In the hills of Los Angeles, a secret haunt hid in the darkness of the night. In August, keen and clever patrons paying attention to Twisted Experiential Design’s Instagram stories may have seen instructions to apply for limited slots of a secret Halloween experience. But even if you applied, only some were selected—and those lucky enough to be invited were given instructions to meet at a secret location in LA to experience Demons in the Dark.

Twisted Experiential Design was born after Twisted Minds Production split, with Zion Fenwick now running Twisted and David Coleman running Exquisite Corpse Horror Media. But regardless of the name, Twisted has been producing incredible haunted houses since 2017.  They produce incredible walkthrough experiences each year at Midsummer Scream; in 2018, they produced Anneliese which told the story of a young girl who became possessed, and in 2019, they produced Salem which elevated their traditional haunt with a strong narrative and acting. Beyond their convention presence, they have produced haunts, such as Gremlins and a Christmas haunt called Toys’ Revenge. With their experience, it’s easy to see that Twisted has grown from a home haunt into a full scale production company that is currently involved in an art exhibit at The Huntington (Beyond Baroque will be open the public once LA Covid restrictions have lifted and museums can re-open).

For their 2020 Halloween experience, Demons in the Dark, Twisted had only a 16’x16’ space to work with. Despite the small space restrictions, they managed to make a maze that felt almost as long as some of the larger home haunts we experienced this year. Using false walls, drop panels, and sliding doorways, they made a five-minute walkthrough that truly felt labyrinthine in scale–reminiscent of Screenshot Productions’ original run of Fear is What We Learned Here. There were multiple points that left me retracing my steps, looking for a way out, or simply being lost in the darkness. And it was in this darkness that creatures came at you from all angles: from  corners, holes in the ceiling, hidden holes in the walls, and out of foggy depths.

In order to ensure the safety of all guests and the actors for Demons in the Dark, Twisted requested that everyone attending produce a recent negative Covid Test. Participants also had to fill out a waiver online before getting the address and had their temperature taken upon arrival. Using ticketed times and by not disclosing the location, they were able to ensure that only one group was on the property at any given time. This helped ensure the safety of audiences and actors alike. This also helped with parking as the location had very limited parking so they were able to save a spot right in front for your group.

Twisted Experiential Design is a production company that we have been watching for some time now, and Fenwick is proving to be not just one of the best haunters out there, but also one of the most innovative. Taking a small space and transforming it into something that felt bigger on the inside is no easy task, but their team handled it with skill. With Demons in the Dark, they scared us, they delighted us, and ultimately, left us in awe. We’re very excited to see what the new Twisted team can produce at the Huntington. Let’s just hope we can find our way out of the dark first.

For more information on Twisted, check out their Website, Facebook and Instagram pages.

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Demons in the Dark was a secret haunt put on by Twisted Experiential Design.