8-theme escape room café in Hongdae: Pyramid's Secret at Cube Escape

Today I'm introducing a place I had SO much fun at that I didn't even notice an hour go by — Cube Escape Hongdae Branch, an escape room café in Hongdae. It was my very first time doing an escape room, and honestly it was such a blast that I think it's worth trying at least once if you're stuck on date ideas.

Where is Cube Escape Hongdae Branch and how do you get there?

• 📍 Location: 4F Mugwang Building, 15 Yanghwa-ro 16-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• 🕖 Hours: 10 / 12:00 – 22:40 / 24:00
• ✔️ Reservations available / group bookings possible

We walked straight from Exit 9 of Hongik Univ. Station and it took about 7-8 minutes. It wasn't as far as I expected, and we found it pretty easily.

As you can see, it's on the 4th floor of the building, with a supermarket on the 1st floor on the corner, so it's not hard to find at all. It's also a convenient spot to head to right after making plans in Hongdae.

I went in feeling excited since it was my first time, and since I personally don't like horror, I decided to go with a non-horror theme instead. They do have horror escape rooms too, so if you're brave, that's an option. It really stood out to me that they run such a wide range of themes, so both first-timers and people who've done escape rooms many times can pick something that suits their taste.

How many themes? 8 themes across a 100-pyeong space

Cube Escape Hongdae Branch runs a total of 8 themes, including Pyramid, Monkey House, Organ Trafficking, and Hansel and Gretel.

Since the mood and difficulty differ a bit from theme to theme, I think it's good to check what style you like before visiting. What stood out was how varied the lineup was — from themes for people who love a horror atmosphere to ones you can enjoy relatively worry-free 👍

The space itself was about 100 pyeong, so it was much bigger than I expected. Rather than just solving puzzles in one small room, you move between spaces to find clues, which made it fun to stay focused from start to finish!

It's great to visit with friends too, but I especially think it's a perfect activity for couples looking for a unique Hongdae date. Working together to solve problems naturally leads to more conversation, and it felt totally different from the usual café-and-meal type date 🤍

Pyramid's Secret: how hard is it, and is it scary?

The theme I picked this time was 'Secret of the Pyramid.' Difficulty and whether there's a horror element are probably the top questions for people trying an escape room for the first time. Secret of the Pyramid is about a level 3 theme, and since it's not a horror theme, you don't have to worry about a scary atmosphere. I really don't like scary stuff, so this was perfect for me 😂

So I thought this would be relatively comfortable to try for first-timers or people who don't like horror. It also seemed like a mood worth considering if you're looking for a theme to enjoy together with kids 🐥

The basic game format was to find clues and hints hidden throughout the room, solve puzzles, and ultimately escape. At first there were moments where I thought 'how am I supposed to solve this?', but as we looked around carefully and shared what we each found, things started connecting one by one, and that was really fun 👍

What I liked most was how the space was decorated to match the theme. With interiors and props reminiscent of pyramids and Egypt, it felt less like simply solving puzzles and more like actually stepping inside a pyramid. That spatial element really seemed to boost the immersion.

Practice game and hints: is Cube Escape okay for beginners?

Before starting the actual escape room, you first do a practice game guided by a staff member, and it's not difficult at all, so you can go in feeling relaxed 👍 If you get stuck while solving puzzles during the game, you can also use hints, so you don't need to overthink how hard it'll be — it's a great pick for escape room beginners too!

Does Cube Escape work as a different kind of Hongdae date?

Personally, I think this would be great with couples, friends, or someone you're seeing casually 👍 Hongdae has no shortage of restaurants and cafés, but sometimes when you keep doing similar dates, you want to try something a bit different. That's when checking out a Hongdae escape room café is a good option.

With 8 themes, Cube Escape Hongdae Branch isn't a one-and-done visit — you can pick a different theme next time, and when visiting with friends, everyone can choose the mood they each want. And since this time's 'Secret of the Pyramid' has no horror elements, it's a theme I can recommend fairly comfortably even to people who find scary escape rooms intimidating.

If you're looking for a different kind of date course in Hongdae beyond the usual cafés and meals, an escape room seems worth experiencing at least once. My husband and I will definitely be back to try another theme — we had way too much fun!

Among the options, Cube Escape Hongdae Branch stood out for having 8 varied themes, including Secret of the Pyramid, Monkey House, Organ Trafficking, and Hansel and Gretel, so you can pick whatever matches your taste. This time we went with the relatively easygoing Secret of the Pyramid, and finding clues and solving puzzles one by one in that Egyptian, pyramid-themed space turned out to be way, way, way more fun than expected!!!

If you're looking for something special to do in Hongdae, or your usual dates are starting to feel a bit boring, and you're searching for a unique Hongdae date course, I genuinely recommend Cube Escape Hongdae Branch. Next time, I want to pick a different theme and try out a whole different escape room mood :)