Props to the actors for playing their parts well but as with most haunted houses, certainly not worth the $31 general admission price. Most of it was just walking through and not getting scared or spooked. They give you a flashlight but you don't need it. Probably best without one. At about the halfway point, we caught up with the groups in front of us so that ruined the scare/surprise factor. I wasn't impressed or scared at all. I went to the one in SJ a few years ago. Felt the same as I did this one. Not going to waste my $ on any more haunted houses. CASH only. read more

I go with a group of girls every year to a haunted house as a Halloween ritual. And I I'll be honest I scare pretty easy too.This haunted house is one of the least scary haunted house I have been to ever. The YouTube video had me really excited and ready for this adventure. I was sadly disappointed and I will never ever go to fear overload scream park again. I'm so upset that I wasted 25$ to see this. Oh and we drove over an hour for this attraction. I hope everyone reads this post. read more

Giving it four stars only because it was too short and I wish it was longer!! It was so good. Never had a haunted house where they hear your name and use it against you. Makes the experience that much better, more personal, and scarier! The makeup was awesome and everyone played along well to comments made and stayed in character. Loved the flashlight aspect as well!! Very good for a local scare this time of year :) read more

Cheap scares/props, low quality and overpriced. There are 2 haunted areas and each has about 3 actors each and that's the only thing that is "scary" - people jumping out at you. read more

We had so much fun. I was so scared I thought I was going to throw up and when I got out I couldn't wait to do it again. It was my first time ever at a haunted house. Awesome. read more

Fear overload was SCARY!! Tons of clowns everywhere, for sure worth the 20$. Never been so scared in my life. If you hate clowns,dolls, blood its perfect to get scared!! You get scared and don't see it coming. Really worth it. I yelled like never before, lost my voice and ran a couple times. Really funn!!! read more

My friends and I went to Fear Overload Haunted house this past Friday. I really enjoyed it. I think that the Amusement Park haunted house is a bit more creepy and it is definitely the longer of the two. I really liked the themes and they were decorated well, but I was disappointed that ward 9 was so short. It was just building up to be scary and then its done. But over all I really enjoyed myself and I would return. read more

Lame. Dont waste your money. Dont buy fast pass. No live music tonight, band canceled. No food and drinks as advertised, mall food court is only option. Great Americas Haunt is much better and only a few bucks more. read more

I am a big fan of haunted places and thrills. Honestly the places I have been before (which were many) never really made me shout, but this place has. First off let me start with parking. There was lots of places to park and it's free! After visiting previous haunted places that didn't do much for me nor my friends, I wanted to redeem the spirit of Halloween by going here and it worked. My friends and I had lots of fun. The actors and staff was kind, and with lots of energy. They really got into character. The mazes were very well detailed and organized and the sounds throughout the maze were on point. If the actors do not get you the props and sounds will. Mix it all up then boom! The only reason why I didn't give 5 stars is probably because of my personal reason, I wanted the haunted mazes to be longer (but who doesn't). Other than that. This place deserves 5 stars. read more

Very small and only took 10 mins to get through both mazes. The scariest part is the mall that it's in. Don't waste your money. Not sure who is writing the other reviews but I have went to grade school haunted houses there were better read more

This haunted house has been advertised insanely so my friend and I decided to check it out since it looked pretty scary in the vids! We got there to and were greeted by a pretty long line and waited for about 30-40 minutes to get inside the first "haunted house". This is also inside of a mall, which was something we were not expecting. Long story short, this event is not worth the hype that it gets. The mazes were not scary, however there was one character that would walk through the lines BEFORE the maze to greet guests and I have to say he was probably the scariest thing there. Moral of the story, do not go to fear overload in SF. read more

This haunted house is absolutely amazing/terrifying, and I've never seen anything like it. I've gone for the past two years with my friends, and we always leave very freaked out. I checked out their website, and it looks like they have new themes this year. Can't wait to go back this October! read more

Before i decided to go here ...i was reading reviews every day ...finding out information about this place. I was so scared that buying the tickets I was shaking like crazy. But to my surprise I had a lot of fun at the same time i jumped from all the screaming. To those of you who decide not to go here because they say dont come if you are scared, please do go, try going in groups. The only disadvantage is i think they charge way too much for a twenty min maze. Great experience though. Im really glad i went. read more

