Insomnia

Theming 95% | Storyline 100% | Screams 95% | Laughs 50% | Actors 100%

Insomnia is always one of the best mazes at Screamfest Burton, with a great concept and brought to life in a range of disturbed dark scenes of the nightmare about Crackerjack. For 2023, we see some updates in the attraction which have only brought the story more to life and the actors do a fantastic job from the very start. We even seen updates in the story that have changed our perspective of the story we thought we knew last year, which was a huge shock factor. The scares are haunting from you being taken through the story of a nightmare of a young girl, where you see the Crackerjack, followed by a range of other scenes like the victorian streets and the dentist. One of the best years yet for Insomnia and we are sure to see it be one of our top rated mazes for 2023 so we recommend you experience this!

Freakout on Tour

Theming 65% | Storyline 75% | Screams 80% | Laughs 80% | Actors 90%

Freakout On Tour is a fan favourite and since its change from Freakout in recent years to now being on tour, the attraction has gone from strength to strength. You are led into a false sense of security in this attraction and the introduction scene sets the story into motion, before you enter the world of crazed clowns who are funny, scary and disturbed. The different clowns and routes is really what makes this attraction and for 2023, it is no different. The team are still incredible to create those funny yet terrifying sections as you go through each scene and was certainly one of the best on our visit. It was the perfect blend of screams & laughs and for a clown maze, it certainly is a unique take compared to others.  

Love Hurts – Final Orders

Theming 80% | Storyline 70% | Screams 60% | Laughs 45% | Actors 65%

Love Hurts is the longest standing maze at Screamfest Burton and after it was due to leave for this year, seeing it on the lineup was a shock to see. The attraction has had no changes but for those who have not experienced Love Hurts, it has a great theme and theming inside. From the disgusting toilets in a nightclub before heading into the sewer system and finding the inhabitants that call it their home, it certainly is a rollercoaster of a journey. The ending scene is always a favourite and for those who don’t know what to expect, it can be a top scare. For us, it did feel a little flat compared to previous years and it felt like it was missing something but overall, still great to experience for one last time?

Area 52 – Brand new for 2023

Theming 55% | Storyline 70% | Screams 25% | Laughs 35% | Actors 55%

The second new attraction for 2023 and this is Area 52. Whilst on the lineup, this is an up charge experience (unless you bought the VIP ticket) and can be purchased before your visit or on the night. The costs we seen out the front was for £10 you get the standard package of 60 paintballs, and for an additional £5 you can get an additional 120 paintballs. The attraction takes you into the forefront of a military operation to contain the aliens that are now attacking the area. You have been recruited as an emergency measure and your job is to shoot them and keep them at bay. To do this, they have a tractor trailer you board armed with paintball gunsr and this will go through the fields to find where they have set up. With many stops throughout, you will shoot them from far away and then eventually move on. With a cool storyline, the theming was limited and could only be seen from far away. Due to the distance, this meant the scare factor was very low. We felt the staff could of been utilised a little better in the introduction scene as we were waiting for a long period of time and from start to finish, the process of the attraction probably took 30-45 minutes. The attraction itself of the shooting however lasts around 5-10 minutes. For the price, we don’t feel its worth it as you do need the extra paintballs to enjoy it but if you love to shoot some aliens then, Area 52 is for you!