Is this Bristol’s scariest attraction ever?

Hooded, handcuffed and locked in a pitch black cell. And that’s just the start of it. This may sound nerve-shattering to some, yet thousands are jumping at the chance to be locked up in Hell in a Cell.

Hailed as Bristol’s “most extreme” escape room game, Hell in a Cell sees those brave enough to book tickets being led down into the eerie depths of an abandoned prison. Sourcing the perfect spooky location, creator Carl Busby discovered that “the authentic setting of the Old Crown Courts lent itself perfectly to a horror experience.” From here, trapped participants have an hour to figure out how to escape from the horrors that lurk within.

But what exactly does lurk within? Blood? Check. Urine? Check. Guts dangling from the ceiling? Check. It’s enough to drive some customers “very close to chickening out, but no one has yet. The more scared they are, the more happy they are at the end when they’ve seen the attraction through,” admits Busby.

It’s like a horror movie – but rather than passively watching it, you are actually stepping into it. You are surrounded by the gruesome set, part of the story line, determining your own fate by solving cryptic clues. This is not just an escape room, but pure escapism itself. Especially given that all participants must leave their mobile phones at the door.

It is notably refreshing, being in a situation where you can’t stare at a screen for answers. You have to talk to the person next to you (or scream in their ear) when things get scary. Perhaps this is why Hell in a Cell has taken “more and more bookings from corporate groups”: there’s nothing like the shared experience of fear to bond people together. “In a dark, tense environment you may see a different side to Joe Bloggs from Accounts than if you had simply gone bowling,” Busby elaborates.

Then there’s the exhilaration of getting out of there alive. Highlighting that “one of the most rewarding aspects of Hell in a Cell is seeing groups burst out of the attraction absolutely buzzing with excitement.” It’s clear that Busby has created an attraction that groups will be talking animatedly about for months after they do it. The social element of Hell in a Cell is evidently what turns the sense of fear into a sense of fun.

With 100 per cent five-star reviews online, and two nominations in the 2016 ScareCon awards, it looks like Busby has created a marvellous monster with Hell in a Cell. But, when it comes to the rise of extreme, adult-only haunts where participants have to sign a waiver, where does its creator draw the line at scaring people? “We dance on the line,” grins Busby, adding that “we are edgy, we are pushing the boundaries… but the simplest scare tactics are the most effective.

Darkness, suspense and claustrophobic spaces still generate the loudest screams. All of which you can expect to find in abundance at this terrifyingly great attraction.

Hell in a Cell takes place in the Old Crown Court prison cells, Silver Street, Bristol. For more information and to book tickets, visit www.hellinacellbristol.co.uk