Sinister Pointe returned to the traditional “haunt” again this year, with their “choose your own adventure” type show “Fear The Mark.” We were first introduced during Midsummer Scream, where Sinister Pointe’s booth allowed you to go inside, and be marked by one of the four entities awaiting you inside.

As the story goes for this year, a portal has been opened between our world and the next, and four separate dimensions have been found. Throughout your journey, you will be able to experience one (or all) of these realms, each one lorded over by a different, demonic entity. When you first enter, you are greeted by a tarot card reader, who reads your fate…and tells you the realm you will enter. Just beyond her, the Brander awaits, who marks you with the sign of the realm you are to enter, before sending you on your way.

Taking up a gigantic footprint in a Fullerton shopping center, Fear the Mark is a single maze that breaks off at various points into the four different realms. The beginning, end, and part of the middle are all the same, but along the way, following the path into the dimension chosen for you, you will experience vastly different things.

Right off the bat, I loved this concept. It was fantastic to weave in and out of a maze, while following our own dedicated path. To make sure we fully experienced everything, we bought an all-night, front of the line pass, and I am glad we did. We managed to experience all four paths within 2 hours, while waiting in the regular line would have been much, much longer, even for a Sunday night.

Each one of the dimensions deals with a specific theme. For example, Tormentum, my favorite dimension, dealt with pain and torment. The rooms unique to this reflected that, with scenes of torture and pain throughout. There was even a “mini-challenge” once entered, in order to make it through. The Rebus dimension was all about trickery, and your eyes deceiving you, which played into the actual maze included with its walls.

Each run-through of the maze comes in a little under the ten-minute mark, which makes the ticket price a little hefty at times. However, for the most bang for your buck, it is recommended you get the all-night pass, so you can experience all the different paths. Whether or not the front of the line option is worth it depends on you.

Overall, this was an enjoyable evening for me, and I had fun exploring all the different dimensions. The monsters within, after seeing us in the common areas a few times, began to have fun with us, which added to the overall experience.

Sinister Pointe is a nice, fun little diversion this year, and definitely a good evening-long haunt. While not as intense or immersive as their more recent events (like Séance or The Trust Challenge), it was still a good time.

More information is available on their site at: www.sinisterpointe.com