Alton Towers Resort claims to be “redefining” horror attractions by combining two popular immersive entertainment genres into one experience. In collaboration with YouTube star Daz Black, Daz Games: PANIC combines live action horror with a tech driven escape game, designed and delivered by CDTR of Manchester, UK.
Within the experience, the escape room concept meets live action scare maze as guests race to find their individually assigned symbols that allow them to exit the maze. They have seven minutes to do this before they are trapped in the game forever, and of course, they are not alone!
CDTR worked alongside Daz Games to make his creative vision for the experience a reality through bespoke media creation, immersive soundscapes and effects, theatrical lighting and delivery of the full show system, including interactive technology and gaming engine.
The guest experience begins with an enrolment where attendees enter their details into the system, receive their wristband and are given the symbols that they will need to find to aid their escape. Once in the maze, the wristband intelligently recognises when they have found their two symbols using sensors that are integrated with a robust software and proprietary gaming engine.
CDTR created a bespoke ‘Session Management’ portal that allows the operators to adjust key game variables, such as removing interactives, adjusting timings, throttling difficulty and altering content. This creates a range of configurable alternatives for less ambulant players to have the same great experience.
A specially developed CTDR engine allows full environmental control by combining the operation of the show elements, including the pre-show, main show, lighting, SFX and interactive systems, with the game logic. All reader and hardware solutions were developed, built and innovated by CDTR in its Manchester R+D Lab. Leader boards track top scorers for each session in real-time, enhancing the competitive gaming element, highlight daily winners and event timescales.
“Together with Daz Games, we have created a new genre of horror attraction ideal for scare events,” said Peter Cliff, CEO/founder of CDTR. “This uses technology to enhance and enrich the guest experience, using a seamless tracking mechanism that allows guests to focus on the interactive experience, rather than the technology interaction.
“By harnessing new and emerging technology platforms, we are delivering a fang-tastic new wave of interactive and immersive experience that delivers heightened emotional reactions, transforms physical environments and ensures narratives are always evolving. This drives that all important recurring revenue, as players keep returning to beat their times.”
Bianca Sammut, divisional director at Alton Towers Resort, added: “We are proud to be pioneering another world first as the UK’s favourite scare event returns for the 2023 season. This really is the ultimate adrenaline-inducing experience as guests race against the clock to complete their mission whilst evading capture from the inhabitants within. Due to the repeatable and ever-changing nature of this experience, we have received exceptional guest feedback, plus the largest increase in repeat guest visitation, which has driven significant growth in revenue.
“Working with Daz Games and CDTR, we have pushed the boundaries of attraction and experience innovation to bring a breath of fresh scare to guests this Halloween!”
