Here’s a riddle: last week, I met up with friends from 4 different states for a walkthrough of Pennhurst Asylum, one of the highest lauded haunted houses in the country. We had a private 20-minute tour of the facility, and most of us wore pajama pants. Everyone slept in their own bed that night and made it into work the next day. How could that be possible? HauntPortal is the answer. 

HauntPortal is a web-based experience created by AUGXIST, a company specializing in virtual reality and live-streamed events. Their mission is simple – to bring the magic of various top-tier haunted attractions to a computer screen near you. The technical aspect of this is driven by capturing 360-degree video on location and granting access to it through an in-browser application. But the fun of the in-person haunted house experience is imitated by allowing up to 5 friends to join the same room, where video and audio of all parties are shared while simultaneously streaming the adventure.

Without considering the party interactivity, there is a fair bit of competition for the niche HauntPortal is looking to fill. A fathomless amount of haunted attraction walkthroughs exist on YouTube and various fan sites, all for free. HauntPortal succeeds in separating themselves from the pack by going upmarket and providing an all-around more premium experience. Yes, of course, this includes beautiful cinematography from the 360-degree cameras, all with proper lighting. There is no hint of shakiness – in terms of haunted house walkthroughs, this is The Shining compared to the average YouTube Cloverfield reenactment.

The unexpected benefit, however, is that the videos shown aren’t truly a walkthrough of the listed haunts, but rather a scripted short that takes places within the confines of the haunted house. In our walkthrough of Pennhurst Asylum, the show was entitled “Dolly,” and it is filmed through the eyes of an Asylum patient being wheeled through a portion of the set by a nurse. Due to the limited dialog, lack of narrative, and reliance on haunted house style scares, it’s perhaps more likened to “walkthrough played up for the camera” than a true movie, but it does make the art form more palatable for the presentation format.

While some looking for a faithful replacement of the original haunted house may be wary of this artistic license, the changes allow for some incredible planned events that would simply not be possible in a typical high-volume haunt. Memorable moments include a four-legged stilted creature crawling ever closer to the camera, and a fully choreographed fight scene between characters, that included an actor busting through a brick wall. As a certain vulnerability is lost by not being on location, a true walkthrough may look stale on camera; just a continuous flow of jump scares and actors going bump in the night. These orchestrated moments break up any monotony and are a wonderful prompt for group conversation.

The group assembled for our test was specifically designed to put HauntPortal’s system through its paces. It consisted of some of the most grizzled, well-traveled haunt patrons, along with one brave soul who can barely make it through an average horror movie. Some used a gigabit internet connection, others were on rural DSL. Equipment ranged from a cell phone, a laptop, a tablet, and a VR headset. In nearly intentionally attempting to find weak points in the system, it’s understandable that some hiccups occurred.

The most unsurprising one was that our friend living in the farmland of Ohio was unable to finish. The stress of streaming 360-degree video while also conferencing with friends is a tall order for any connection – most of us did experience the occasional briefly frozen screen or loss of audio, but the experience may be entirely unfeasible for others.

Most devices performed admirably through the experience, the only notable loss being the voice chat from one computer when the user removed their headphones. Considering it’s driven by an in-house application, the robust list of options is a welcome surprise. True VR support through HauntPortal is not rolled out yet, but the temptation of attempting to run 360-degree video through Oculus Browser was too enticing. Impressively, it worked, just not as an “encompassing” 360-degree experience, but as a browser window video. It was essentially no different than the format experienced on a laptop, but it’s hard to not daydream of what the system can be someday soon with true 360-degree VR support.

For many enthusiasts of immersive horror or extreme haunts, traditional haunted houses are comfort food. While one’s tolerance dulls the thrills and scares over the years, many still attend local haunts for the unique beauty of the sets, or perhaps just to find their inner Halloween spirit. But the main appeal of a haunted house is that it is an activity that brings people together. The unique atmosphere offers a rare glimpse to see others when they’re slightly vulnerable. For the less composed, it’s difficult to display anything less than their authentic self. Somewhere between the screams and laughter, a trust is built among the group.

The most successful feature of HauntPortal is the ability to legitimately recreate this rapport through the group chat, even when the perceived dangers may not live up to genuine in-person experience. The commentary from our group was as amusing as I remember it from our last time together, and the jokes and small peeps of discomfort filled in any lulls in the action on screen. After the movie was over, all of us hopped onto another video chat so we could keep talking, which spiraled well past discussing the experience itself. A few people on the call I had not heard from in months, some due to physical distance, some due to current conditions preventing large gatherings from occurring. If one of the unstated goals of a haunted house is to bring people together, HauntPortal captures the essence effortlessly by leaving space for the human element. In a time of excruciating Zoom calls replacing human-to-human contact, $10 per person for genuine fluid conversation is a bargain.

This is not to say that HauntPortal is another temporary pandemic workaround. All involved agreed that after using HauntPortal, they were much more likely to go out of their way to visit Pennhurst Asylum next season. Being able to experience a taste of haunts all over the world from one’s living room allows consumers to become invested in a brand that they would have never been exposed to otherwise. The marketing and advertising aspect may be the brightest future for the technology, especially if haunt owners embrace creating fresh storylines yearly.

While perhaps a bit short in delivering the chills of a haunted house straight to your desktop, HauntPortal is an intriguing, engaging platform that succeeds on a technical and social level. With upcoming expansions through new videos and virtual reality support imminent, the foundation for the platform feels solid and should only improve with time. And with a nearly unbeatable price tag, don’t hesitate to grab your friends for a casual night of light horror fun.

For more information on HauntPortal and their upcoming Haunt Experiences, check out their website, Facebook, and Instagram pages.

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HauntPortal is making it possible to experience haunted houses you might never have traveled to before.