There are few spooky season activities as beloved – and as culturally important – as Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. The event, which runs through the first weekend of November, is the ultimate Halloween experience – between the haunted houses, scare zones, specialty merchandise and food and overall vibe, it’s hard to imagine the holiday without Hhn.

And this year is no different. With a combination of original and IP-based houses, Hhn is back and better than ever. We attended the Hollywood version of Halloween Horror Nights (there’s also an even-more-expansive version at Universal’s Orlando resort), did all of the mazes and are here to rank them.

One note: both the “Purge”-based water show (which takes over the Waterworld outdoor auditorium) returns this year but is very much the same show as last year. And there’s another “live” experience, Late Night with Chucky, which puts your...