There are a number of different formats in which challenges may follow.
Mental/Multiple Choice Challenges
In these challenges, unfortunates must make a number of choices in relation to the challenge situation. They are played in a best of 5 (and occasionally best of 3) format. Usually, the games are played so that 3 wrong choices is equal to a challenge fail, and 3 correct choices is equal to a challenge pass. The saboteur of this type of challenge must be able to use persuasion skills, and must also appear to be a team player and should be able to act disappointed and pleased along with the other unfortunates. The majority of challenges with 'characters' follow this format. These challenges do not have a time limit.
Challenges of this category:
Series 1: (Floor 6) Toxic Treats; (Floor 5) Deadly Medley, Feed Me Lies; (Floor 4) Witch's Brew, Exploding Toad In The Hole, Snake Attack; (Floor 3) Poison Banquet.
Series 2: (Floor 5) Spooked, Fairy Trials; (Floor 4) Green Fingers, Two-Faced Liar; (Floor 3) Extraction, One-Eyed Watcher.
Series 3: (Floor 5) Beware The Crowman.
Series 4 (Ever After): (Floor 5) The Midnight Bride; (Floor 4) The Wolf And The Nut, Split Ends; (Floor 3) A Child For Tea, Scallywag Wood
Blackout Challenges
In these challenges, unfortunates must work together to complete a task in which items have to be positioned according to the challenge instructions. A time limit of 90-120 seconds is set for the challenge to be completed. During the challenge, the lights will go out unexpectedly, causing a "blackout", where unfortunates must stand completely still. However, during the blackouts, the saboteur can work against the team without worry of detection, e.g. by releasing a challenge character from a prison or disrupting the position of the items (e.g. knocking down bricks in a wall). The items must be positioned correctly by the end of the time limit, and any challenge characters imprisoned, for the team to pass the challenge. Failure to do this will result in failure of the challenge. All challenges of this category are played on Floor 6 due to the "faulty lights". Saboteurs must be sneaky and quick.
Challenges of this category:
Series 1: Wall of Sorrow.
Series 2: Body Shock.
Series 4 (Ever After): Mutternot's Tales, Botherer Blocks.
Time Limit Challenges
These challenges are passed if the unfortunates manage to complete an instructed task by the end of a time limit of 90-120 seconds. There are no interruptions to these challenges - unfortunates simply have to complete the challenge, and the saboteur is given no extra opportunities to sabotage the challenge whilst remaining undetected (e.g. purposely doing the opposite of the challenge instructions). If the task is completed by the end of the challenge, the unfortunates will pass, trapping the saboteur. Challenges are failed if the instructed task is not completed by the end of the time limit. Unfortunates should be sneaky and quick, and must be able to sabotage the challenge and remain undetected in plain sight of the other unfortunates.
Challenges of this category:
Series 1: (Floor 6) Black Widow, Goblet of Ice; (Floor 5) Freaky Factory; (Floor 4) Horror Heads.
Series 2: (Floor 6) Poisoned Harvest; (Floor 3) Forbidden Chambers.
Series 4 (Ever After): (Floor 6) The Lost Invitations; (Floor 5) The Frozen Princess.
Saboteur Alert Challenges
Like the Time Limit Challenges, these challenges are passed if the unfortunates manage to complete an instructed task by the end of a time limit of 90-120 seconds. However, when the task is incomplete, the unfortunates are alerted until it is completed (e.g. by music playing), and the task can be completed in a very short time (e.g. switching on 8 lights), so the unfortunates playing must hide away (e.g. under a table, in a bed) to pass the time. When the other unfortunates are hiding, the saboteur can sneak out from hiding and undo the completion of the challenge (e.g. turning alarm clocks back on, unplugging a plugged drain) before returning to hiding. Doing this will trigger an alert (usually 3 seconds after the first act of sabotage), causing the other unfortunates to emerge from hiding to complete the task again. These challenges require a saboteur to be sneaky, quick (to be able to quickly hide after sabotaging), able to frame other unfortunates and to be able to pretend to be part of the team by helping. The challenges are continuously played in the same way (unfortunates hide, saboteur sabotages the challenge, unfortunates are alerted to the sabotage, this is repeated) until the end of the time limit. By successfully completing the task by the end of the time limit, the challenge is passed and the saboteur trapped, and failure to complete the task will result in regular voting. Challenge characters are occasionally available to help with the sabotage. This type of challenge is generally the most difficult for a saboteur to escape to the next floor without sabotage failure and/or detection.
Challenges of this category:
Series 1: (Floor 3) Sleep Creepers, Wicked Wardrobes.
Series 2: (Floor 5) Septic Sewers; (Floor 3) Camp Fear.
Series 3: (Floor 6) Giant Appetite.
Series 4 (Ever After): (Floor 5) Poison Hollow; (Floor 3) Millicent And The Moths.