Hongdae escape room café in Seoul: Hansel and Gretel at Cube Escape

I went out to enjoy some things to do in Hongdae today — the crowds were huge whether it was a weekday or weekend, it really gave me energy haha.

This time I went to a Hongdae escape room café. Among the many escape rooms around, I visited Cube Escape Hongdae Branch. Let's get right into the difficulty, price, and hint count.

Cube Escape Hongdae Branch hours and location

Cube Escape Hongdae Branch is about an 8-minute walk from Exit 3 of Hongik University Station. Hours are Monday-Thursday 11:00-23:45, Friday-Saturday 10:00-00:05, and Sunday 10:00-23:45, open year-round.

Parking near Cube Escape Hongdae Branch and on-site amenities

Cube Escape Hongdae Branch has no on-site parking. Nearby public parking lots include Gyeongnam 1 street public parking lot at ₩250 per 5 minutes, Hapjeong 2 public parking lot at ₩6,000 per 60 minutes, and Hapjeong street public parking lot at ₩6,000 per 60 minutes.

What themes does Cube Escape Hongdae Branch have, and how hard are they?

• Secret of the Pyramid — difficulty ★★★, adventure
• Hansel and Gretel — difficulty ★★★★, fairy-tale adventure
• Towering — difficulty ★★★★, disaster
• Organ Trafficking — difficulty ★★★★★, thriller / 19+ only

How to walk from Hongik University Station to Cube Escape Hongdae Branch

I walked over from Hongik University Station, and since it had been a while since I'd been to Hongdae, I looked around a bit as I walked and got there before I knew it. Since the route itself is a hotspot, it seems like a great idea to enjoy some other Hongdae attractions first, or grab a good meal after the escape room.

Inside Cube Escape Hongdae Branch: waiting area and photo zone

As soon as I arrived I already felt excited. It felt like a unique Hongdae date spot, exciting but also giving me the resolve that I had to escape haha. Right when you walk in, you can comfortably change into slippers. Not required, though.

It really was crowded, probably because it's Hongdae. Plenty of people had already started their escape rooms right after arriving, and there were also a lot of people waiting inside. With so much waiting space, it seems convenient for people who arrive early.

Cube Escape Hongdae Branch had separate restrooms for men and women, along with lockers and a spot for photos. There was also a water dispenser, so you could get a nice cold drink of water.

Escape prizes at Cube Escape Hongdae Branch by number of hints used

While looking around, I sat down at a seat too — once you sit, there's basically a notebook with Cube Escape Hongdae's themes and explanations. As for prizes for a successful escape,

• No hints: polaroid + discount coupon + yakgwa (Korean cookie)
• 1 hint: discount coupon + yakgwa
• 2 hints: yakgwa
• 3+ hints: oatmeal cookie

Before entering, there's one more game unique to Cube Escape — a little warm-up minigame to get your brain a bit more alert before the pressure kicks in. If you play it, you get one extra precious hint.

I had already booked Hansel and Gretel, so somehow all the other themes started looking more tempting haha. I kept wanting to try something harder, but because of the time limit I got so anxious that stuff I actually knew ended up being wrong — the magic of panic, ugh.

How hard is the Hansel and Gretel theme?

As an escape room theme recommendation, Hansel and Gretel felt like something even beginners could figure out fairly easily. You'll definitely still need hints, of course...! But since it's not a scary theme, even kids and sensitive players should be able to enjoy it without much trouble. This time my friend solved most of it, which made me a little sad. I acted like I knew what was going on but was wrong every time, so it was a bit embarrassing. Still, we escaped successfully. It was all thanks to my friend, so I also felt kind of sorry, haha.

Next time I want to try a theme a bit harder than Hansel and Gretel. If I had to give a Cube Escape theme recommendation, the scarier ones tend to feel a bit more difficult! Add in the tension and it feels even tougher. I'd recommend going even just a little harder — if full difficulty isn't for you but you want a bit more challenge, something a step up from Hansel and Gretel would be the pick.

I was just glad we escaped successfully. Honestly, we got out 5 minutes before the game ended, so it felt like a total buzzer-beater, but it didn't feel like a hard-fought escape. After escaping, we'd used about 3 hints and received an oatmeal cookie, and that was it.