I am giving this the ok 2 stars simply because it gave me a Halloween vibe just from going to a haunted house....any haunted house because i love . But seriously????? A haunted house on the second floor of the inside of a mall??? There is NOTHING scary about walking into a bright lit mall and realizing the haunted house is next door to the jewelry store or what not. I don't think you guys understand ambience. The build up of either being in a legit old creely house, or warehouse or being outside in a remote place is a HUGE part of what gives you that creepy feeling as you're waiting to enter the house. This was like it was forced or coerced....nothing scary about walking through a haunted house with t bar ceiling that looks like you're walking through the office on a Monday...now THAT'S scary. I understand you might not get the exact location you want but if you Cant pick a better spot just don't do it or don't charge so much. In Additon, your ghouls and ghosts and so forth look NOTHING like your ads and many of the characters on your promo seem completely absent in general. Dead time dreams is WAY scarier and more fun....and longer. read more

I went here last October, and it was great, so i checked out their website. Looks like they have come out with a newly themed haunted house for this Halloween. very excited to visit Fear Overload again this year. read more

I just received an invitation to Fear Overload's opening night and I can't wait to go back! I went last year for the first time and was horrified by the show they put on. Me and all my friends are definitely making this a yearly tradition!! read more

Do not go if you are over the age of 15. Not scary at all for adults. However a great G rated Halloween spot to take kids age 8-15. Recommend VIP tickets so you won't have to wait in long lines. 3 D movie sucked BTW super lame and had nothing to do with Halloween and was not truly 3-d. read more

Good way to spend my Halloween. The hype is real but the line was long. Buy a fast pass

The Valantines Haunt was a complete waste of time and money. It was short, not even remotely scary, lame and cheesey. The characters that were shown in the ad weren't even there. There wasn't even that many actors in the thing to scare you. It was an absolute joke. read more

Tonight was my third time. I didn't think it could get any better from the my bloody Valentine theme but it was amazing. This is my favorite haunted house ever - doing this a couple weeks before Halloween, we got right in. You and your friends get to walk through two haunted houses by yourself - they stager people so you have a very personal experience. It's dark, creepy, and so many characters that interact with you. I'm a big horror fan and I was still screaming the entire way thru, and it's not short, I think it took us over 25-30 min to get thru. If you can't handle really scary this probably isn't the right place for you tho. read more

This haunted house isn't even scary at all. And let me tell u I get scared SOOO easy. I went inside all nervous than after the first "scare" it was just like ok... And at the end your just like wow that's it? It's predictable. And the 2nd one is ok...I came here 2 times 2010 & 2011 ... But it was ok. I actually thought it was funny but not worth it. Save yourself money & go to Costco buy 2 tickets to GA HALLOWEEN HAUNT FOR $28.00 & that $28 bucks gets U in the park & all the haunted houses and mazes. At least those were a little more fun. Plus u get into the theme park rides! When I went inside this damn haunted house the clown instead of scarring me took off his mask & asked for my number? Way to stay in character! Smh. But anyways this is false advertising the damn website is more scary! The website makes it seem super scary & all. I'm sure the one in Sacramento has better actors & is a little better bc this one just SUCKS! Don't know why they are saying they were voted the scariest haunted house? Obviously the original one in Sac was voted the best one not this ratchet one at Bayfair mall. Lmao. read more

2 stars for the 3D it was cool. But annoying ghetto kids central. I mean ghetto!!. That's what you get when a haunt is in a mall.

Scary a'f. Went two times, I really don't know which one was better!!!!! First time went on a Friday. It was pretty packed so you can hear people getting scared. Also caught up to the people in front of us but it was still a 10/10. The following time I went it was on a Thursday, there wasn't as many people. It was soo scary, all you could hear was the sound affects and the scarers. 10/10 would definitely go again. Can't wait to see what they have next year!!! read more

Worst haunted house/maze Ive ever been to! what a joke, the actors didn't put any work into it, not like the trailer at all... was the Forbes review fake or paid for!? What a joke read more

THIS. WAS SO. GOOD. Went Wednesday 10/25 evening to their San Leandro location. The haunts are heavy, BOLD as fuck, clever, SUDDEN, nonstop fear factor, gorgeous horror set, beautiful characters!!! in aesthetic and presence, and my witch brain and Trickster we're going rightly crazy with delight and waves of adrenaline!!! I think I laugh-cried at a couple points. The psychological games a few of the monsters/beings played create a gooooooooooorgeous feeling of SUSPENSE. You can get your wits scared out of you damn near to disorientation and it's ALL FUN to me since you're actually NOT GOING TO DIE but they do a great job making you THINK that you're about to!! WEEEEEEEEEE!!! Thank you Tara for inviting me and for kicking so much ass!!! read more

