Sascha Worms, a 31-year-old software developer from Oosterhout, built the Creepy Guide after a neighbour asked for a way to show which homes and haunted-house locations welcomed children at Halloween. The map lets residents register participating addresses, helping children and parents plan trick-or-treat routes.

Originally intended for about 20 addresses in his own neighbourhood, the platform has grown to hundreds of locations after being shared on social media. A single report said registrations have also come from London, Canada and the United States. New addresses are checked before appearing on the map, and users can report problems. Worms planned to monitor the site on Halloween night, when he expected thousands of people to use it at once.