Every October, a new game is played… That’s the opening line in the trailer for The Doll in the Hall; the latest Halloween twist on the Elf on a Shelf craze that has launched on Kickstarter.
Over the years, we’ve seen various Halloween takes on this holiday tradition. There’s been Harvest Jack, Ghoul On A Stool, The Skeleton in the Closet, and of course, the Switch Witch, who swaps out candy for toys. Like Elf on a Shelf, all of these have been playful, but lack any fear factor. The Doll in the Hall looks to change that.
The Doll in the Hall is a new Halloween tradition that brings the scary story right into your home. The tradition centers around Deadra, a cursed doll whose goal is to scare you enough to quit her annual Halloween challenge. If the story sounds a bit scary for a family tradition, that’s because it is. Rather than teaching kindness or good behavior, The Doll in the Hall helps kids face their fears and build self-confidence.
“As a child, I was deathly afraid of Freddy Kruger,” shares The Doll in the Hall creator Gilbert Sotero on The Doll in the Hall Kickstarter page. “My cousin used to chase me around the house with the Nightmare on Elm Street VHS cover.” Eventually, Gilbert had the chance to face that fear when his dad convinced the manager of a local Blockbuster to let his son kick the crap out of a Freddy cutout.
“I went with my dad to Blockbuster and there was this life-size cut out of Freddy Kruger at the entrance. I obviously did not want to go in. I was terrified. But then my dad somehow got the manager to let me hit and kick the cutout. In that moment I realized it was fake. There was no reason why I should be afraid of it. I learned a valuable lesson and left Blockbuster braver because of it.”
Sotero hopes The Doll in the Hall will help create a similar moment for other kids. “I want them to learn that you can face you (sic) fear and then beat it. I’m now a huge fan of Freddy Kruger and The Nightmare on Elm Street franchise.”
Deadra moves the story from the pages to the real world. Her storybook explains the Doll in the Hall challenge, the rules, and what happens when you win and when you lose the game. Then, while the kids are asleep, parents move the doll from one room of the house to another or leave creepy messages “from the doll”. The kids will start to believe the story of Deadra is real, but if they can brave the month of October and don’t ask to put her away, they are rewarded for their bravery in the form of a prize of the parents choosing.
Much of the Doll in the Hall project has already been completed. The Deadra doll is ready for production, the book is ready to be printed, and the box is ready to be made. All that’s left is for the Kickstarter to raise enough money to mass-produce the product.
The Doll in the Hall has a goal of $35,000 to make the idea a reality. At the time of this writing, it had met 4% of its goal. A $35 pledge will get you your very own The Doll in the Hall at a discounted rate. Higher pledges get you your Doll in the Hall faster, or you can score a personalized postcard handwritten by Deadra, and so much more. If the project meets its goal, it is estimated to ship this October allowing you to start your very own The Doll in the Hall tradition for Halloween 2020.
To learn more about The Doll in the Hall or to back the project on Kickstarter, visit The Doll in the Hall Kickstarter page.
