I am at Nicodemus: Demon of Evanishment, a new hyper-reality ghost tour presented by The Void, which produces immersive location-based VR experiences. In this new vision of the traditional haunted mansion, a group of four is hooked up to virtual reality headsets and jetpacks to set off into a maze of a dozen connected rooms that to the naked eye, resemble a laser tag playground. But for those equipped, we have traveled back to a detailed recreation of what was left of the forsaken Chicago World Fair in 1894.
The monstrous demon, whom I assume hates fairs, kidnaps fine folks such as my newfound pals. We board a rickety train that abruptly halts and shakes whenever the sinister spirit attacks, but in reality, we simply walk from room to room, grasping at blank black walls whenever we need to steady ourselves.
Halfway through our 20-minute tour, one of my fellow explorers excuses herself. Not because of anything I’ve done or how long I’ve screamed, but because this hyper-reality ghost experience proves too much for her.
“I just freaked out,” she explains later. “It was too realistic.”
Tracy Hickman, NYT bestselling fantasy author and the head of story for The Void, sees no better way to unite people: “Horror is a universal thing,” he says.
The Void is currently available in eight centers across the U.S., with nine more to open in the coming months. The 20-minute tours range from $29.95-$36.95 depending on location and peak times. Most of the locations are centered around shopping malls, or high-traffic areas like The Venetian in Las Vegas.