After seeing all the hype on Youtube and googling Haunted Houses in the S.F. Bay area my friends and I figured we would check this place out. As someone who likes to check out different Halloween attractions each year I was VERY disappointed by this one. The fact that it is built into a shopping mall was the first red flag but we figured we would try it anyway. The Bad 1- The quality of this attraction is mediocre at best coming in just above a High school level haunted house but below something like Great America. Just a warning if you have seen the Youtube advertisements for this it looks NOTHING like them. It is NOT the same quality as what it advertised. 2- This is a CASH ONLY attraction, however their is an ATM about 30 feet from the register where you can get cash for only a $4 dollar service fee. 3- The cost for this level of experience is kind of silly at $25 dollars per person. I feel bad for anyone who spent the extra money for the fast pass ($30 per person on the night we went) 4- The line was long and the over all length of this attraction is short. We spent around 45 minutes waiting in line for an attraction that took less than 15 minutes TOTAL to walk through (That's around 7 minutes per haunted houses.) 5- The lighting was poor in most of the attraction and although I am sure it was meant to build suspense it just fell flat. They could have highlighted some of the more dynamic effects with better lighting, bringing out the details of their better props. The "total blackout" part of the attraction was bright enough to see without the taped up flashlight they gave you but not bright enough to really see or enjoy the details of most rooms. 6- Outside of the live actors all the other effects are static non moving effects that lack any sort of real punch and leave no real impression. 7- This attraction relies WAY to heavily on Jump Scares and misses the mark on any psychological scares. Outside of the constant fear of someone jumping out at yelling at you there is no real build up of tension. 8-The fact that it is built inside a shopping mall takes away from the experience and limits what they can effectively do. The GOOD 1- The fact that it is in a shopping mall meant it was relatively easy to find parking. 2- The actors are really good and committed to their parts, they were creepy, witty and often funny. 3- The make up effects for most of the actors were pretty good. 4- The black light art in the waiting area where you line up is really cool and gives you the feel of entering an old style carnival ride. CONCLUSION: If you are the type of person who scares easily then it will work for you. However if you can sit through a movie like Stephen King's "IT" without constantly covering your eyes this place will do nothing for you. This is more about making a quick buck off of people then entertaining them with terror. I will NOT be going back ever again! read more

My family went last Sunday, I was thinking it was going to be quiet, but I quickly saw a line was forming. Luckily we got the VIP passes that allow us to go to the front of the line and have unlimited entries... so worth it! Better than last year, props and costumes are great and the workers are scary. Bonus: The manager Eli had all the workers scream my grandson's name throughout the house. This is a memory he won't forget. read more

I'm an avid Haunted House seeker and love a good realistic scare like everyone else BUT unfortunately Fear Overload is absolutely ridiculous and silly! Definitely NOT one bit scary.... They forgot to give us flashlights so it was too dark to even see what was around us and enjoy the effects let alone be frightened! Anyway, don't waste your money... Keep looking! The travel Channel has a piece about the most extreme haunted houses in the country so go there for some great suggestions! read more

Not scary at all!!Such a waste of money and time !We paid 26 dollars and the whole thing lasted 40 minutes..to me that's a rip off.If you are like me and you have been to nuts scary farm or universal studios for halloween this will seem like child's play.we drove a long way to get there and it was very disappointing read more

Such a let down :( Paid $53 per person because we saved it for Halloween night. We were so excited. Drove an hour to get there. And it was LAME! It was as if no one showed up to work. There were maybe 5 people there to scare us in each house. The decorations were good, but I felt so ripped off. My suggestion is to save your money. This place is not worth it. read more

this is such a good haunted house!! The actors are so good and make the experience a really scary type of fun that I really enjoyed. Would definitely recommend you to go. Check it out people! read more

This was such a disappointment. It was in a mall and the VIP tickets definitely were not needed. There was no production, no haunted, no terror, no crazy lights. Just people jumping out and and screaming "boo". I would not recommend this or revisit. read more

My husband and I went to Fear Overload for the first time and I must say for us it was AWESOME! We've been to many haunted houses and have not been impressed but this did! The actors were great and set design was amazing. We will definitely be coming back every year! Can't wait to see what's in store for next year! read more

Well put together. The performers worked very hard to scare the heck out of me. They were wonderfully frightful!

