Hongdae escape room café, Seoul: all 5 hints used at Cube Escape

Where is Cube Escape Hongdae Branch and how late is it open?

Cube Escape Hongdae Branch is a Hongdae escape room café on the 4th floor of Mugwang Building, 15 Yanghwa-ro 16-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It's within walking distance from Hongik University Station, so it's not hard to find at all!

I had plans in Hongdae recently and was trying to figure out what to do, so I went to an escape room for the first time in a while!

• Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu 11:00 - 23:45
• Fri, Sat 10:00 - 00:05 next day
• Sun 10:00 - 23:45
• Day before public holidays and temporary holidays 10:00 - 00:00

Hongdae has so many great restaurants and cafés, but doing the same eat-then-café course every time made me want to try something different! This time I visited Cube Escape Hongdae Branch with a friend for a game that would use our brains and be fun! Taking the elevator up to the 4th floor, that unmistakable escape room café atmosphere hit right from the entrance~! Even before going in I got nervous, wondering, can we actually escape?? haha

Locks and clues, not gadgets: a classic escape room in Hongdae

Cube Escape Hongdae Branch is a relatively old escape room café, so rather than expecting the flashy gadgets or huge scale of the newest escape room cafés, it's a classic escape room where you find clues and pick locks yourself!

Even for those trying an escape room for the first time, it's a good Hongdae activity to try with a friend or partner! And you know how escape rooms keep giving you things to talk about even after it's over, right??

I should've tried that then, why didn't I notice the clue was there?, how did you even solve that?

and so on — the fact that you keep talking about it afterward is the best part!

If your Hongdae dates keep repeating the same eat-then-café pattern, an offbeat activity like this is worth trying at least once!! It's especially fun when you go with a group of friends and split up roles to solve problems, seeing who finds the clue first! This was my second time doing an escape room, so I was more excited than expected haha

What happens before entry? QR consent form and staff briefing

At Cube Escape Hongdae Branch, after picking a theme and before entering, you scan a QR code and fill out a customer consent form. There's also a separate guide QR, and if you successfully escape the theme, this Hongdae escape room café even gives out a prize!

After filling out the QR consent form and checking the guide, a staff member came and kindly explained how to use the phone, how to use the locks, and how to use the notebook at this Hongdae escape room café, so it was easy to understand!

Picking a no-scare theme: why Secret of the Pyramid?

Picking a theme is fun in itself! Every theme has a different mood and difficulty, so there's fun in talking it over with whoever you're going with and deciding together!

I was making a whole fuss while picking the theme haha, my heart is the size of a fingernail so I absolutely cannot do horror,, I ended up asking my friend to pick for me. I'm the type who covers my eyes during horror movies or has to sleep with the lights on afterward.. and this friend I've known for over 15 years picked the theme for me. "Secret of the Pyramid" — Difficulty: Easy / Scare level: None

Easy difficulty, but the result? All 5 hints used, over at question 10

Honestly I went in thinking 'yeah~ easy difficulty, this should be a breeze~ maybe we'll even solve it too fast', we walked in with eyes closed, hands on the shoulder of the person in front — after: all 5 hints used / game over at question 10. You have to actually use your brain, and there were moments where I thought, why didn't I get that?? haha, I did graduate from college but it hit me hard.. haha

Once we actually started, my competitive streak kicked in and I stayed super focused until the very end! My heart is really, really tiny so I got a little startled with each puzzle, but it's genuinely fun! Secret of the Pyramid seems to center around locks and deduction!

After it ended, my friend loves horror themes so she took photos! I hated it because my heart is so tiny, but since she liked it I had no choice but to get close haha. Even if it's just a model, it's still scary!! haha

Is Cube Escape Hongdae Branch good for an offbeat date or friends' hangout?

If you're looking for something offbeat in Hongdae besides movies or cafés, I recommend Cube Escape Hongdae Branch! It would be fun to go with friends, a partner, or a group and show off some teamwork! It felt satisfying to properly play using my brain again after a long time — a Hongdae escape room café experience I really enjoyed ♥