safe word had to be used multiple times,’ and shows the creator before and after going inside the experience.
The ‘after’ picture shows the woman with a wax strip on her eyebrow, covered in water and dirt.
She wrote: ‘UK’s “best” horror experience. Have to sign a two-page waiver to do it.’
The top comment, which has more than 8,600 likes, reads: ‘People learning nothing from McKamey Manor? This is just a slippery slope into actual abuse and torture of people.’
However, other commenters were impressed by the level of horror that the experience provides.
One user wrote: ‘Finally, a good UK scare mazes, all the ones I’ve seen are so tame, this is more like it, the American ones are INCREDIBLE, I went this year and omg they do Halloween properly.’
A Walsall Scare Maze spokesperson said: ‘The ENOLA attraction is an 18+ immersive horror experience designed exclusively for consenting adults who knowingly choose to take part in an intense, psychological and boundary-pushing experience.
‘Every participant signs a detailed multi-page waiver and receives a full briefing before entering, clearly outlining that the performance is physical, immersive, and interactive in nature.
‘Guests are in complete control at all times and can stop the experience instantly by using the safe word “MERCY”.
‘No participant is ever forced to do anything against their will — every interaction is consent-based, voluntary and supervised.
‘Certain scenes are designed to simulate extreme environments or emotions, but guest safety and consent are always the top priorities.
‘While ENOLA deliberately challenges comfort zones and provokes discussion, it operates under strict controls and continual assessments.
‘As expected, we’re aware that some comparisons have been made to an American-based attraction, but ENOLA could not be more different.
‘The US-based attraction has faced criticism for unsafe and non-consensual practices.
‘ENOLA is the opposite: it’s a consent-led, professionally created and supervised experience where guests hold the power at all times. It’s immersive theatre — not torture.
‘Being the creators behind ENOLA, we have been designing award-winning scare attractions and immersive horror experiences for over 12 years, with a respected reputation in the UK industry for safety, professionalism, and innovation.
‘Our work has been featured in multiple national and international media and praised for its creativity, attention to detail, and guest care.
Other commenters were impressed by the level of horror that the experience provides
‘We appreciate the public interest in the experience and understand that it won’t be for everyone — and that’s precisely the point.
‘ENOLA is an exploration of fear, control, and consent within a safe and structured artistic environment.
‘As with any intense immersive experience, guests will often recount or even exaggerate moments based on how they felt rather than what physically occurred.
‘That’s part of how powerful the mind can be under fear and adrenaline or even to just get views on their socials!’