Fear Overload has two haunted houses. One with crazy clowns and the other gory, bloody,insanely scary and dark. The set up was amazing. They had tons of bloodied people, monsters, scary clowns scaring you from eveywhere. Everywhere you turn, the unexepected happens and you get scared out of your mind! Very scary,. my friend said she almost had a heart attack! Lol! good times! definetly worth it! read more

Just wanted to give a shout out to the actor in the white bloody dress (I think you were supposed to be a nurse or something?) for helping me out when I had a panic attack, if you read this I really appreciated it read more

I love haunted houses/attractions around halloween time. my boyfriend n i love to go to all the different ones around the area n even dedicate a week to go down to socal for their's as well. when i heard about fear overload i was super excited cuz come on, fear OVERLOAD sounds like it must be pretty scary. the way they advertised it sounded scary even. so we went. we tried to get into the fun house first but before we could go into the next room, they stopped us for a couple minutes becuz of technical difficulties. that's fine, while they fixed it we went to the next one. the only thing that i thought was cool was the saw thing on the bicycle which freaks me out in general. other than that, i honestly think this is the worst one ive been to. not very scary and the props looked like it was made by high school kids. do not recommend this to any looking for a real big scare, if u want that head over to pirates of emerson in pleasanton instead! read more

This is the most overrated haunted house. Cheap props you can find at any halloween store, bland sets, teenagers trying to scare you. And overpriced. Their commercial video looks great, but that is as good as it gets. read more

As a first time attendee to this attraction I was not impressed. My friends, family and I decided to attend on Halloween... The event had so much hype with bold statements of being the "Best in the West" by Forbes and voted "Scariest in California" by Haunted.com. I just didn't see its claim to fame validated. That being said, not everything about this event was horrible, I would like to give credit where credit is due. The artwork on the walls was fabulous and the content in the haunted houses was fantastic. The layout and objects inside the haunted house made you believe the setting. The placement of things in the room also made you navigate and move towards specific areas, it didn't allow you to make a b-line for the next room or exit. The lighting was pretty good in the Grimm Fairytale Killer house with only one or two areas that were a little too dark to take in the amazing detail in the rooms. The Insanitarium had mostly no lighting and you get one flashlight for each group going through. I liked the idea, I think the flashlight would be a bit better with a diffused color light so it's not overly bright. With the very little actors I did see, the makeup and commitment to character roles was awesome! I truly appreciate the extra step towards realism with creepy makeup. The more real things look, the more real it becomes and allows for better scares. This is where the good ends and the bad begins. Fist, the price for my less than 10 minutes total time experienced in both haunted houses was appalling. I purchased the Fast Pass on Halloween for $40 at the door, cash only (used the ATM at the event). If you wanted to use plastic you needed to go online and pay a $3 surcharge for each ticket, which means if you bought two tickets you would pay an extra $6. The price per ticket was increased to the Saturday pricing for Halloween, so, in turn, I would expect the same sort of entertainment being provided on the big day... No... Nothing. Where there should have been more characters outside the haunted houses, there was none. The lines of people were our only entertainment. How can you justify charging the same price as the days you actually have entertainment and not keep the same standard. So my total experience time was no more than 15 - 20 minutes, this includes standing in line. That's an insanely hefty price to pay for such a short experience. The staff appeared to be running a bare bones crew, no pun intended. The first house I entered, Insanitarium, the person in the front punching tickets didn't space people out at all. We were told to go in right behind the group that just entered. There was hardly anyone inside to scare people let alone have enough time to reset or move from sight to make the scare of the next group. The second haunted house had the spacing. The person punching tickets did a good job making sure you weren't stepping on the heels of the group in front. But, once again, there was almost NO ONE in the house to scare us. I walked through a stretch that included two halls and a room with no one there to scare us. Overall, my personal opinion after my experience, I don't recommend this event for the price. I know you can't please everyone but after looking at the reviews I don't think I'm alone in my opinion. I think this haunted house has a good foundation to work from but really, really needs to up their A game. read more

Probably the one of the scariest haunted houses we've been to. Amazing and creative, we loved every minute of it! Even the men screamed and were scared, which is always a good sign :) read more