No-scare escape room in Hongdae, Seoul: 60-minute Cube Escape

Not long ago (just about a year back), I was really into escape rooms and went hunting for them everywhere. Since I happened to be in Hongdae — the holy land of escape rooms — I figured I had to do one, right? So after asking around, I finally found a place and went to check it out.

They had all sorts of themes, and among them I picked one with zero horror for my scaredy-cat partner. Let me introduce it right away — here's my review of Cube Escape Hongdae Branch.

Where is Cube Escape Hongdae Branch, and what are its hours?

Cube Escape Hongdae Branch is on the 4th floor of the Mugwang Building, 15 Yanghwa-ro 16-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Hours are Sun–Wed 11:00 AM–11:45 PM, and Fri–Sat 10:00 AM–12:05 AM.

• Other: Group bookings available; same-day reservations possible via the official website
• Parking: Please use nearby parking lots

Cube Escape Hongdae Branch: storefront and interior

It's about a 5-minute walk from Hongik University Station Exit 3~

You get that escape-room vibe right from the entrance interior.

The waiting room was clean and spacious. The AC was blasting too, no stuffy or musty smell, which I liked~

You have to store your belongings exactly as the staff instructs. Don't do it ahead of time on your own!

Suddenly my partner jumped and I looked over to see what it was — and there was this thing in the corner ;;;

This is the photo zone for after you escape. There were sign cards with various phrases and a variety of props~

Electronics obviously aren't allowed inside, so it's a good idea to charge them beforehand and leave them behind.

Prices and the 8 themes at Cube Escape Hongdae Branch

Here's the escape room pricing. This table shows the regular price — there are separate discounts too, like early-bird, closing-time, student, and group discounts, so if any apply to you, it's worth asking the store before you visit~

There's a variety of themes. Cube Escape Hongdae Branch has 8 themes total, and only two — Gestapo and Hansel and Gretel — had zero horror, so after some deliberation we went with Hansel and Gretel haha.

My partner had always loved the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel, so the idea of experiencing it in real life made them really happy lol. The difficulty is medium-low with no horror, so anyone from kids to adults can enjoy it without any pressure.

Hansel and Gretel theme review: puzzle count, horror level, group size and hints

Hansel and Gretel had zero horror and a relatively small number of puzzles. The room isn't very big, so 2 people seems like the right size.

• Puzzle count: On the low side
• Horror level: Basically none at all
• Recommended group size: Room isn't large, so 2 people seems ideal
• Hint method: Enter a code on the provided smartphone to check, up to 4 hints allowed
• Locks: Only number and English letter locks (no directional locks, which I appreciated haha)

After we escaped, we each got a yakgwa (Korean honey cookie) as an escape gift lol. And of course, we escaped within 60 minutes haha. Medium-low was easy for us~~ Next time I'll have to try something with higher difficulty.

How does the photo zone work after you escape?

Unlike other escape room venues, Cube Escape Hongdae Branch's photo zone doesn't have a chalkboard for personal decorating — instead there are various sign boards and props. And it's a self-serve photo system; staff don't take the photos for you.

You just take photos like this lol. I'm not sure if other themes get photos taken for them, but for the 'Hansel and Gretel' theme I did, it was self-serve after escaping. There were sign boards with phrases related to other themes, but none for Hansel and Gretel — probably because it's such an easy theme. Anyway, I had a fun hour and came out happy~

Would I go back to Cube Escape Hongdae? Drawbacks and who it suits

It's been a while since I enjoyed an escape room this much~ That said, since the theme has been around a while, the aging facilities and puzzle design were a little disappointing. Still, it was a fun, cool hour well spent.

Looking for an escape room in Hongdae, the holy land of escape rooms? Want a date with a twist? Want a date that gets you using your brain? Thinking of trying an escape room as a group? Cube Escape Hongdae Branch comes recommended.